Celtic’s self-indulgent element was at it again in midweek.
Once more, in defiance of the club and of UEFA, they were there with their little fireworks.
It is childish, it is moronic, it is selfish, and it has always been dangerous. That should now be obvious even to those who for a long time have lived in a state of Sevconian denial about this.
These things do not belong in football stadiums.
The risks are so clear as to be readily apparent to even the thickest individual. Yet a section of our support continues to place other fans and the club itself at risk. This simply cannot be allowed to continue.
UEFA fines are coming our way. Again.
And for what?
So a group of grown men can play with their bangers. What a joke.
What a scandal that they believe that they can treat our home with such cavalier disrespect. The council has already warned the club that the constant use of this stuff is a violation of the safety certificate. What more is there to say?
A nine year old kid was taken to hospital on Tuesday night because he was hit by one of these things. The club will now conduct an investigation. They have to.
Apart from the fan (and others) being exposed to danger, the club itself is now exposed to legal action. That will not be allowed to stand.
To be blunt, things should not have been allowed to continue down this road to the point where something like this happened at all.
People keep on telling me, as they defend this braindead behaviour, that UEFA will never really get serious with us on this. I beg to differ.
At some point they will tire of the fines and threaten to close part of the stadium, but as I’ve said before that will never come to pass. Because long before it does, the club itself will takes the decision to close a section for a major European game.
We all know which section it will be. And you know what?
Maybe that time has come, because it’s clear that these people aren’t hearing the warnings and don’t care what they are told.
The club should not have to negotiate on this.
The law of the land is clear, health and safety regulations are clear, and the stadium guidelines are clear.
These people are violating all three.
Celtic has been tolerant up to a point. Surely that point has now been reached.
If the club acts it will be because it’s been forced to.
These people aren’t giving those who make the decisions much choice in it.
Spot on James- this selfish and self induldgent behaviour only hurts the name of the club. The values and vision of what Celtic stands for is owned by all Celtic fans – not a few self appointed ‘real fans’.
How attracting fines on the club for this practice benefits anybody other Brocks firework makers [ if they still exist -showing my age] is beyond me
Aye, the same ‘real fans’ who issued a statement to the rest of us instructing us how to support our team, entitled, arrogant f@ckers.
Spt on James – this is a classic case of you reap what you sow, The club has been too tolerant over the GB for too long – it started the day we lifted the trophy in 2012 (at the start of the 9IAR) when Neil Lennon walked over to that corner and plonked the trophy down in front of them and turned round and walked away leaving it there!!
That was him (and inadvertently by extension CFC) saying that the trophy was specifically for them and from that moment their self-entitlement has grown and grown like a multi-headed monster to the point where they now believe that they speak for all Celtic fans – well they don’t speak for me, and don’t agree with ANY of their nonsense. Ban them permanently – yes they generate atmosphere but if they can’t follow the rules and/or the law then Celtic should have nothing to do with them !
i think every Celtic fan who cares about the club will agree. No more putting other fans at risk its almost like some people in the crowd are immune from the law its up to the club to do something about it by identifying the culprits and ban them from the ground. Celtic FC you have a duty of care for all the fans who attend the games you have just let this young boy and his family down its time to act.
Celtic should come out saying any pyrotechnics usage will lead to area closures. Also… Get stewards searching and refusing entry (with police backup) and starting a lengthy stadium ban. I’ve long been dismayed by the people who bring these, knowing full well the cost to the club. Ego clearly bigger than their love of Celtic.
Well put James. I hope you have started a positive move to stop Pyro use in Stadiums.
An illegal criminal act, is to let-off Pyrotechnic devices in Stadiums. Accidents happen. A Brazilian youth lost a hand when a flare exploded. Eye injury. Burns. Don’t be fooled by Danish cold, smoke flares. Asthmatics may become distressed by the smoke. When will the perpetrators learn?. It is not even a spectacular sight.
A point often made; is Referees need to see linesmen ruling off-sides.
Plenty of Patrons in the vicinity of the smoke want to see the game.
If one of these abominations ends up on the pitch, next to an opposition player, and he goes down, it would be a points deduction in Europe.
My wife was medically retired due to her asthma, she likes football but can’t countenance visiting Celtic Park(or other grounds) due to the use of pyro and smoke bombs. Perhaps it needs lots of victims taking Celtic to court.
I would be interested to know if figures are available for the total amount of fines that the Green Brigade have cost the club . I buy my season ticket each year and love coming to Paradise to see the Tic but it falls me to think that a portion of the money I pay is going to pay fines because of the selfishness of others. I love 99% of what the GB do but when it continues to cost the club an increasing amount of money and kids are being injured then I’m afraid the GB aren’t worth it any more.
99%??? You’re being generous surely? Pyros, fines, ira songs and a superiority complex is worth a pishy 1%?
i said on one of the blogs the other day that they are a menace as my seat is next to the standing area. an announcement should be made over the tannoy before the game on saturday regarding this issue.
The TIFOs are great but let’s not have heat sources anywhere near them please. If they want pyro give them pyro…some kind of display pitchside before the game. It should never be in the stands risking the well-being of fellow Tims so I’d like to see a bit of self-policing from the more sensible among them who realise the dangers and also the damage they are doing to the club. Anyone with a flare should be dragged out, given a doing and told to never do it again. Re-offence equals broken limbs. You may say violence is never the answer but sorry this has been going on for too long now and needs a quick solution to put it to bed once and for all.
Its bad enough for the club just using pyros in the crowd due to UEFA sanctions and as you pointed out, the Health & Safety certificate, but when idiots using them think its okay to throw them lit among fellow supporters, something has to give!
I hope the standing section are having a whip round to raise some cash for the kid as a means of compensation and an all expenses paid trip to the Bernabeu for them and their family, and that the idiot who threw it is dealt with among them as they’ve not only ruined what should have been a memorable night for a young kid and sent them to hospital injured, they’ve ruined their own future as the club now need to come down extremely hard on them!
It takes a special kind of stupid to throw one of these things lit into a group of people, and i just hope the kids injuries aren’t too serious and will heal permanently
Hopefully the cameras in the ground will have picked out the individual’s responsible celtic should ban them from Celtic park and away fixtures for a lengthy period of time . If they reoffend life ban .
The Club are to blame for this. The Green Brigade make their banners under the North Stand just tell them if it continues there will be no displays. When we contribute to the tifo’s does that include the pyrotechnics. Come on Celtic sort it out.
Surely, you must know that GB know more than we and actual experts do about the dangers of pyros.
Keeptheminitaly
I am in no way defending these idiots but Celtic is far from being the only football club affected by morons who show a total disregard for their fellow fans.
I see it all over the place on TV. I don’t think it’s applicable to use the “it’s a societal issue” and pass the buck. However, there definitely needs to be a multi lateral approach to this. Awareness needs to be heightened. If Celtic want to be at the forefront of this then fair enough but they should not be singled out for harsh treatment when it is dished out.
In my opinion, closing Section 111 is not going to achieve anything other than pissing the GB off and I am not for that. Celtic need to invest in setting up their security cameras to locate the culprits and name n shame n ban.
A blanket approach taken by the club won’t work. If UEFA forces them to close part of the stadium then fair enough, Section 111 is the obvious candidate. But let’s try to be a bit more dispassionate about this and be a bit more pragmatic.
Sadly so much wrong with this.
You’re correct to say that the problem is not unique to. Celtic, but we still need to sort out something which is continually harming our club, which has now finally caused harm to a 9 year old. I get what you’re saying but we’ve got our own standards, or should have.
Pragmatism? Statements from Celtic, meetings and fines over a number of years have not been enough, if the offenders never listen, then it needs to go to the next level and if that pisses them off then that’s their problem, I’m not sure why the gb are so special that we better not piss them off.
And I say all that dispassionately.
Fair enough mate. I agree with most of that.
Standards yes. Calling out your own fans whist others turn a blind eye? Not for me.
It was my wife that treated him first said the blisters where terrible