We all knew this was coming, right? In the wake of charges from UEFA following a very blatant paramilitary display from the Green Brigade on Wednesday, Celtic have announced they are closing down the section they occupy for two matches.
Chairman Peter Lawell had this to say about the actions coming from the most vocal section of support:
“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.”
While there have been safety issues, this is also an action that Celtic have been forced to take to avoid even harsher sanctions from UEFA itself.
Manager Brendan Rodgers also had some words for the fans involved, noting how this should be a time of focus on the pitch, not off of it.
"“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.”"
No doubt this is a polarizing event for the supporters and the club. But, let’s start with this — no one wants to see the atmosphere that makes Paradise so special on match days and especially so on European nights.
The question that seems to be at hand is what exactly the supporters in the Green Brigade believe brings “atmosphere” and what the club, league and UEFA find acceptable.
Chanting songs about the club’s Irish immigrant heritage are one thing. It is something the club openly encourages and embraces. But, the days of lighting flares and putting up banners to the IRA are long gone…or at least they generally should be.
This is 2017, not 1987, and times have changed for the betterment of all supporters. Violence is at an all-time low and incidents involving this kind of behavior are getting fewer and fewer.
Yet, we have constantly seen one group responsible for most of the violence and bad behavior abroad and at away matches. That would be from the Green Brigade.
No one doubts their love for Celtic and I’m well aware that the Green Brigade do a lot of good for the atmosphere and for the club and community in general. But, that also comes along with the violence and often times selfish behavior of the group.
The fact of the matter is, by bucking the laws of the game as they stand without real grievance (ala the whole ridiculous UCL pricing scheme or SFA decisions at home) is a completely selfish act.
It draws the attention away from the game on the pitch and to the Green Brigade in the stands. It also draws the ire of the authorities (and I get being anti-authority and all that, trust me)…and guess who pays (literally and figuratively) for all that?
Celtic as a club do.
So, now is a perfect time to remind those supporters who give Celtic Park such great atmosphere of exactly what is at stake with their behavior.
Some seem to believe there are but two sides. Either the club is hypocritical for wanting passionate support and then cracking down on it when it goes too far or the Green Brigade is hypocritical for claiming it loves the club, yet hurting it with their actions in the stands.
I believe there is room for the two sides to both be somewhat right here. There’s little doubt that the actions of the GB over the last two competitive matches show a callous disregard for the simple rules to follow.
No one can tell me that there’s any need for putting up an IRA-inspired banner against Linfield. I get it, they are linked with Sevco and are a Loyalist/Unionist backed club for the most part. But, there were ways to show the love to Celtic and not the hatred of a team that literally means nothing to us.
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Celtic did plenty of the talking on the pitch and there was little need for the political statement in the stands. It was just selfish and idiotic. Now the Green Brigade are going to feel the wrath of the club and could likely cost Celtic money and gate receipts in the future too.
There was even less of a need for the flares and other issues alluded to in the match against Hearts to end the season.
Saying the supporters group can only support the club with flares, IRA-supporting banners and ugly chants is just ridiculous. There are plenty of ways to show your love of the club and all it represents without jeopardizing the club financially as well.
I just don’t buy the martyr act some in the Green Brigade will and have put forth when trouble arises from their section of the stadium. How are flares magically showing up at one contest and not any other or obvious paramilitary banners being flown not coordinated efforts?
Are we really to believe it is all a bunch of “rouge” people within the supporters club
The reality is this — either you love Celtic enough to show your strong support for the club within easy to follow parameters (especially on the European stage), or you’re just an egotistical a-hole out for your own glory.
The actions of the Green Brigade as of late seem to fall in to the latter category.
Until the most vocal supporters group in the stadium stop trying to be the story and start getting on the same page as the club, this is what is going to happen. It’s ugly, and no one wins, but the club has to do what it has to do to keep up with the laws in which it is governed.
Let’s just hope cooler heads prevail, and let’s also hope the rest of Celtic supporters in the stands realize they can be just as vocal and just as supportive without the Green Brigade leading everything in the stands.
Next: Connal's 3 Takeaways from Celtic's 4-0 win over LInfield
Take initiative and show the Green Brigade that they aren’t bigger than the club they claim to support and love so much. The support and love from Celtic faithful across the globe is amazing and losing the Green Brigade for a few matches shouldn’t be the killer to atmosphere.
Don’t be afraid to start chants, wave your flags and love Celtic. Trust me, the club and it’s amazingness will be here with or without the Green Brigade.