Liam O’Hare has given a valuable and uplifting report into the mood inside the Green Brigade.
Over the last month the Ultras group have been the whipping boys for the Celtic board as they attempt to deflect attention away from their own failings.
The Green Brigade don’t encourage or welcome publicity. They know the nature of legacy media, their agendas and have no aspirations to court popularity.
They go on instinct. Their conscious decides. Right or wrong isn’t impacted by commercial values. They have no sales, turnover or bonuses to hit.
The harder that Celtic push the stronger the Green Brigade push back.
UNBOWED, UNBROKEN BRIGADE
O’Hare has produced a few articles from inside the Green Brigade. In 2023 he explained to Al Jazeera the dynamics of another Celtic Park ban.
Two years on little has changed, The resolve of the Green Brigade won’t be impacted by the cynical use of Celtic’s media partners at the Daily Record.
Some observers are predicting that the current drive from the Celtic board will kill off the Ultras group of 19 years standing.
O’Hare has bad news for those harbouring those desires.
In his Newsquest article on the Herald and Celtic Way he quotes the reaction of one Green Brigade member:
A lot of times it actually makes our resolve stronger. That’s why the collective and the unity of Celtic support is all the more important. Because when the Celtic support is mobilised and united, we’re a formidable force and will eventually win. We think that will be the case here as well.
Michael Nicholson will return to being a ‘top sports lawyer’ before the Green Brigade are defeated. They’ll still be around once Peter Lawwell finally retires off to Portugal.
CREATING THE COLLECTIVE
The Green Brigade were among the 100 plus groups that supported an open letter to the Celtic board on September 3.
No one could have guessed at what would follow over the next three months.
The meltdown from the club has been incredible.
On September 20 the group was named the Celtic Fans Collective. It was now backed by over 400 groups and bodies. Even the ultra conservative Celtic Supporters Association signed up- forced by member clubs against the instinct of their executives.
With every reaction from the board the Collective grew in strength and resolve.
The 2025 Celtic AGM was a shambles. A summary of the multiple failings of the club at every level. Led by Chairman Lawwell showing histrademark contempt. Behave being one instruction to shareholders!
BEATING THE BAN
Some of the banned Green Brigade members attended the match against Hearts, others watched from the Celtic Social Club on London Road.
All were on the march from St Mary’s to Celtic Park, taking their protests to within yards of the gin and tonic crew in the Boardroom.
Their PR advisors might be telling them that they are winning. Banners across three sides of Celtic Park tell a different story.
Speaking before the Collective marched to Celtic Park Paul Quigley said:
We have a board of millionaires who are so aloof and so detached from the everyday realities of Celtic supporters. Someone like Ross Desmond simply cannot fathom what it is that ties the ordinary supporter emotionally to Celtic Football Club. He can’t understand it.
What we want fundamentally is a football club that represents the ambitions and the values of its supporters. But unfortunately the distance between the values we want the club to reflect are so far removed from billionaires like the Desmond family.
Ross hasn’t been pictured at a Celtic match this season. He did play in the Dunhill Cup thanks to Daddy and watched the Tongo egg-chasers at Murrayfield.
The Green Brigade and Celtic Fans Collective won’t be bullied and intimidated out the picture.
That is why Ross and his Dad express such anger and contempt for the anti-establishment beliefs that founded Celtic- and fuels the current generation of supporters.
