Celtic Diary Saturday July 22: When They Were Good…

…they were very, very good, but when they were bad, they were a bunch of clowns who didn’t know when to stop.

As the old nursery rhyme nearly tells us.

The Green Brigade were hit with a two match ban for their banner waving antics and all of a sudden some say its not worth going to the football any more because no one will sing, no one will cheer and we’ll be just like Manchester City by the end of the month.

Bollocks.

We were around before they were, and we’ll always be around.

Its the football on the park that gets the crowd going, as it has always done.

They , to coin a phrase, brought it on themselves, with their ubersupporter attitude and blatant disregard for the fact that waving political banners-and don’t take us all for being stupid by telling us that it was merely a reference to being in Brendan’s army-at a UEFA game will get you in trouble.

Was it a coincidence that they didn’ attend the Lyon game ?

After the Hearts pyro incident last season, which was remarkably stupid, but escaped sanction as it was not a UEFA game, and then yet another several thousand pounds in fines ringfenced for July 28, the board had had enough;

• • CELTIC FC is to close the ‘Green Brigade’ section of the stadium for the next two matches after serious incidents of unsafe behaviour at the last two competitive matches at Celtic Park.

    The Club is writing to the 900 season-ticket holders affected to explain the Club’s position and next steps.

    The decision, which has been taken amid serious safety concerns and after discussion with the police, follows events at the matches against Hearts in May and Linfield on Wednesday night.

    The safe standing area of the stadium had been working very well until the final game of last season against Hearts, when large numbers of flares were smuggled into and set off under banners within the Green Brigade section. It was an incredibly irresponsible and co-ordinated action which could have had tragic consequences. 

    The Club understands that consideration was given to halting this crucial game because of the thick smoke, which was blowing across the stadium and into other sections of the support and posed a serious safety risk to all those in the stadium. The fire alarm was activated, resulting in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service responding to the stadium.

    The Safety Advisory Group of Glasgow City Council, which licenses Celtic Park and comprises representatives from the Council, police, fire and rescue, the ambulance service and other statutory authorities, had an emergency meeting after that game and communicated their serious concerns to the Club, which presented a risk to the renewal of the safety certificate necessary for the operation of the stadium and the capacity of the safe standing area. 

    The Club has been working with the Safety Advisory Group towards a solution for this season, but the events at the match on Wednesday night, where there were further serious safety issues within the Green Brigade section, require the Club to take immediate action to comply with its responsibilities under the applicable legislation.

    Safety of all supporters at Celtic Park is of paramount importance to the Club. The safe operation of the safe standing area at Celtic Park requires effective communication and engagement with the supporters in that area. Unfortunately, due to the events at the Hearts and Linfield matches, the Club is not satisfied that the Green Brigade section can be operated safely at this time.

    The Club will continue to investigate the events at the matches in question and to address the issues that arose. The Club will seek to engage with the supporters in the Green Brigade section to re-establish the necessary communication and engagement to permit supporters to be readmitted to the section and for it to be operated safely, in consultation with the Safety Advisory Group. If that cannot be achieved, then the Club will require to examine other options.

    Club Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: “The behaviour of fans in the Green Brigade section of the ground at the matches against Hearts and Linfield was a serious safety risk, which has left us with no choice but to take decisive action to ensure safety within the stadium.

    “There is no room for debate. The safety authorities and the football authorities make the rules. They also enforce the rules. If the rules are broken, Celtic will be punished again and again. There is no hiding place from these realities. Anyone who has Celtic’s interests at heart must surely recognise them and behave accordingly.

    “Every club which visits here says the atmosphere is incredible and that is something that we have worked very hard to support and encourage. We cannot understand why supporters who are capable of contributing so much that is positive to the club can be so reckless in doing it damage. In addition to the serious safety concerns, we face further UEFA disciplinary action.

    “This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but the behaviour of fans in this section is posing a direct risk to the safe operation of the stadium and is also seriously tarnishing the club’s hard-won reputation.

    “Dialogue, engagement and communication with the Green Brigade have evidently failed at this time, given the behaviour experienced at these matches, and we are therefore left with no choice but to take action to ensure safety at the stadium.

    “We hope that the action we are taking prompts recognition by those fans of the damage being done to the Club and that we can resume meaningful engagement with them which would ensure a safe environment within that part of Celtic Park.”

    Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said: “It’s really disappointing that we are talking about stadium safety and paramilitary banners rather than our progress into the next round of Europe.

    “The fans have a responsibility to behave in the stadium and I would urge everyone involved to see the damage this is causing to the club. Hopefully this is a wake-up call.

    “The players thrive on the cauldron that the fans create at Celtic Park but there are clearly boundaries that you can’t step over. Everyone knows that pyrotechnics, unacceptable banners and ignoring stewards who are enforcing basic stadium safety measures are simply not on. I really hope that the fans take this on board. It would be a real shame if they forced the club to take more permanent action to ensure safety and protect the Club’s standing in European football, which is what we should all be aiming to promote.”

     

See that bit where the manager says “it’s disappointing ” ?

Thats not what he’s saying in private. Usually I would tell you that a drunk guy told me that, but this time he wasn’t drunk.

Rodgers is fuming at the banners.

You can’t blame him. It’s not so long he stated that he was proud to take his squad to the “new ” Ireland.

I’ve seen all the counter arguments to using his image in the “men at work ” sign, including the one used , somewhat misguidedly by the Celtic view featuring Paddy McCourt , and that doesn’t make it right.

This sort of whataboutery is not an argument, its merely the whining done by a small child when he can;t have a sweetie when his brother already nicked one.

The Green Brigade need to have a look at themselves this morning.

There’s no doubt they are an assett to the club, their work in refuting the fine after the Palestinian flag display was a well co-ordinated campaign which touched the hearts of millions, and gave the club  world wide respect for refusing to bow to oppression.

Waving a picture of a soldier from a war that finished twenty years ago, and allows people to now get on with their lives with a degree of normality is simply a mistake.

A bad mistake.

Get over it, drop the attitude and admit you were wrong, and then we can all move on.

While you think about your place in the support, and how much you are needed, perhaps a wee trip down to the banks of the Clyde will make you think.

Here’s how.

Each take a pint glass with you, fill it with water from the river, and when you are all done, have a look at the river.

You’ll be missed as much as the river misses what you’ve taken out.

We should be looking forward to another great season.

Not fighting amongst ourselves, we don;t  resort to social media and forums to call each other out for having an opinion-although I did chuckle at the new name a  huddleboard gave me-Ralph the Wank, and I cannot compete with such a master of imagery and metaphor, and I congratulate him on managing to type that and press enter before his mother saw it.

There are more than enough out there to do that to us.

Lets not do it to ourselves, in fact, i’d be happy to have a beer with the Green Brigade.

If they can find a pub that will serve them.

Speaking of people who have got it in for us, there’s a question I can;t find an answer to, and there are a couple of people who could help, but have yet to do so.

Daryl Broadfoot, the uncommunicative former head of communications at the SFA, and Grant russell, the man who once chased a Celtic company director down the road asking for a comment on a story that had only emerged a few minutes earlier.

Someone at the SFA is pulling someones strings, and the Traverso letter springs to mind as an example.

Daryl is no longer with the SFA.

But he’s still uncommunicative.

You see, someone told Grant Russell to release the Traverso letter to the public and attempt to quell the inquisitiveness of those cheeky Resolution 12 chaps.

Remember, the bit where they left off the “new club/company” bit ?

Russell claimed the letter was sent to him, and alhtough the answer was word for word the same as the one the Res 12 guys got, he maintained it was in answer to his questions, and not to the letter drafted by lawyers on behalf of Res 12.

This is more serious than you think, apart from the obvious collusion alleged.

You see, if collusion did occur within the walls of the SFA-the letter was sent to the Res 12 guys, Cetic and the SFA only, then someone somewhere is trying to mislead shareholders, and thats a bit naughty..

But I’m sure Daryl and Grant will be happy to clear this up.

I’m sure its all just one big misunderstanding.

On a completely different matter, I’m reading Paul Larkins book “Anyone But Celtic ” just now.

This book could not have come out at a better time, as it not only lists a few, er, mystifying decisions , but explains the thinking behind them.

Which , of course, is relevant to the ongoing campaign to clean up Scottish football.

I’ll give you my full thoughts on the book when i finish it, but if you’re in town and see a copy, pick it up.

Meanwhile, another co ordinated media attack is launched.

Caption yesterday..

Two winners, the amusing..