Emotional blackmail- Green Brigade hit back at Celtic threats

The Green Brigade has published a detailed, measured response to Celtic’s ‘supporters update’ from Tuesday night.

With minimum notice Celtic announced a meeting of Glasgow City Council’s Safety Advisory Group.

TWO CITY STADIUMS

Partial closure of the Standing Section of Celtic Park is one of the sanctions available despite the Safety Advisory Group appearing to take no action elsewhere in the city.

The Union Bears stand throughout matches at Ibrox, from that area of the ground glass bottles have been thrown at Matt O’Riley and Viljami Sinisalo without any public follow up action.

The events at Celtic’s home match against Falkirk on October 29 remain unclear.

Celtic’s Tuesday night statement referenced an assault of one steward and two police officers. So far no arrests or charges have been announced, no-one has been convicted of the alleged assaults.

The club appear to have broken off all contact with the Green Brigade as they approach their 20th anniversary.

Responding to Celtic’s latest Supporters Update the Green Brigade announced:

Over the previous days, we learned that a meeting between Celtic FC and the Safety Advisory Group would take place on Thurs 20 Nov. It was suggested to us that Celtic FC would use this meeting to legitimise further sanctions against the Green Brigade, and other Celtic supporters, with a potential full or part closure of the Standing Section for the remainder of the season.

Yesterday, we wrote to Celtic FC to express our dismay at their relentless and cynical pursuit against our group and other Celtic supporters. We requested that fan representation be granted at tomorrow’s meeting which is permissible as per the terms of reference of the SAG. This request has been rejected without explanation.

We remain deeply concerned at the language and tone in which Celtic FC refers to our group, particularly continually stating criminal allegations as fact with no due process (we vehemently deny these allegations).

We are frustrated that there has been no willingness, at any point, to consider supporter feedback and evidence. This, together with the sequence of events, the people involved and their histories, and the context of fan protest against the Celtic board, leaves us expecting a pre-determined outcome from tomorrow’s meeting.

To further support that belief, Celtic FC has twice inferred to us that a failure to respect the current unfair suspension will result in more Celtic fans (within the Standing Section) being punished. This is unfair emotional blackmail and an example of them extending an already unfair collective punishment practice. It also follows no fair, logical rationale nor process. It leaves no doubt that they care little for supporter treatment and wellbeing and instead seek to sow division.

We have requested that Celtic FC meet with us to discuss this issue constructively to reach an amicable solution. The Club has ignored this request. The safety of the stadium operation, including the Standing Section, is reliant on compliant supporters and we have always been engaged on this. We remain willing and ready to engage should Celtic FC be ready to do so.

SHAPING THE AGM

It seems that Celtic are attempting to shape the discussions at the AGM around the Green Brigade.

There are various governance and policy/strategy questions that supporters want to raise at the AGM.

Michael Nicholson hasn’t said a word outside of unrecorded supporter meetings since the 2024 AGM.

Questioned about transfers that the manager referred to as club signings he shrugged his shoulders during a meeting led by the Celtic Fans Collective on October 6.

One of the resolutions put forward by the Celtic Trust is for the club to publish a five year plan. Something that is standard across businesses. The Board has recommended that fans vote against that resolution!

Celtic face three away matches over a nine day period. The atmosphere for the home match against Dundee on December 3 may not be the best to introduce a new manager.