Of course, the immortal one was entirely correct.
Jock Stein was fully aware that he was in the entertainment business.
He set up his Bhoys to play in a style that would get the crowd invested in the team from the first whistle.
Consequently, performing in an empty amphitheatre was nothing more than a rehearsal for the real thing.
If you don’t believe me, then cast your mind back to the awful Covid season.
Without fans, it simply didn’t feel authentic.
It was like watching a series of training matches.
My views on the performance art of the Green Brigade are no secret to regular readers.
There’s a kind of Life of Brian narcissism to it all
This one from 2017 seems rather apposite now.
Today, I spoke at length with James Forrest of the Celtic Blog.
I called him to express my support and congratulations on his contribution to the Graham Spiers podcast on the issue.
If this move by the Celtic Board REALLY is about the Palestine issue, then I see a dark irony in what amounts to collective punishment.
Moreover, UEFA’s hypocrisy over the Ukrainian war is undeniable.
When it comes to pyrotechnics, there is no excuse.
It’s illegal and a health and safety issue.
End of.
Some in the Parkhead faithful seem to believe that the residents of the standing section are essential to proceedings.
Are they, though?
I recall attending a Celtic match a decade ago when the Green Brigade staged a walkout for some reason or other.
As my seat was, quite literally, above their section, I wasn’t aware of this beau geste.
I only became aware of this manifestation of teenage stroppiness after the match.
Well, as it turned out, it was a roaring game against the Arabs with eight goals.
Celtic got six of them.
There was an Honest Mistake penalty against Adam Mathews.
Justice was served when la gran Muralla saved it.
It was a turning point in the match, and the Hoops upped the tempo.
The bottom line is there was zero lack of atmosphere due to the absence of the tantrum-prone ultras that day.
The guys on the field made sure of that.
That day in 2013, Celtic battered the visitors in the style to which Hoops fans have become accustomed over the generations.
I hope for the same tonight.
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I mind going to the games in the jungle in the 70’s, best time supporting the hoops and supporting the political beliefs of the support, no difference to what the GB have continued to do nowadays and long may they shout up for doing the right thing, no matter what the haters say
Fireworks and acts of thuggery are unacceptable. UEFA may be guilty of hypocrisy over Ukraine/Palestine. I would not disagree with that. However, the central issue here, as always, is money. Fireworks and flags/banners have, thus far, accumulated fines from UEFA. And I have heard arguments that the club should simply absorb these fines as the cost of doing business. But this will not continue in perpetuity. Eventually, UEFA will escalate the punishments. We do not play in UEFA competitions as a right. We are invited in accordance with published rules. Their party, their rules. The only place in the UK where individuals have unconditional free speech is the floor of the House of Commons. And George Square apparently.
When banners were displayed in solidarity with Ukraine it wasn’t a right but displaying banners for Palestinians now a crime because their blood is second to the blood of Ukrainians. Hypocrisy of the highest order.
It’s not unreasonable to empathise with GB. The entire rabid mainstream is aligned with Apartheid Israel. A corrupt state that’s continually slaughtering thousands of weans in Gaza. Do you really expect the whole of humanity to remain silent whilst witnessing an attempted genocide? The Celtic hierarchy leave much to be desired.
Was singing in support of the hunger strikers in 81 ‘teenage stroppiness’?
Was learning about Easter 1916 and singing about it at Celtic Park ‘teenage stroppiness’
Was my participation as a 15 year old on republican marches in Glasgow n London in 1986 to free the Guildford 4 ‘teenage stroppiness?
No, it went hand in hand with being a Celtic Supporter and helping the oppressed.
Don’t forget yourself.
Leave it to the kids, the kids are alright
I wouldn’t be surprised if the ban stays in place until after the next home game against Aberdeen on the 12th November
Remembrance Sunday so no offensive banners can be displayed, with this board it’s a possibility.
All their flag waving etc won’t make a blind bit of difference to the issues in the Middle East .
All it is doing is costing the club thousands on fines they had to act
The sad thing in all the conflicts throughout the world there will be people who will be profiteering, the arms industry will be making billions as will all their shareholders be profiteering .
We will have hedge funds and traders too maximising profits
They are the only winners in all these conflicts
Not the innocents who are slaughtered
I remember we had a jungle full of Ultras in the 60’s and 70’s singing in support of an oppressed people, and flying flags, made me who I am today, I support the Green Brigade 100% on the Palestinian issue, but, if they act like morons and hassle minimum wage security at football grounds, then they deserve what’s coming to them, get a grip troops, we need you in the stadium. 👍🍀
Well said Brendan
Faith of our fathers
The GB bring noise and color but they also bring menace and danger.
They are on occasions out of control. I would reduce the numbers to make that area more manageable and employ stewards that will eject the wilder element as required.
Teenagers acting like teenagers.
I am saddened by our clubs actions. I don’t think collective punishment was the way forward if they were concerned with Pyros, issues with stewards and fire exits are to be believed. The timing is poor. I think the GB bring something to the games, and I am not sure without their support, whether tifos in recent seasons would have been so successful. I rather wish our club was owned by the support, in the same manner as Bayern Munchen are – by fan collectives who can make decisions.
For all they are and all they aren’t, this has more to do with vanity, a nice pay day for the men in suits and maintaining a brand image. ‘ Lest we forget’ Celtics official partners.. Adidas, Dafabet, Magners, Sky Sports, Intelligent, JD, EA Sports, Coca Cola, William Hill, Cadbury, Forbes on the Square, Vitality, Eleven Sports Media, Nirvana Europe, Cordial, Soccer Supplement, and what they may think…
Disappointed in you Phil, and Forrest. In the end between Desmond, Lawwell and the Green Brigade it isn’t hard to recognise who are the good guys.
On this occasion the Board of Celtic Football Club, doing what’s best for Celtic Football Club rather than pandering to a bunch of entitled wee bhoys.
Expected better from both you and Forrest
👏👏👏👍🍀
Can anyone point to a scenario where encouraging an Ultra faction to be concentrated in one area of a football stadium has worked out as a positive for the Club? This was inevitable imho.
Cannot agree about banning the GB, the board have to make it clear what the ban is about is it Pyros or flags. Celtic stood up against the flying of the Tri-Colour and stated that the flag represented a people whom it gave an identity to, an identity denied in their own country, what is the difference here if it is about flying a countries flag who are victims of identity theft.
Celtic was set up to combat oppression and thats why we funnell into Celtic park and watch from thousands of miles away, to celebrate with our club who stood up to oppression and continue to state that the Irish voice is heard loud and clear and that never should ethnic cleansing ever be tolerated,
Celtic wasn’t established to combat oppression, but to support the work of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and to provide opportunities for the Catholic youth of Glasgow to engage in sports. Nor was Celtic intended to be a conduit for Irish nationalism; though the committee soon saw the merits of appointing Michael Davitt as honorary president, probably to outmanoeuvre some of the early members who wanted a more “Irish” identity (and formed their own club, which failed) the club’s financial records show that only small and very occasional amounts made their way across the Irish Sea, one of which was a donation to Father McFadden’s fund for evicted tenants in Donegal. To claim that our club was founded to combat oppression in Ireland, still less Palestine, doesn’t accord with the facts.
The lack of clarity for the ban is disturbing – and yes, I have seen the “crime sheet”. No-one who has been involved in helping young people change their behaviour would ever present them with a shopping list of errors, flaws and faults and failings. They’d find one thing, say, pyros, and focus on that issue in a constructive and informative analysis of the dangers they pose. By obfuscating the issues and linking multiple ‘crimes’ (for which they have no hard evidence) the Board have made it extremely difficult for the North Curve supporters to find an escape route from the mess of accusations levelled at them. And that makes me think, the Board doesn’t want resolution, it wants a Stalinist pogrom so it can fill that corner with millennials singing “Zombie”.
I defy anyone who was at last night’s game to say the atmosphere was “roaring”.
The term “Juvenile Delinquents” springs to mind. Their tantrums, demands etc are beginning to grate on many fans now. The Club is bigger than the players who wear the jerseys; the Club is also bigger than the Green Brigade.
I just wish there could be some compromise between both parties, sadly, it doesn’t seem likely.
I hope you are right re atmosphere at matches because I believe the GB bring an energy ,vibrancy and noise to CP….Let me call it youthful enthusiasm….and I do not agree with James Forrest today who said in his blog ….
“Those who want to join them in their martyrdom, the club will sell their tickets just as readily as the 200 which have just become available.” The use of the word “martyrdom”..the invite to people who might not agree with him to hand in their tickets is despicable.Lets say, being on a MSM podcast has went to his head.So far from congratulating him , he should be condemned for being a pompous prick.
..
Totally agree