Celtic’s Europa League hopes hang in the balance after going down 3-0 at home to Roma last night, and to be quite honest I wasn’t surprised by the result in the slightest…
In our Celtic Star staff writers predictions I went for a 2-0 win to Roma, and I genuinely felt I was being kind with that one. There are so many problems at Celtic at the moment it’s hard to even know where to start, and a defeat like this, to a good team like Roma, was almost inevitable.
These are worrying times as a Celtic fan.
My phone was red hot last night as friends and family were all trying to dissect what the hell is happening at our club after the second home defeat in a matter of days. Opinion varies wildly about what or who is to blame but one thing that everyone agrees on is that something must be done one way or another to sort this mess out.
The first thing I want to discuss is the current atmosphere inside Celtic Park, or lack of atmosphere might be a better way to sum it up.
The board need to realise that their petty vendetta against the Green Brigade is harming our performances on the pitch, there is absolutely no doubting that. There are so many layers to this dispute between both sides, and yes the Green Brigade’s behaviour at times perhaps oversteps the mark but it’s nothing that can’t be sorted out with dialogue between the two parties.
The Celtic board need to swallow their pride, realise that by continuing to outlaw the Green Brigade it’s only making matters worse and is seriously affecting what happens on the pitch.
The board like to treat the fan groups like children, so if they are the so called adults in the situation well then it’s up to them to find a solution that means everyone can move forward. Yes, this might mean making a few concessions but if they truly care about the club then it’s up to them to realise that getting the fans even somewhat back on side is going to help the team massively.
Let’s be honest the atmosphere at Celtic Park has been dire recently.
Last night from pretty much the first whistle all you could hear was the Roma fans. We have listened recently to both our current and past players constantly state that they perform much better with the crowd roaring them on. It’s one of the main reasons players want to come and play here.
It must be horrible trying to play at Celtic Park at the moment, where all you can hear is either the away fans or the moans and groans of the home support when things aren’t going our way.
In the pre-match press conference Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini was talking about how his players were preparing to handle the notorious atmosphere at Celtic Park. I was thinking to myself that he’s obviously not got the memo regarding recent events. His players must have been thinking I don’t know what all the fuss is about as they listened to their own fans sing for 90 minutes. I can’t remember the stadium being so silent, barring Covid games of course.
In all honesty it was pretty embarrassing.
Now I know not all Celtic fans agree with the Green Brigade. Some hate their politics. Some dislike their songbook. Some disagree with their use of pyrotechnics. Some supporters even think they give the club a bad reputation. Whatever you think of the Green Brigade however you cannot deny the simple fact that the atmosphere inside Celtic Park without them is awful.
Where’s the noise, the colour, the roar from the stands that players thrive off? Kept outside by a board who refuse to admit they are ever wrong, that’s where.
It’s vital we regain this connection between supporters and the team. The players need it. Wilfried Nancy certainly needs it. I almost pity him as he stands there in a near silent stadium listening to all the negativity emanating from the stands. He must feel like the way things currently are that everything is against him. What he would give to have the team backed loudly for 90 minutes, it would give them so much confidence, something he himself has said is lacking.
I just pray that will change at Hampden this Sunday.
It has to. Otherwise we could be looking at three loses in a row which would absolutely derail our whole season. It’s hard to see how we would bounce back from such a devastating blow.
The board need to get the finger out and commence in some serious dialogue with the Green Brigade and work out a way to get them back to Celtic Park. This standoff has the potential to set the club back years so if they genuinely have what’s best for the club at heart then they need to sit down and thrash out a compromise. This situation cannot go on much longer otherwise it will never get sorted as both sides dig their heels in.
The board and the Green Brigade may have to swallow a few bitter pills along the way but if it means we can get some sort of unity back then it will all be worth it.
Conall McGinty
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Never gonna happen, our board/DD are world champions at stubborn and the GB will do as they please.
The stalemate will continue until its too late to do anything about it on the pitch.
Act of sabotage by both sides.
WELL DONE
The board have banned the GB indefinitely because of the anti board protests and are using any excuse rather than the truth.
Do you think, just perhaps, the GB could modify their behaviour a whole lot more, Conall?
First thing would be to avoid the soaring fines that have come the club’s way in recent seasons?
Everybody wants good atmosphere at the games. That doesn’t necessarily include being choked by pyro, or singing inappropriate songs, or acting as if the GB is somehow “special” compared to the rest of us at Parkhead…
Do people really think the behaviour at the AGM helped things one iota?
And please don’t tell me that chanting Sack the Board and booing has no effect on the atmosphere/ players. It does, even if nobody’s brave enough to say so.
Another board lackey that has wandered on here from CQN.
Connall, herein lies one of the problems in my honest opinion! As a journalist you should be posting to help the situation, but instead, you are posting this purely as a supporting member of the GB and not the club in general!
You are simply posting as a GB “chant”.
You aren’t looking for a fix at all!
You are looking for the GB to get their way!
No-one on the board or among the “real” Celtic supporters has ever questioned the good that the GB do! NO-ONE!
But NO-ONE on the GB will ever back down from the damages they cause the club! Yet sadly, the damages far outweigh the good. THIS is where the problem lies!
The club and board would GLADLY sit down with the GB if they would be in “negotiations” which are two-way discussions, and not “demands” which are not!
Let’s not overlook the concessions the club have made so far to accomodate the GB in past years, only to see them turn into a protest organization that cause problems for Celtic and our once pure white reputation!
You are personally implicit with posts like yours.
Even Chris (above) agrees apparently, that you are promoting the GB!
Joe
You are a green hun.
A Gerry McSherry revisited.
I have no interest in the Green Brigade, any board member or owner however ALL of them are damaging our club and it must be addressed asap……
Look at the couple of comments on here the accusations and opinions are so different, it just shows how hard it will be, I agree with the article, the solution must originate from the board, followed by leeway from both sides, fuckin sort it out NOW………
HH