Martin O’Neill talks Green Brigade return and calls for unison

Martin O’Neill has spoken at length to the media since officially being unveiled as the Celtic manager on an interim basis until the end of the season. There has been talk of transfers, systems, the coaching set up, targets for the season, stays beyond this interim period and also fan issues.

One such fan issue was the desire for the Green Brigade Ultras to return to Celtic Park and for the wider support, who back the Celtic Fans Collective, to eventually come together in unison with the board. A wise man, Martin knows that there needs to be a bit of conciliation and some discussions to facilitate this. Indeed, when asked whether he would like to see the Green Brigade Ultras return to their berth at the bottom of the North Curve standing section O’Neill said:

“Right, do you know what I think? In the longer, shorter term, I wouldn’t mind having a meeting with a group of people just for people airing their grievances and things like this here. But, listen, I’m a football manager. It’s ridiculous of me and rather obnoxiously ridiculous of me to think that I can resolve a problem. What you can do is, I think that you can have a bit of a truce, if that’s the case.

“I’d love it if the stadium was absolutely just ready to go and ready to support the players through thick and thin because it will be a difficult time.”

Speaking about the ill feeling between the club’s hierarchy and the support, Martin continued:

“I did say, too, that I thought initially when I came here, first of all, and I kind of half-joked about how Daizen Maeda or Reo Hatate wouldn’t know if that’s the case (ill-feeling). But it does wear you down a bit, you know.

“So, it would be nice to have people together, but that’s unfair of me to think that I would be able to do anything about it.”

O’Neill concluded by saying:

“We’d have to try and win the football matches and that quells things for a little while. That’s all it does. But eventually at some stage, whatever comes and goes, the board and supporters will have to come back into unison.”

Those closing comments highlight the task that the Collective and the hundreds of supporter organisations that endorse them face. Football fans are largely fickle, and while positive results are desirable and welcomed, it is important not to take the eye of the bigger picture to repair things with the PLC board through meaningful change and engagement with fans. Bringing back the Green Brigade would be a huge olive branch for the board to hand the fans and it’s certainly something that Martin O’Neill wishes to see, in the interests of harmony and atmosphere.