Other than the football on the park Brendan Rodgers spent much of today’s media conference discussing off the field matters…
Pyro Problems
So perhaps the sensible thing to do is to split this into two articles and we’ll start by looking at what the Celtic manager has been to saying about the news that three clubs, Celtic, Motherwell and theRangers have been charged by the SPFL for the pyro displays at the Premier Sports semi-finals; Celtic v Aberdeen and theRangers v Motherwell.
Both matches were delayed due to the lingering smoke and this will have had impacts inside the ground, with the Celtic manager vocalising his fears over supporter safety and also worrying about the delay increasing the likelihood of players picking up injuries.
It’s clear that Celtic as a club are in favour of removing these pyros from the game completely but it’s worth pointing out that the SPFL and SFA use them at Hampden, Aberdeen had them on the pitch ahead of the game at Pittodrie on Wednesday night and they are a regular feature in Celtic’s stage managed trophy day and flag day each season we will the league. Just saying…
Pyros allowed on the pitch at Pittodrie on Wednesday night
Brendan accepts that there are always challenges up here and ventured into the empty stands policy with the Celtic manager suggesting that we must have the richest league in the world if clubs can afford to keep their stands empty rather than sell tickets to supporters.
Asked for his reaction to the news that the SPFL had charged Celtic, Motherwell and theRangers with the pyrotechnics at the League Cup semi-final. What’s your reaction to that?
“My reaction is exactly the same as what it is when I see it at any other ground or any team. The safety is of paramount importance, I think, for firstly the people down the stand. I always worry about people that are in and around that area when they’re going off,” he said.
🍀 “The safety element for supporters and players is paramount…”
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has his say after the SPFL charged the club for fans using pyrotechnics at League Cup semi-final 🔽 pic.twitter.com/Wwohpgd3Kk
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 6, 2024
“When you’re young, sometimes you don’t see the dangers”
“When you’re young, sometimes you don’t see the dangers, you don’t see or think of other people, but that’s a concern for me, for supporters, especially our own supporters when they’re there.
“And then my concern is also within the players, because when you’re preparing for a game, football, it’s detailed, your preparation to the second so that you’re ready and ready to go whenever the kick-off is ready to start. And I think we were 14 minutes delay in that semi-final.
“That can be the cause of someone getting injured, especially when it’s at this time of the year. You prepare, your details are there, you go to start the game but you can’t, you’re standing about, you’re waiting, so all that preparation that you put in, the body’s cold again and the muscles are at risk.
“It’s not just Celtic, the message and notion are for every club”
“So these are the little things that maybe you would never think about when you’re holding the flare or sticking something up in the air. But I just think that the safety element of it for supporters and players is paramount. So it’s not just Celtic, the message and notion are for every club,” Rodgers said.
Asked if the charges from the SPFL surprised him, he said: “It’s not a surprise, I just think it’s something that should be done. I don’t see what it adds to the game, so I think it’s right that they look into it and try to stop it hopefully.
Asked about the threat of an away fan ban from UEFA seeming to work and the prospect of more fines coming Celtic’s way, the Celtic manager said: “Yeah absolutely, but I think across the board the league has the possibility then to create a sanction that ensures that hopefully, it doesn’t happen. Because the Celtic support, what we get without all of that is absolutely amazing.
“We get this amazing support, it’s renowned worldwide”
“The colour, the noise, the energy, what it gives us on the field is absolutely amazing. So the pyro doesn’t add anything, it doesn’t add anything. We get this amazing support, it’s renowned worldwide, our support base is iconic. Everyone wants to play at Celtic Park, everyone wants to be here, why? Because of the supporters, so we want to keep it that way and hopefully, as I said, the league domestically can do something as well,” Brendan said brilliantly.
That was excellent from Brendan but it was to get even better when he was asked this question:
Can I just ask you a wee bit about the Champions League? Do you think it’s fair that we’ve spoken about strict liability in this country for a year now, and the SPFL have always told us that’s unmanageable and it won’t work? Is it fair that the clubs are the ones who are being punished when the game is at Hampden and there’s little that the club can do, do you hope that it registers with the fans that it’s the club that suffers when you do that to us?
Brendan answered: “It’s a wee bit of both, but I think ultimately it comes from the federation. For me, that’s where the sanctions should really come from. I haven’t actually looked into the real depths of it. I obviously get the headline, and I see a little bit of it and I think that seems logical and common sense. But I think if you have your league and the responsibility with your league, what can your federation do to govern the game and make it as safe and enjoyable as we possibly can?”
Rich Clubs and Empty Stands
“I know that’s sometimes a wee bit of a challenge up here.
“Sometimes I look at some of the things that we do. We must have the richest league in the world up here because I see stands that are empty. So clubs must be full of money that they don’t need the people in the grounds and the stadium.
“But we can only hope that that side of it, the pyro side, that we can take that away from the games and let it be a safe place because the passion up here for football is amazing.
“You actually don’t need them to create the atmosphere up here. It’s absolutely incredible. Supporters are passionate. They love the game. They love the football. Let them go and be safe and watch it.”
Congratulations to @CelticFC‘s Brendan Rodgers, @GlensVodkaLLG Premiership Manager of the Month for November! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/bUGig7PYWE
— SPFL (@spfl) December 6, 2024
Here’s Brendan’s media conference from Celtic TV ahead of tomorrow’s match against Hibs at Celtic Park…
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