KEEP ALL THE POLITICS OUT OF PARADISE
From Back Page days after a banner of a paramilitary-style figure was displayed at the game against Northern Irish side Linfield last week.
The Green Brigade hit back with their own statement but Rodgers has now spoken at length on the issue and demanded the stadium remain all about football.
He said: “My opinion is totally aligned with the club’s board.
“I’ve always been aware of Celtic’s heritage, its charitable work and its football work. That’s what it’s all about, why it was started in 1888 and how it is to this present day.
“Celtic is not a political arena. It is based around football. I was obviously saddened by what I’d seen.
“I do want to defend the guys at some point.
“I can categorically say that the atmosphere inside Celtic Park, not just from that section, is the best you will witness. The noise, the raw passion, everything.
“The club have worked tirelessly to become the first club in Britain to put in a standing section.
“And 99.9 per cent of the time they, along with the rest of the fans, give us this incredible support.
“All the other banners and symbols they put out, the work is so admirable.
“Then they bring a great energy but we don’t need to go down the other route.
“The political element is not acceptable. There are forums and platforms for that outside of football. It’s not for inside Celtic Park.
“It’s not what the values are, it’s not about the ethos of what Celtic is and it’s certainly not what I am about as a manager.
“I have huge admiration for them in terms of the support they give.
“But my honest feeling is I’m not with it. I’m very much aligned with the thinking of the people who run the club and have to pay the fines.
“Celtic is a football club. Nothing else.
“Some supporters might say: Listen, no. There is a political element to football and there is a basis there to tell a story.
“But no. They might do it in other countries around Europe where this Ultra factor goes beyond football.
“But the governance factor in Britain is different.
“One of the big things for me is also the safety.
“If you are putting flares up there in a ground then you open yourselves to these things.
“We are very much one club. We are in a great moment in our history as a club and we hopefully have a real exciting moment moving forward.
“We want all the supporters to be in on that. We don’t want to be putting anyone out.
“But when there is maybe a risk of people and their safety at a game then the board have to look at it and be serious.”