Celtic's statement today comes directly after a weekend of claims of mistreatment and harrasment from what the GB said came from the Police with involvement from Celtic FC.
Operating as a Celtic fan in our environment can be difficult enough at times. Therefore the last thing we need is in-fighting. So lets try and cut to the chase as quickly as possible!
From a personal level I've been in the thick of Celtic politics for over 23 years and I roughly know the mentality of how a PLC structure works and what it feels like to be re-buffed by the Club you love.
Myself and plenty of others banged our heads off a brick wall fighting the inside mentality of Celtic just under 20 years ago. Getting nowhere for a long time was the order of the day. Still look at the way it turned out now and the Club we have.
The Green Brigade have brought a wonderful sense of occasion and atmosphere to Celtic Park. Lots of politics and suspicions have arisen from both the GB and Celtic PLC and it has to be sorted one way or another now.
As an older guy compared to the GB with a few mental scars Celtic wise - if I can offer the GB advice it would be this.
They have boycotted in the recent past to bring attention to their grievances. They have now proved a point here. Because today Celtic PLC have publicly stated that they are proposing a 'complaints panel' for grievances. The rest is in the Club's statement as to how they propose it operates and with whom.
Take this opportunity now, detail everything that you consider to be wrong in the way you're treated as a Celtic fan, whether it be home or away, and use the complaint panel Celtic have set up. It's a win win situation all round!
Dialogue will win the day when there is this public transparency. Both the Club and the GB should foster better relations between each other, and if there is go-between to help soothe that path then Celtic should look at that also.
The waters are muddy and in any claim or allegation made there will always be another counter claim.
Talk is invaluable. Both sides should get right into it as soon as possible
Hail Hail
Spot on Matt. As Churchill said, to 'Jaw Jaw is better than to war War!'
ReplyDeleteGood call Matt but the GB had the chance for dialogue with the club recently through the fans' survey - did even one of them complete it? If not, why not? Is it beneath them?
ReplyDeleteThe GB seem to glory in becoming the story - that's bad for Celtic. Whilst they have certainly added to the atmosphere, they constituted less than 1% of the fans at the Barcelona and Juventus games.
To paraphrase Jock Stein, "the Green Brigade without the fans is nothing"
Sadly it seems for every good thing they do - singing, witty banners including the zombie one, they counter it with some crass action whether it's bringing flares to games or singing IRA songs that in the 21st century have no place at Celtic matches.
No one is saying the police are squeaky clean - as someone trampled by a police horse during the hushed-up Janefield Street charge by Strathclyde mounted branch in the 80s, I know that.
The GB it seems never trust the police except when the cops tell them the Club is to blame and then they are only to ready to accept the word of a cop.
In a season when the management, the players the fans and the directors have all brought great credit on the club at home and in Europe, it plays into the hands of the club's enemies if the GB become the story.
slimshady 61 "... they constituted less than 1% of the fans"? They bought the raw materials, out of their own pockets, and provided a tifo that wowed the whole of Europe. What IRA songs are sung? BOTOB and RolL of Honour? Freedom from oppression songs. You obviously don't care for the GB, it's more than obvious. It's not just the GB who are being victimised, watch out, you may be next - if you in fact go to the games.
ReplyDeleteCathal
ReplyDeleteThe GB bought the raw materials for the Barcelona tifo, which was magnificent, with a lot of their own money but also with a personal financial contribution from me and many others.
So I do care for them, but it's a two way thing and they are more interested in themselves than in either the club or their fellow supporters.
What have "freedom from oppression songs" if you want to call them that got to do with Celtic Football Club?
The club wasn't founded to fight oppression, its founding principle was to play football so as to raise money to feed the poor of the east end of Glasgow. It remains committed to charitable causes, it has never been committed to "fight oppression".
Whilst Aidan McAnespie's death was a tragedy, it has simply nothing to do with Celtic Football Club and the sooner they stop singing that and songs like it, the better.
As for the boys of the Old Brigade, the queen honoured them last year in person but despite that I still have admiration for them and like the song penned in their honour. I just don't want to hear about them at a football match, that's all.
This club has more real football songs for the fans to sing than almost any other club that I am aware of so there is absolutely no need for songs that have nothing to do with either football or Celtic.
As for attending matches, I was going to Celtic Park long before most if not all of the GB were born and by the sounds of their threats I'll be going to games long after they've stopped attending.
You haven't asked me for my "Irish" credentials but to anticipate your next question, I am half Irish, half Scots and proud of my celtic roots on both sides of the North Channel.