The Green Brigade and Bhoys won’t be at Hampden next month for the League Cup semi-final. The Billy Boys will be heard around the national stadium and piped into thousands of homes through Premier Sports.
It wouldn’t be allowed by UEFA. By taking no action it is encouraged by Neil Doncaster and the SPFL.
Recently the SPFL has become greatly engaged in the issues of pyro inside football grounds.
It seems a convenient issue to get high and mighty with. An easy hit.
TICKET CUT
Celtic have been hit with a 500 ticket reduction for the semi-final. It seems that there was no protest or appeal by Michael Nicholson, Celtic seemed comfortable to go along with the punishment.
Once again it has given Celtic the chance to pick on their two Ultras groups. It is no coincidence that Bhoys and the Green Brigade are driving forces in the Celtic Fans Collective.
Pyro is clearly an issue, a problem. For the SPFL it upset broadcasters when the kick off to their two semi-finals last season were delayed.
Vision in the stadium was fine but additional time was required for broadcasters.
There appears to be no effort from the SPFL or Celtic to deal with Pyro.
Across Europe there are issues with Pyro and fans, clubs are in dialogue with fans/Ultras to try and find a solution.
Celtic employs one Supporters Liaison Officer as part of a box ticking exercise for UEFA.
When it comes to hate-filled anti-Catholic anthems no one in Scottish football wants to know.
DONCASTER THE DRAIN
Nicholson believes that increasing the away ticket allocations at the Glasgow Derby is an achievement. In March Celtic Season Ticket holders were given the full song book. No banning orders were issued, Nicholson said nothing, his default position on every issue.
Doncaster has been draining a salary out of Scottish football for 15 years. He knows the issues and avoids them.
He has never once commented on or condemned the anti-Catholic hatred now associated with the SPFL.
Twice in 2019 and now twice again in 2025 UEFA has charged and punished the Ibrox club for the racist actions of their supporters.
It is a long running issue, dating back to the Rangers club that disappeared into liquidation in 2012.
UEFA took action. On the club and on that song. The one that Doncaster turns a deaf ear to as he checks the impact of his £400,000 a year salary on his bank account.
On 12 March 2006, The Guardian reported the opening of UEFA investigations:
European football’s governing body had been receiving complaints about sectarian singing and chanting by Rangers fans for almost two years before recent taunts against Spanish club Villareal.
Uefa was alerted to anti-Catholic displays by followers of the Ibrox club by a stream of letters from individuals and non-governmental organisations, the body’s spokesman, William Gaillard, told The Observer. ‘Uefa has received complaints about the behaviour of Rangers fans at games in the Champions League and Uefa Cup over the last two seasons – the chanting and so on.
‘These complaints have come from individuals and reliable, credible non-governmental organisations which have a track record of fighting discrimination and racism,’ said Gaillard.
On 9 June 2006 BBC Scotland reported:
Rangers have been ordered to make a public announcement at all of their home games prohibiting the chanting of the song “Billy Boys”.
The instruction comes from Uefa as one of a number of directives aimed at stamping out sectarianism.
Rangers were fined £13,000 for the sectarian behaviour of their fans at a recent Champions League match.
And Rangers chairman David Murray has already met with supporters groups to make sure their fans comply.
The Rangers Assembly, fanzine and website Follow Follow and the Supporters Trust were all represented at the Murray Park meeting on Thursday evening.
SILENT APPROVAL
Shamefully neither the SFA, SPL or SPFL has ever taken any action against those singing The Billy Boys.
That song hasn’t been mentioned or condemned by the club that gives it a platform. A club that is a member of the SFA and SPFL.
When it comes to an easy target like Pyro and Ultras the SPFL are on the front foot.
Tackling real issues? Doncaster doesn’t want to know.
That will be audible at Hampden on November 2. Endorsed by the SPFL and broadcast by their sponsors, Premier Sports with no apology offered to viewers offended by anti-Catholic hatred piped into their living rooms.
