It all started before the season even kicked off when the club imposed a three match suspended ban on the Green Brigade while they were preparing tifo tributes to John Clark and John Fallon.
Scottish football first opened itself up to the use of alternative facts when Rangers F.C. went into administration back in 2012 followed by the inevitable liquidation.
Allan Preston, Ryan Stevenson and Tom English didn’t hang around long after the final whistle to get the ball rolling with the fabricated allegations of Celtic fans assaulting Hearts players. Five days later the evidence remains elusive.
All they had to do in the renewal campaign was hint that at least some work was being done to rebuild the club infrastructure, find the new manager, implement the structure he will need, recruit the players.
Unsurprisingly when you abandon the tenants of journalism, the powerless are attacked with some bizarre argument put forward that Celtic fans should forgo their right to hold public servants Police Scotland to account.
All of the fake reasons that have been trotted out for the ban reek of the same thing – an attempt to stifle and stop the ultras from criticising the club and their treatment from Police Scotland.
“The safety certificate holder is ultimately responsible for spectator safety within their stadium.”
There is an unusually specific quote from Celtic’s interim chairman Brian Wilson when he spoke to Celtic TV recently to explain the ongoing ban on the Green Brigade.
It’s a matter for the SAG (Safety Advisory Group) and we cannot override the advice that they have given
The ban on the ultras…
But at a recent meeting with Glasgow City Council’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG), Police Scotland objected to the ultras returning and that position was subsequently adopted by the SAG.
And it will come as no surprise to any Celtic fan that the paper concluded “The reality of events on the day bears little resemblance to the ‘both sides are as bad as each other’ favoured by the Scottish, Irish and British media.”