Silent Protest – Celtic face fan backlash with appointment of repressive figure

Celtic Football Club have been on the upturn recently, with a string of great results adding the feel-good factor back amongst the Support. With an impressive win and overall performance at Easter Road this past week, optimism has returned in regards to things on the park.

Off it however, is a different story entirely. The Club have scored a massive PR own goal with the announcement that Bernard Higgins will play a senior role within the security set-up at Celtic Park moving forward. For those that don’t know or remember the name, Mr Higgins is a chap that was at the forefront of the regressive – and in all honesty – pernicious policy of criminalising the Celtic fans in a war on fan culture.

Higgins was famously quoted as saying that the repeal of these draconian policing laws would lead to a “regression” of offensive behaviour when he was police chief. The Offensive Behaviour at Football Act (2010), was nothing but a campaign to target and marginalise certain groups in society with which the ordered establishment did not agree with. Who said we live in a democracy?

This latest PR catastrophe from the crony board at Parkhead shows just how out of touch and unrelatable they are with the fan base. A quite literal slap in the face to the people who have ensured their jobs remain intact. The current state of play at Celtic cannot continue if we are to flourish as one with our beloved institution. Appointing the aforementioned would create division and open up old wounds that have just begun to heal somewhat of late.

Various Celtic related groups and associations have let their feelings be known to the Club. Celtic Shared, North Curve Celtic and The Celtic Trust are amongst those who have vocied their displeasure at the possibility of this man having say over security at Paradise.

We could be in for a bumpy ride Bhoys and Ghirls…

Paul Gillespie

About Author

I'm a Garngad Bhoy through and through. My first ever Celtic game was a friendly against Italian side Parma at Celtic Park, in 2002. Currently a student of English Literature and Education at the University of Strathclyde for my sins. Favourite game would be a toss up between beating Manchester United with that Naka freekick, or the game against the Oldco when Hesselink scored in the dying seconds. I'm still convinced Cal Mac is wasted playing that far back.

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