Mark Hargreaves faces his own moment of truth this Saturday when almost 2,500 away fans visit Celtic Park.
Celtic’s new Head of Safety, Security and Operations has adopted a hard line towards the hoops supporters that pay his wages since he took up his post with the club last summer.
His first order of the day was to issue the Green Brigade with a suspended three match stadium ban for showing their support for Palestinian genocide victims.
Hargreaves is clearly a man who is entirely comfortable being on the wrong side of history.
Just like the current Celtic board that he represents.
The front of the standing section now lies empty since that ban was upgraded.
HARGREAVES HOUNDS THE GREEN BRIGADE
The stadium atmosphere has evaporated, but that’s a small price for Michael Nicholson to pay for his petty vendetta.
It’s hard to nail down exactly why the Green Brigade are currently banned but the club have assured us it is in no way connected to the ultra groups’ role in the Celtic Fans Collective.
Of course it’s not.
Hargreaves’ approach has been evident all season with Celtic fans regularly being asked to show Season Tickets merely to use the toilets.
Waves and waves of human barriers have been deployed to ensure stadium regulations are followed.
Videos of young Celtic fans being grabbed mercilessly by Hargreaves’ army of stewards have been viewed by hundreds of thousands online.
The atmosphere around the north curve of Celtic Park has been decimated for no particular reason.
Try to get to the bottom of the orchestrated vindictive campaign to remove the Green Brigade and you will find – absolutely nothing.
ZERO TOLLERANCE OF THE BILLY BOYS?
Baseless accusations from sources with zero credibility and a long lens video showing some Celtic fans moving to the north curve concourse.
That’s it, the sum total of the farcical “evidence” used to ban the Green Brigade.
So with his reputation for zero tolerance, you can imagine how Hargreaves is bound to react to thousands of away fans belting out the racist anthem the Billy Boys on Saturday.
No stranger to racism, Hargreaves spent 25 years furthering the aims of the institutionally racist Police Scotland.
Now he has a chance to redeem himself and justify all those heavy handed tactics he has deployed against Celtic fans so far this season.
When the first lines of the song that caused UEFA to shut down parts of Ibrox for racism are heard, Hargreaves’ staff will be sure to swoop in.
Alongside those brave boys in blue from Police Scotland.
It’s sure to be quite the sight.
HARGREAVES HYPOCRISY
Because anything less from the Celtic Park stewards and the police would be the height of hypocrisy.
If they are prepared to conduct dawn raids and kick in doors for a mere Breach of the Peace, imagine their reaction to thousands of fans belting out racism.
Celtic Park Stadium Regulation 13 clearly states
Racial, sectarian, political, homophobic or discriminatory behaviour, abuse, singing or chanting is also forbidden and is considered as unacceptable conduct and may result in arrest and a ban from regulated football matches.
Hargreaves’ army of stewards must be itching to clamp down on anything that breaches Regulation 13.
Similarly, CEO Nicholson hasn’t been slow to throw around serious allegations of physical assaults he claims Celtic fans have committed this season.
And not one shred of evidence to back his claims up.
Well on Saturday Nicholson will be in the perfect position to hear the anti Irish racist bile that will inevitably be aired.
For a man who needs no evidence to point an accusing finger, 90 minutes of first hand evidence will be more than enough for the Celtic CEO to call out the culprits in a Supporters Update on Saturday night.
2026 brings us the Green Brigade’s 20th anniversary.
Having seen off attacks down the years from Scotland’s First Minister and the national disgrace that is Police Scotland, swatting aside their latest foes will be no big deal.
The two people responsible for their current ban will be sweating bricks in the directors box on Saturday.
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