When I read the club statement today from Celtic I was reminded of a wonderful apocryphal tale told to me many decades ago.
The story was about an old parish priest and his young curate down the country.
At the end of the mass, they were both in the sacristy and the old cleric asked:
“Did you enjoy my sermon today Father?”
“Yes Father I did” replied his junior.
“But…” he continued.
“Yes?” asked the old man.
“It is just that…”
“Yes?”
“It is just that it is the exactly the same sermon you have given for the last three Sundays”.
“Indeed it is, and I will keep on giving it until I see some results!”
That is how I feel about any official pronouncement from the Parkhead club regarding the pyro issue.
At this stage, anyone who is willing to step up and defend the unauthorised use of pyrotechnics inside a football stadium is probably unreachable.
Sadly, no arguments about future UEFA sanctions or the health and safety of their fellow supporters seem to have any impact on their mindset.
I fear that this will not end well and I’m not thinking about football sanctions.
Those things are dangerous and so are the folk who think that they can use them safely inside a crowded stadium.
Let us pray…
Discover more from Phil Mac Giolla Bháin
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
try sitting near these idiots when you suffer from an acute lung condition. I’m fed up with people trying to justify the use of flares at football. they have no place in a football stadium whatsoever!.
Spend money on searches before games – let supporters know you are doing it and that they will need to be there early – anyone with a flare gets ticket confiscated and banned – does that work ?
People with severe lung disease should be moved away from the standing section is, as they know that flares are going to be set off in that section.
Also, how are these people with chronic lung disease getting to the matches? Do they need assistance? This seems to be more trouble than it is worth.
If those with ailments, especially on European nights, gave their tickets to people (members of their family, or friends) on these nights instead of putting themselves in a position where they are inhaling some smoke from flares then this could be the solution to the problem.
Or if Celtic decided to try and do something about it instead of waiting for the supporters to come up with a solution to every occurrance on in the stands, they could hold back those who have these complaints for 15minutes on European nights and then admit them, as it is usually only at the beginning of the match where the flares are on display.
Surely you’re having a laugh?!?
Those with lung issues are having a bad enough time of it as it is.
Watching Celtic is probably their biggest joy in life now and you want THEM to be moved or held back to allow selfish wee numpties to actively break the rules and incur YET MORE FINES for the Club?
Away and chase yersel Jim.
Can’t believe you guys replied to that very definite tongue in cheek post
Jim – I think you’re a wee bit confused – the flares being discussed here are not references to a 70’s fashion item.
Sick and tired of these self appointed idiots.
Only a complete clown would set a firework off in a football stadium.
Lifetime bans, nothing less are the only answer.
Plenty of decent fans will gladly take their place.
Hear Hear Big J…Well said that man. Hail Hail
A few games ago I watched on Celtic Tv a young man having problems lighting his flare. this in front of a policeman .Easiest of situation to take action but nothing seems to have happened. We were all young and did silly things but there is no excuse for flares and the cost to the club will just increase.
First time ever responding to any on line but love your site.
The answer to this problem is fairly simple.
1 Locate what Section of the Ground these flares are being set off.
2 Send those who attend games in that particular Section the bill from UEFA
3 Don’t let them back until it is paid in full
4 Re sell those seats at a reduced rate to those waiting for Season Tickets
5 If the costs aren’t met then simply ban those responsible indefinitely
I believe if the Club took this action then this moronic behaviour will quickly be eradicated.
These idiots know the feelings of the Club and the rest of the support on this matter…but still they couldn’t give a flying feck.
On that basis …its now imperative that the Club takes action to stop this for once and for all.
If that means searching every supporter who is in that section… before being allowed into the stadium…then so be it.
And if this results in missing part of the game…so be it.
Refusal to be searched should mean automatic refusal to the stadium…and if pyros are found…then an automatic life ban should be enforced.
Something drastic needs to be done to cure the problem
This might be it.
There are a few things the club could do quite simply in order to ‘attempt’ to bring the ‘wee bhoys’ of the GB and their selfish attitude into line…
I know it doesn’t apply to uefa games… but an indefinite lock on their seating (ie no standing) on home games would be a start.
Withdraw ALL support and cooperation for banners and displays.
I would refuse away tickets (maybe too late) for uefa away games.
One more offence … close the section for ALL remaining European fixtures.
In addition .. why not ‘police’ the occupants of ‘the curve’ a bit more efficiently. Easy enough to search people with those ticket/seat codes more thoroughly.
Actually have more stewards and police within the section so identifying culprits is straightforward.
Looking further ahead… the green brigades negatives (both financial and reputational ) now well outweigh any positives. Time to scatter them and their damaging sub-agenda. If they put their ‘Uber-fan stAtus’ above others and don’t want to be part of the wider support then Celtic doesn’t need them.
There are 10,000 who’ve paid £10 a go to get on a waiting list. I’m sure they’d provide more added value.
Statements are the preserve of another Klub….
Celtic should be taking action.
Charge the ‘Green Brigade’ the extra money in fines from EUFA for their “seats” and add every fine on to them as they go along. they’ll soon get the message.
They need to get a grip before severe punishment heads our way . Off topic a bit here Alex Rae leaving young Christie without a name because of his tackle on the Livi player last week . This chancer of an ex so called professional footballer cannot be serious after some of the assaults he carried out on the pitch himself. Ah the wee lookalike of Quark from Deep Space Nine he never let’s you down with him being bias against our club but in his eyes all is good at Ibrox.
I don’t see the problem ! Bringing in and using flares in a football stadium is illegal ! As soon as someone sets one off , the police/stewards move in and apprehend this moron . They should be easy to spot as they are at the centre of a big , bright shiny thing , giving off lots of smoke !
Why has this method of prevention not been tried ?
Lifetime ban if you have a pyrotechnic whether used or unused. Only option
60K trying to leave the stadium? It’s bad enough trying to get out of the car park…
RFC closed the Union Bears down for their first UEFA game as a pre-emptive strike before a closure order. The front of the safe standing area should be shut down for the Lazio game. Hopefully the pyro cretins will get the message and stop causing us grief.
I’d be in favour of an ‘airport security’ type check prior to the game for everyone in the safe standing area, if it causes a delay and they miss 10/20/30 min of the game then so be it. They’d soon self police themselves.
I’m sure we all enjoy the green brigade and the atmosphere they help in creating, their banners are usually well thought out and appreciated but the ‘no pyro no party’ crap just isn’t worth it.
The fines they incur and more importantly the potential safety risks are nothing short of criminal.
Let them sit in my seat and see the problems it causes me, 5 years ago my lung capacity was 80 percent and dropping, Why should I stop attending a ground I was first introduced to in 1966 as a 5 year old too give way to someone with an illegal explosive.
Sorry minus 80 percent.
The fresh air acts ? there must be someting that would be fineable by the local council , there would soon be action to stop these in the grounds . if not then it can be taken up in edinburgh by parliament and adjust the current laws protecting you from pollutant inhalation
Identify and sue the perpetrator for any amount the club are fined
It’s simple, if you see someone doing this near you in the stadium either report them to the police and give them a sore face.
I personally think the sore face is the only thing that will get through to these goons.
Last season at an away game in Aberdeen the guy in front of me got a swift kick to the haw maws and a couple of jabs to the face. He wasn’t thinking he was a big man after that and his mates stood back and done nothing.
As i have commented elsewhere. Search each and everyone entering at that section. If it takes until half time for them all to gain access, then too bad. The rest of us can relax and enjoy the game without them – attention seeking neds.
Next time close the section of the ground in which it happens, before UEFA does it for us. And tell whomever complains in the vicinity of the incident that they either identify the seat number of the idiot involved, or indulge in some robust self-policing. This has now gone on for long enough
Why not charge the section causing trouble an extra £1000 for the 3 match package which will be refundable if no charges are brought against us.
At least UEFA have taken action -absolutely no comment or action when RFC fans lit flares a couple of weeks ago. When is somebody going to challenge the SFA on this ?
I don’t care what Sevco fans, Polish fans or anyone else says or does.
This is our problem. These guys must be identified and expelled lest they cause serious injury. Can you imagine 60k people trying to flee a stadium?
@Traveller
Absolutely spot on and no amount of whataboutery will alter that fact,
Before pointing fingers at the state of your neighbours garden perhaps it’s best we make sure our own Garden is kept to a high standard.