The Green Brigade Statement, issued on Wednesday afternoon, 1st November, hasn’t yet been featured on The Celtic Star because it was posted after I left for the game. So that it’s on the record on The Celtic Star we feature the Green Brigade’s statement below in full, only choosing not to publish the email addresses of the various Celtic officials mentioned in the statement.

We also have some thoughts on the role of the Celtic fan media as it’s mentioned in this statement and end with a window of opportunity for a resolution that everyone can live with so that we can all get back to supporting the team.

Green Brigade Statement, 01/11/23

In recent weeks, Celtic supporters have proudly stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people, while the PLC board adopt a position closer to the far-right British Government, with similar attempts to censor and sanction Palestinian solidarity. As the death toll in Gaza nears 10,000, including almost 4,000 children – the PLC board have shamed Celtic Football Club with their conduct.

It is undeniable that the sanctions imposed against those affiliated with the Green Brigade are a result of the group’s unapologetic solidarity with Palestine. The sanctions applied, most notably collective bans, are evidently unfair; bereft of policy, process and communication with individuals wrongfully being punished before receiving any allegation, any evidence nor any right of defence.

While we expect any fair-minded person will see through the flimsy litany of allegations (shamefully attempting to use fan media and national press to do bidding on their behalf) there are some which we would like to address.

As an ultras group, known for boisterous support and creativity, we occasionally breach the assorted regulations which are in place to sterilise football stadiums. Whether it be an anti-fascist banner against Lazio or Palestine flags against Atletico Madrid, we have no regrets in by-passing stadium security checks to produce displays which are clearly welcomed by the Celtic support as well as audiences from much farther afield.

We categorically deny sinister and defamatory allegations of “breaking in” and “intimidating,
threatening and abusive behaviour towards staff.” It is laughable that “unsafe behaviour” is being alleged of the Green Brigade at Saturday’s match at Hibernian, given Celtic officials were complicit in the widely-criticised security operation on the approach to the stadium which compromised the safety of our supporters.

From erecting steel pens around the standing section which were later removed in interest of supporter safety, to actively encouraging pyrotechnic use at specific fixtures as means of protest at certain domestic kick off times, senior Celtic officials have repeatedly discredited their authority in this area. In the meantime, the club have instructed us not to liaise with the Supporter Liaison Officer, ironically against UEFA’s SLO guidance.

While fans remain unjustifiably banned, with hundreds hugely out of pocket for the upcoming trip to Madrid, and while the PLC board is shamefully positioned on the wrong side of history, we encourage all concerned to voice your displeasure to those within
the Club who are responsible for these decisions and sanctions:

Michael Nicholson, Chief Executive Officer — Chris McKay, Chief Finance Officer –  – Chris Duffy, Company Secretary and Head of Legal – Ronnie Hawthorn, Head of Safety, Security and Operations.*

Finally, we are heartened by the overwhelming messages of support from other Celtic fans, fan groups and fan media as well as from people around the world who are following this story. While we may be absent from matches, we encourage all fans everywhere to fly the flag for Palestine.

* Email addresses are included in the statement but we are not showing them on The Celtic Star.

Some points on this line in the Green Brigade’s statement: “…shamefully attempting to use fan media and national press to do bidding on their behalf” from the Green Brigade’s statement.

The previous generation of fan media sites perhaps made the mistake of getting way too close to the Board and some even became puppets. Whatever your thoughts are on the current generation of popular Celtic fan media sites, I don’t think any, for all their faults, can be accused of falling into that particular trap.

I can only speak for The Celtic Star and we have published the views and statements of the Green Brigade and the Celtic Trust and I have also spoken to Celtic on each story we have published, having challenged the club on for instance the Palestine flag display being a reason for the ban.

We have reported from both sides so that the Celtic support gets fully informed without the warped message and spin that the mainstream media are putting on this story.

We also carried two articles yesterday – where two of our writers Just an Ordinary Bhoy supported the Green Brigade and Eddie Murray did not and we opened up the site to Celtic supporters to have their own say.

I have mentioned on here a few times that The Celtic Star has ongoing issues with Celtic relating to the coverage of the women’s team and as that is still unresolved, we’ve just decided to do our own thing anyway but do not cooperate with Celtic in any way and we don’t even get invited to their women’s media conferences.

Crazy when you think we championed the Celtic women’s team and probably did more than any other site to promote Fran Alonso’s side. But that’s the way it is.

So there is certainly no cosy relationship there and I suspect that it’s the same across the other sites actively involved in the Celtic fan media. Each site will be entitled to their own opinion but on The Celtic Star we never have had a collective opinion, each writer – all being Celtic supporters – are free to state their own opinions and all do so any without interference whatsoever. So we’ll never be in anyone’s back pocket.

The Celtic Star has NOT been doing the bidding of the club or indeed of the Green Brigade in this dispute and that’s the way it will continue on this and every other issue that comes up. Surely that’s no bad thing?

Personally I think that there needs to be dialogue and I noted that Matt McGlone from the Alternative View was offering to mediate on the dispute, giving up his time free of charge to do so. That might not be a bad shout.

Matt tweeted: “Blanket banning supporters is not a solution. Ultras and boards may never agree but for the wellbeing of Celtic they have to co-exist. Dialogue sorts all disagreements. IF a mediation group is required to sort this out then count me in and I’ll volunteer my time and effort!”

There’s a start to a solution right there for anyone who is interested.