The news over the weekend that Celtic has banned Green Brigade tifos during the Champions League games is surprising only to those who think that a single fan organisation should be able to say and do whatever it likes inside our stadium, even if it causes trouble for the club itself. I love much of what these guys do, but some of it is hard to defend.
The pyro is part of it. I’ve written enough times about why that stuff should not be in a football ground. It almost goes without saying now. It is banned. Our club does not want it, and the very act of having it in a stadium is a criminal offence. That people are bleating about police scrutiny whilst they continue to openly break the law astonishes me.
The banners are another part of it. The weekend’s banner had not one thing to do with Celtic Football Club, but I have no specific problem with it. Had they chosen a European match for that there would have been obvious issues and we’d have copped it.
It does not matter whether or not some people believe UEFA’s rules on this are ridiculous – I think so myself; it is the club that suffers when fan groups openly violate those rules.
The club does not trust these guys on this stuff. They can’t. Because no matter how many times they ask them to keep clear of anything that violates UEFA regulations they still cross that line too regularly for comfort. Ironically, it might have been the tifo at Ibrox, that disgusting one which I felt certain would spark a response which never came, which tipped the balance; our club is leery of what The Green Brigade might one day produce in a similar vein.
I personally think the idea that they’d do something that out there is pretty ridiculous. In many ways it’s unfathomable. But the media will be watching, and ever ready to blow things out of proportion. The club won’t allow that. There are too many past concerns here and there’s a feeling amongst some at the club that these guys have been indulged enough.
I think there’s a growing feeling within the club that these guys enjoy being at the centre of the circus a little too much, and a lot of people elsewhere in the stands certainly do, and they find the whole thing tiresome.
Even those who, like me, understand how good these guys are for the atmosphere and are loathe to see any wedge driven between the club and the fan-base recognise that there are obvious inherent risks in creating the perception that one group of supporters has the run of Celtic Park and can live by their own set of rules.
But the club still has the power to impose its will, and they’ve done so.
There is a lot of stick getting given out to them over this, but I am definitely not going to criticise them for it. When the club acts to protect itself, even from fan groups, they deserve our backing.
Totally agree! The Green Brigade tifos can be fantastic but they overstep the mark sometimes and their righteousness is tiresome in the extreme.
Well, the club has my backing. Some of these displays have become distracting, narcissistic and tiresome; all the joy squeezed out by some political bent or another; to say nothing of the danger and health risk of pyrotechnics.
I totally %100 agree regarding the pyros and would love to agree with you about the content of the odd GB tifos, not all by any means, but sometimes things need highlighting.
It’s a hugely sanctimonious stance from our board though regarding the GB tifos given the hypocrisy of their own inaction regarding the vile tifos and violating shite we Catholics are subjected to from the stands at the midden, also continually unchallenged and unsanctioned by the Scottish and UK governments, SPFL, SFA, Scottish and UK press, radio and media, given that Sky for example are supposed to be and promote themselves as the cheerleaders of anti discrimination.
Has our board enquired to EUFA as to why the huns weren’t punished by them for their sectarian tifo at their last CL game. I bet not. HH
Weird that the board can’t just check what the tifo will be in advance when up until recently they were letting Huns in with BJK banners.
For all the good they do they have brought ” ra ” songs back! Which there is no place for in our ground and allows the orc media to tarnish us with that posionous vile hoardes of govan!! Wrongly yes but we know how it works! I hate how they brought these songs back go to a rally or march no place for it at our ground and we have millions of Celtic related songs. Hate the pyroo and smoke boms to don’t these idiots know. people have respiratory issues. Also it could even cause the players issues ! These ain’t kids either the guys that brought all this back are in their 40s! At least!
The Green Brigade have produced some of the best tifo’s seen in Scotland & I doubt you’ll see any better tifo’s in England, I believe the tifo’s aimed at supporting the Club have been PHENOMENAL but there have been a few which have no place at Celtic Park & these along with the pyro’s should be banned outright & anyone caught with them should be ejected from the Stadium & banned for good in the interest of the Club & other supporters.