Reports and rumours online today – which should be confirmed by the SLO later on – suggest that the standing section, which houses The Green Brigade – will be shut down for the Raith Rovers game, and once again a chorus of anger is directed at Celtic over this.
But Celtic isn’t to blame for this, and any suggestion to the contrary is plain wrong.
This is a health and safety issue, and our club has no choice but to take action, or face the possibility of the stadium itself being closed down for a spell.
The club is being put in a dreadful position here, one where either it imposes a blanket search policy on the whole support – which is completely unfeasible as it would create chaos – or face sanctions from the council and the Scottish Government.
The last option, even less palatable, is to so heavily police that section of the ground that it will be a permanent source of tension and trouble … and for obvious reasons the club won’t do that either.
So Celtic is reduced to these measures instead, shutting down the section every so often in the hope that people learn a lesson and stop this stuff. I see no signs that this policy will be successful for the simple fact that it’s been tried before and here we are again.
This is bigger than what some armchair revolutionary thinks.
It is sad to see this raised again, the stupidity and selfishness of fans taking pyrotechnics and smoke bombs into grounds.
The spectacle it creates is not worth the risks to the safety of fellow supporters and it falls on the wrong side of both stadium regulations and the law of the land.
The atmosphere inside Celtic Park for the visit of our “rivals” was stunning, there is no doubt about that.
But it would have been stunning without the smoke that drifted across the pitch prior to kick-off, as well as up into the stands where people with health conditions may have been endangered, and we certainly could have done without the flares which lit up that corner.
This has gotten us into trouble before; should it happen in a European game we might well be facing a stadium closure.
I know that there are a lot of people who refuse to take this possibility seriously, but the club does and the club will shut the standing section itself before they allow that to happen.
It’s inexcusably risky, and a reckoning is bound to come.
This decision will be greeted by the usual children hollering “no pyro, no party”, perhaps the most idiotic defence offered short of “I thought it was a work event.”
But the club ought to be spared this outrage because they have no option but to obey the terms of the health and safety certificate, and that’s something they should never need to explain or apologise for anyway.
This stuff is dangerous and it’s illegal, so the club should not have to defend itself from the accusation that it is somehow pissing on the fans because it obeys the law.
There is a suggestion in some places that the club needs to “get around the table” and “sort this out.”
But what is there to sort out?
What is there to discuss?
The law is clear, the council’s policies are clear, the club has been clear.
This isn’t a subject for a round-table debate or discussion, far less a negotiation.
What purpose would that serve?
To try and find a middle ground?
What possible middle ground could there be?
Try negotiating with the Health And Safety Executive on which of their regulations fans are prepared to follow; that’ll go badly.
Try negotiating with Police Scotland about what laws fans want to obey; that conversation will end even more quickly.
Is this an ideal situation?
God no, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.
But this is action forced upon the club, not something that is being done to create an issue.
The issue was created in the stands, unfortunately, by people who know better but just don’t care.
I for one am sick of these idiots. If they want to let of flares and sing about the IRA then that’s up to them.
But fuck off and do it somewhere else you fuckin morons.
Stop dragging our club through the gutter where your knuckles are.
We can all agree,the GB have done a lot to create a legendary atmosphere but,they must ask themselves if they really need to take flares and smoke bombs to matches,why any fan would want to make trouble for Celtic is beyond me.
100% correct on this occasion. Fuel plus air plus heat causes FIRE.
These fans dont really care about any other fan. Their attitude is the club can afford it so it’s ok to do it. Childish antics from childish people
Completely agree. Good piece.
Much as it looks great from my vantage point (at the opposite end of the ground), the pyro is unsafe and obnoxious.
If you’re doing it, you’re treating Celtic (and its fans) unfairly, not the other way around.
Hear hear, maybe a bit of maturity should be shown by the people engaging in this sort of unnecessary behaviour.
The Club has to obey the laws so why can’t people see that, it’s not a spiteful action is simply law abiding.
Agree wholeheartedly why do this group constantly want to bring Celtic football club into disrepute the silent majority of supporters need to speak up and let this group know We do not want their behaviour and certainly don’t support them
You can’t negotiate with people that don’t care.
They think the club revolves around them.
Selfish people with no care for others.
I do love the GB for all they do to enhance the name of our club with their charitable endeavours, lot of which goes unsung, for their brilliant tifos and for all the noise and colour they bring to games. However, I must agree with James here the pyrotechnics have to go, if they want to have displays then make it somewhere far away from the ground where there is less risk of a dreadful accident occuring. When I saw the display on Wednesday I knew there would be repercussions it was a massive show of defiance to the club which has to obey the laws of the land like any other sporting/leisure arena. These pyrotechnics are dangerous and are banned for precisely that reason. Celtic have no choice here, if they don’t police their own fans then the authorities will – probably in much harsher terms. Also UEFA do not allow this and they are the governing body. So take your medicine boys and please, please leave the pyros out of future displays you can still put on a show without these!
100 % agree with you.
Time for these people to grow up and stop damaging the club’s reputation and finances.
Maybe there should be a stop and search policy for the standing area and anyone caught with pyros should be served with a life ban
I agree with all of the posts on this subject so far. Why the f*ck these morons want to stir up trouble and drag our club into the gutter at this time when we are on the up is beyond me.
Really think its time for the club to think about the merits of having this standing area before it costs us big time
Burning flares and plastic never sits well with me,an accident waiting to happen
Spot on
True to a point, though actually the general noise level picked up during their silent protests and there was a good atmosphere at Celtic Park long before the GB ever existed. But even to the extent that you’re right, it does not make all things permissive much less good.
Sorry, this was meant to be a response to Thomas’s point.
Your spot on its f%%king selfish and does affect peope health me for one and I am fit strong guy trained all my life,but it affects me and everyone really! As do the twats that smoke in the ground total selfish twats! The atmosphere is more than fine in fact better and healthier for everyone it’s a disgrace I do agree with the GB on many things but it irks me this issue as does the ra songs which again not needed and have really ramped up post covid, club need to reign all this in, they do create colour and great atmosphere but this stubbornness on piro and ra songs need addressed it allows us to be targeted and brought in to debates when the scum does what scum do! We dont need the bs ” all as bad as each other” garbage and the MSM love to do that and this shit enables it, needs sorted! Our great club and fans dont need this bs
No Green Brigade, no atmosphere!
And if the pyro continues, there will be no Green Brigade. It’s not something I, and doubtless many other fans, but it’s as simple as that, they will be banned from the stadium.
*want
Green brigade f@cking grow up
Pyro is all very spectacular and there are some great photo opps. Indeed I have used some of them on my phone for various numbers but, then again it’s the legal situation that’s misunderstood by many of the Green Brigade. There are also too many of the guys who think “no Pyro no Party” and in the long run if wiser heads don’t prevail then I personally think that the baw will eventually be on the slates, as it were.The refusal to see the big picture will do for them and that’s a pity for the spectacle and the fan base as a whole.