In the days since Celtic enforced their six-match home and away suspension on the Green Brigade, the story has shifted from stadium bans to something deeper, the erosion of trust between a football club, its supporters, and the institutions tasked with policing them…
The fallout from the Falkirk match continues to rumble on, with fresh detail emerging from the police side of the story this week.
Speaking to The Herald, Inside story of Celtic Park incident which led to Green Brigade ban | The Herald David Kennedy, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, defended the actions of officers on duty at Celtic Park that night and provided his version of what happened in the concourse below the Rail Seating Section.
“How that particular area of the stadium is policed has changed now,” Kennedy explained.
“I believe you’ve got to show your ticket before you go into the area now. At the match in question, a steward asked a fan to show their ticket and the fan responded by throwing a cup of water in the steward’s face.
“At that point, the cops intervened. Then it all erupted. Other individuals piled in and started trying to pull the police officers back, started trying to get the boy who had thrown the cup of water back into the crowd so that he couldn’t be arrested. They succeeded in that.
“I’m still waiting to find out exactly what injuries were sustained, but I do know that a female police officer who was involved was left visibly shaken by what happened. I also know that physical injuries were sustained. Officers and stewards did suffer bruising as a result of the incident.
“Nothing was broken, but I do think it could have been a lot worse than it was given the numbers of fans who were involved. There clearly wasn’t enough police officers there to deal with what happened. I’m told it’s an area of the ground that’s not been policed particularly before.”
Kennedy was unequivocal in his criticism.
“It’s absolutely not acceptable. At the end of the day, the stewards and the cops are only there to maintain safety. Even if having to show your ticket when you are moving about that area of the stadium wasn’t the agreed protocol, it isn’t acceptable to assault a steward.
“The cup of water has probably been thrown in anger by the fan. I don’t know why. As I say, the stewards and the cops are there for their safety. They’re not there for any other reason.”
He added that CCTV footage was being examined to identify those responsible, and warned of further measures if individuals could not be identified.
“I fully expect that police and club security staff will be examining the CCTV footage that was taken in an attempt to identify those who were involved in this incident,” he said.
“If people cannot be identified because they are wearing masks, that is something clubs may have to look at. Actions have repercussions. If new measures are introduced it will be because of fans’ actions. It certainly won’t be as a result of the police officers’ actions or the stewards’ actions.”
Kennedy also expressed frustration at what is known online as Pig Watch, a social media initiative run by sections of the Green Brigade and North Curve which posts images of police officers alleged to have acted heavy-handedly in the past.
“Police officers are not harassing anybody. They’re there to police, to help the club,” Kennedy said.
“They’re not there for any other reason. Posting these pictures is putting officers’ lives at risk. Police officers have been identified and their personal details put into the public domain in the past. Who knows what’s going to happen in the future if these things continue.”
He went further, pointing to the human toll behind the badge.
“They might be cops, but they’re human beings, they’ve got families. Putting pictures of them online is putting their lives at risk, but also putting their kids’ lives at risk. There’s just no need for that. It’s not right. They’ve got to realise they’re putting people in danger.”
To his credit, Kennedy acknowledged that police film supporters during matches for “intelligence purposes,” but argued that such footage is not used publicly, a distinction that, for many fans, feels thin at best.
Over on Kerrydale Street, a poster known as MacBhoy — long associated with the North Curve — offered a contrasting account, one that reflects how many supporters have interpreted the night’s events.
“There was an agreement a couple years back with the club (and the club with Police Scotland) that there would be no police on our concourse because of the terrible relationship that exists. The agreement followed the effective and selective use of ‘Pig Watch’ on Twitter which led to their realisation it was in everyone’s interest for them to take a step back.
“That agreement seems to have gone out the window this season with the introduction of Mark Hargreaves. Again, in respect of our attempts at dialogue with the club to resolve concerns over security/policing, we have refrained from using ‘Pig Watch’ this season despite them being present every match. The dialogue has obviously completely failed, the police presence has increased and it has led to this total stitch-up.”
That term,“stitch-up”, has become the rallying cry for supporters who see the club’s actions as disproportionate and politically convenient.
Mark Hargreaves, the club’s Head of Safety, Security and Operations, is a former Chief Superintendent of Police Scotland. His appointment was initially met without the controversy that surrounded Bernard Higgins, but relations have soured quickly. The Green Brigade allege that Hargreaves’ arrival has coincided with an increased and more visible police presence, greater tension, and an end to the informal agreement that kept officers off the concourse.
The re-emergence of Pig Watch in recent days, after the group had paused its use as a gesture of good faith, signals the complete breakdown of that fragile truce.
Celtic’s own statement on the incident was striking in its tone and certainty. The club didn’t speak of “alleged” events. It declared –
“A member of our Matchday staff while conducting a routine ticket check at the front of the Rail Seating Section at Celtic Park was assaulted by an individual. Two police officers intervened and attempted to arrest the individual in question.
“Subsequently, around 100 individuals from the Green Brigade group took part in a coordinated and orchestrated action to ‘rescue’ that individual. Many of these individuals actively sought to conceal their identity using hoods, scarves and face coverings.”
And then, crucially –
“This large group verbally abused and assaulted the steward and police officers, one male and one female… Clearly, such violent and threatening behaviour is completely unacceptable.”
The language, “assaulted,” “orchestrated,” “violent,” carries legal and moral weight. To some, it reads as an unvarnished account, to others, it overreaches. “Assault” without “alleged” presumes guilt. “Orchestrated” implies premeditation. Yet even the footage released by the club appears to show confusion, not choreography, an instinctive, messy scuffle, not a planned intervention.
A cup of water thrown in anger is unacceptable, yes, but is it an “assault”? And does that moment justify a collective ban? The reaction, many feel, has been inflated, a public relations exercise masquerading as discipline.
The central grievance remains the absence of any process. As the Green Brigade’s released emails have since shown, the group had been in communication with the club for some time, warning that the escalating police presence was a powder keg waiting to go off. Their concerns went unanswered.
When the inevitable flashpoint came, the board did not seek discussion, it imposed punishment. No dialogue, no defence, no transparency.
You don’t have to be a cynic to question the timing. A realist might say that an incident like this was coming. A sceptic might note that it arrived just as the Celtic Trust reignited debate around proxy voting and accountability ahead of the AGM, and The Celtic Collective and the ‘Not Another Penny’ campaign, attempts to use their spending leverage to action change at the club. A convenient distraction? Perhaps. An attempt to silence the Green Brigade, the most militant and vocal group within the support? We will all have our own views on that.
What’s clear is that communication has collapsed. The Green Brigade feel unheard, the police feel under attack, and the club appears content to let both sides point fingers while it hides behind the language of “safety.”
Celtic’s ban will not work. The defiance shown against Kilmarnock, Green Brigade members returning to the stands through the solidarity of others, proves that. All it achieves is further division, a culture of mistrust, and an unbridgeable gap between boardroom and the stands.
Surely the logical step is obvious, representatives of the Green Brigade, Celtic Football Club, and Police Scotland must meet, openly and honestly, to share concerns and build a process. A real framework for how future issues are handled, how evidence is assessed, and how sanctions are decided.
A club with Celtic’s history should understand better than most that collective punishment breeds resentment, not reform. If a steward or officer was assaulted, the individuals responsible should face consequences. But if the response is to label an entire section “violent” and shut them out, then the club loses the moral high ground it claims to defend.
A cup of water and some bruises can be looked at two ways. The first is that it was unacceptable. The second is that the rhetoric surrounding it, “coordinated,” “orchestrated,” “violent,” feels exaggerated . Somewhere between those two views lies the truth.
What’s beyond dispute is this, the side that was banned was also the side that, before this all erupted, was trying to keep the lines of communication open. That’s not a good look for a club that constantly preaches unity, or for a police force that insists it only wants safety.
Until dialogue replaces diktat, and fairness replaces convenience, this story will not end, it will fester. When dialogue ceases, division grows and the only way out of this is for all sides to talk. So far it seems one side has attempted to engage, the others have not.
Niall J
Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter
Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter was published in September 2025 by Celtic Star Books. David’s widow Rosemary has written a special message of thanks to the Celtic support and Danny McGrain has contributed his own piece to the book which is a great read. And Danny has gone further by signing all remaining copies of the book which is available now from our bookstore – celticstarbooks.com
Please note that as we celebrate the life and the Celtic writing of David Potter we are happy to include a free copy of David’s wonderful Willie Fernie biography that only could be titled ‘Putting on the Style’ a release that helped bring that old Celtic song back into the current songbook.
This incident should never of happened because of some ignoramus flinging water at a steward doing there job
The people that “rescued “him are no better than the scrummy beard from India
The Celtic board and management should be asking Police Scotland why they are still be by blast against Celtic fans while still treating the Rangers fans preferentially
And if you believe Police Scotlands version of events then you really are deluded.
We are all aware how they treat the normal, non Ultra fan. God only knows how they treat the Ultras.
They hate us. They always will.
ACAB
Should read Ibrox not India
Antisemitic masked thugs, “Pig Watch”. Is this Celtic Park ?
It really is time for the club to rid itself of the Red Brigade altogether. Why would any club tolerate these subversive Marxists posing as Celtic fans, especially after their disruption of the minutes silence for our war dead last Sunday. They are low IQ troublemakers who bring disgrace on the sport, as are those who seek to portray them as the victims. I have no time whatsoever for the present Celtic Board, but even less for these infiltrators into what should be a safe and enjoyable arena for individuals and families to enjoy. And by the way, I feel exactly the same about the Rangers Ultras. Every major European club seems to house a group of these morons and there needs to be coordinated action to rid the game of them.
If the brave “name withheld”actually read my comments correctly you would see that I mentioned not only Police Scotland but also the Board and Management to be held to account
The only deluded person seems to be the brave “name withheld”
Or maybe just blinkered or ignoran
I thought throwing water on people was only High Jinx?, we were certainly told so when the hun player was throwing it over Celtic fans, with the blessing of our club and the police, how strange, eh?.
Hi Jim
Sure you disagreed with the hun throwing water over our fans,but seem to find it alright if a moron in Celtic colours,can’t call him a fan, throws it over one of our stewards
How strange eh
What if it had been hot tea, coffee , or bovril ?