Celtic Supporters Thread (contains GB chat)

Pretty poor from club to close a section,just days before a game,when people have made plans and paid for accommodation and travel etc.

 

This year’s annual Green Brigade Food Drive raised an excellent £17,897.60. On top of this, 8 vans full of food and toiletries made their way to various food banks on Saturday evening.

Not only was this the most successful collection to date, it also means that we have now surpassed the £250,000 mark raised for charities over the last 5 years. It is a huge achievement and one we’re incredibly proud of.

Thank you to each and every one of you who have donated over the years – the difference you all have made can’t be underestimated and has helped the lives of many.

We will release a final update when all money has been distributed over the coming few days.

Green Brigade

 

Green Brigade statement


As an ultras group it is inevitable that we will occasionally court controversy or conflict be that through our style of support or indeed our political identity. In spite of this, for over ten years we have maintained a reasonable working relationship with the Club which usually manifests itself by way of regular meetings. Unfortunately, this relationship broke down early in the season when we had the audacity to criticise the Celtic Board for a lack of investment. Although engagement has remained, it has been largely futile and undermined by a breakdown of trust.


Throughout our near 15-season existence, we have always accepted responsibility for our actions and ramifications where justified and proportionate. We know that the use of pyrotechnics may bring consequences therefore accept the inevitable sanctions for using it. We regret that any fans outside of our membership should suffer those consequences and point to that being disproportionate and unnecessary. To implement sanctions at 3 days’ notice highlights a blatant disregard for the considerable expense and arrangements some fans undertake to support Celtic. Considering we met with the Club last week to discuss potential sanctions specifically against our Group, the timing and scope of this decision is particularly vindictive. That it comes 2 days before an AGM expected to skirt by fan-led issues like ‘Resolution 12’ serves further cynicism as to its motives.


We appreciate that pyrotechnics run the risk of drawing the ire of footballing authorities. There are varied views among the Celtic support on its use however it is undeniable that such displays of passion in the stands remain incredibly popular with significant swathes of Celtic supporters, whilst it’s safe use is common across the footballing world. Pyrotechnics within football, and even at Celtic, predates the Green Brigade. It would be naïve to assume that it can simply be eradicated and instead, the mature, progressive approach would be for football clubs and authorities to properly engage with fans to promote safe use. On the select occasions we opt to use pyro, we do so with total regard for safety and seek to limit risk as much as possible.


Since the inception of Safe Standing in Celtic Park, our communications with the Club have been dominated by Health & Safety concerns which we have, and remain, committed to trying to mitigate. Without covering old ground, we have done as much as is within our power to help combat overcrowding within our area. Ultimately though, fans’ migrating to this area never has been - nor will it ever be - the fault of those who legitimately occupy the area. It is completely unreasonable for the Club to sanction fans within Safe Standing for their own failure to manage this issue: one which only exists at around 5 fixtures per season. Conveniently, the Club statement only very briefly mentions this issue – framed around a UEFA fine narrative - despite assuring us it is the primary factor behind sanctions.


As with overcrowding, punishing fans for the latest UEFA fine is unfair. Whilst tens of thousands partook in the offending chant, we are happy to accept responsibility for leading the '* Lazio' chorus and make no apologies for displaying the same message in their native tongue. Politics aside, football is a tribal sport and to sanitise the game to the extent that cursing the opposition is in breach of regulations only renders said regulations - and the body enforcing them - not fit for purpose. More importantly, we are a proudly anti-racist group who took a stand against one of the most notoriously fascist supports in world football. That stand culminated in £16,000 being raised for two refugee charities between Rome and Glasgow - an appeal which perfectly showcased the Celtic support and is certainly more newsworthy than football supporters swearing.


The Club often purport to be a club like no other, a slogan modelled on Barcelona. Unlike their Catalonian counterparts though, the Celtic board would rather shirk from the traditions of Celtic instead of following their example in challenging unethical regulations and sanctions. The oldest Celtic tradition of all is charity and the Celtic support united on Saturday to once again produce the largest single collection for foodbanks in this country, as they do annually. It is a shame that this should be overshadowed by the Club sowing seeds of division.


As the team strives for a historic 9 - and then 10 - in a row, we would rather not be engaged in this negative narrative. Our aim, as always, is to positively support Celtic and following Thursday we hope to get back to that. However, omitted from the Club statement is the fact that all Green Brigade tickets for all upcoming fixtures are being withheld until further notice – including the upcoming League Cup Final and potentially as far as to the Glasgow Derby at the end of the year. We hope that the Club will reconsider this position and re-engage with fans in a meaningful manner.


Until The Last Rebel

 

Most transparent statement I think I've seen from GB, and more detail in terms of explanation of their actions, which I appreciate.

 

Good statement.


Maybe next time can you have a banner of Friendship.


Instead of using bad words.

 

This comment is a bit rich when their use of pyrotechnics has cost the club, and ultimately supporters, tens of thousands of pounds.

 

The mature approach would be to stop using pyrotechnics while they are unsafe and their use incurs sanctions against the club, and to push for the introduction of a safe alternative.

 

Much too sensible.

 

What is it

What a load of absolute horseshit from a mob who are really starting to grate on me.

Self-entitled fannies if you ask me.

Despite the atmosphere/songs/food drives etc, they continue to let the club and the rest of the support down.

Flares? * them and their flares. Aye they look good, but they've beem told time and time again they're no allowed them, yet they and their followers.continue the use of them - now that to me reeks of them giving a * about no one but themselves.

You won't hear a bad word from me about them shouting "* lazio" or * anycunt, but in reality what was the NEED for them to be flying banners of mussolini being strung from a rope? Absolutely pointless, nd they know fine well.* like that (whether you agree with or not) is gonna get us * fined time and time again by UEFA.

Fair play to Celtic for taking a stand against them in this instance - they were given a standing section, and they continue to stick two fingers up at the board for everything and anything. Spoiled *.

"Until the last rebel"? Aye nae bother shouting and bawlimg about civil rights and fascism whilst jumping about in clobber made in indonesian sweatshops with child slave workers.

Geez peace

 

Pretty much this.

In before Crow accuses me of moaning.

 

Stop yer moaning.

 

Decent enough statement and they are right to call out the hypocrisy of the board.

However my thoughts on pyro are that they are not needed. Is that really the hill the GB want to die on?

Knock the pyro on the head and at least give yourselves a fighting chance of occupying the moral high ground.

 

Hopefully both sides can resolve their differences...

We really don’t need a section of the fans at odds with Club just now..

Kill the Pyro or the Pyro will kill the GB..

Celtic are bigger than this board or the GB.

 

When I was halfway through a wee bit of me thought it would end with them announcing they were disbanding

 

Hypocrisy from both sides in their statements

 

Read elsewhere from a member that apparently the 300 or so official GB members have their tickets withheld indefinitely, including possibly the LC final.

That would be an absolute travesty.

We are more than a club. It would be refreshing to see the GB break with ultra tradition and actually back down over the pyro nonsense. I understand pushing back against authority is an ultra thing to do, but since we claim to be leaders in being different from most other clubs then it seems like a perfect opportunity to put that into practice and concede this point and stop the pyro.

This will not end well for the GB otherwise.

They will get the support of the majority of the support on pretty much every other issue but I fear they will find themselves with not a lot of sympathy if the pyro continues.

 

I have never understood pyro or smoke bombs. I've been in stands where they have gone off and I felt unsafe rather than it making the atmosphere better. It takes away from the clever banners and singing.

 

Seems they would rather just continue to do wrong, knowingly, than actually be sensible.

They'd openly admitted they know what they do is going to harm the club, then continue to do it. Only themselves to blame, and they are effecting other fans. They own up to it, then basically say "* it, we still want to do it anyway"

Real * mature