If the Celtic chairman’s call for unity within the stadium is to be taken seriously he must invite the Green Brigade to return to Celtic Park on Saturday.
Commenting on Martin O’Neill’s return, Interim chairman Brian Wilson told the club website yesterday “I would appeal for unity within the stadium to create the best possible environment for the manager and team to launch the fight-back.”
Well there is one easy move Wilson could make to signal the end of the boards war on Celtic fans and boost the atmosphere massively – bring back the Green Brigade.
The Ultras group have paid a heavy price for supporting the Celtic Fans Collective.
The Collective began on the back of a simple open letter asking the club to answer seven reasonable questions.
GREEN BRIGADE AND COLLECTIVE VINDICATED
But given the current state of affairs at Celtic, those reasonable questions were met with utter fury from within the club, unable and unwilling to be held accountable for once.
Well yesterday gave us all the confirmation we need that those questions were very pertinent and had they been answered the clubs failings would have been laid bare.
The summer transfer window was a disaster, the club didn’t have the ambition to progress in the Champions League and the fans were being left entirely in the dark.
So now that we know the Collective were entirely right to raise these issues it is long past time the club dropped the stadium ban imposed on those who stood up and asked the questions.
The Green Brigade’s stadium ban must end now.
DOUBLE STANDARDS OF MARK HARGREAVES
Saturday’s Glasgow Derby marked the ultimate low point in the clubs’ ridiculous attempts to manage the atmosphere at Celtic Park.
Security chief Mark Hargreaves warmly welcomed fans from Ibrox to spout anti Irish racist bile all afternoon.
As a former Police Scotland officer, racism seems to follow Mark Hargreaves around.
Hargreaves stewards were all in place and facing in the right direction for the full repertoire – and did exactly nothing.
Meanwhile in the home section Mark’s former employers were up to their old tricks again provoking Celtic fans at every opportunity.
Police Scotland are clearly a long way from shaking off their self admitted tag of being institutionally racist, they remain a national disgrace.
And all the while the front of the north curve remained empty with nobody there to rouse the fans and get the songs going.
OPEN GOAL FOR CHAIRMAN WILSON
Another easy fix for Wilson would be to override Hargreaves instructions to the stewards and tell them to stop grabbing young Celtic fans by the neck.
No 12 year old Celtic fan could have done anything deserving of such treatment.
Just what is the threshold for stewards to place their hands on fans after everything they stood back and listened to being spouted from the visiting fans on Saturday?
Celtic’s latest fabricated reason for banning the Green Brigade is their most disingenuous yet.
Asking members of the Green Brigade to admit their guilt concerning an ongoing live criminal case is not only ridiculous, it is asking them to break the law.
The contempt of court laws in Scotland are very clear – speculating over the guilt or innocence of anyone involved in an active legal case can create a “substantial risk that the course of justice in the proceedings concerned will be seriously impeded or prejudiced”.
And that can get you up to two years imprisonment.
THEY TURNED PARADICE INTO A GRAVEYARD
This latest laughable reasoning for banning the Green Brigade merely proves how farcical the clubs demonisation campaign has now become.
Everyone knows they are banned for protesting the board and everyone knows the atmosphere has nosedived since they were banned.
Now that a modicum of honesty and reality has come from the board room it’s time for Brian Wilson to end the farce and bring the Green Brigade back.
Otherwise his call for unity will be about as believable as Dermot Desmond’s statement blaming Brendan Rodgers for all of Celtic’s failings this season or a Michael Nicholson manager endorsement.
End the pantomime, lift the ban.
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2 Comments
by Bryan Coyle
Why are Celtic employing a hun and a mason like Hargreaves?Get him emptied as well.
by Charlienic
The board of accountants ban on Celtic fan media must also end, they were banned for criticising the board but Celtic still welcomes smsm despite their recent articles including boards beloved daily mail criticising nicholson by name.
I was there Saturday, listening to those sectarian animals for the full second half is an experience I NEVER want to repeat, at least GB drowns out the worst of their ‘chants’