Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Green Brigade accuse Celtic board of being ‘vindictive’ over closure
CELTIC have been accused of acting “vindictively” by t he Green Brigade supporters’ group after announcing a partial closure of their stadium for tomorrow’s Europa League clash with Rennes.
The Green Brigade claimed its ticket allocation is being withheld for all games until further notice.
Celtic announced a partial closure of their safe-standing section for this week’s game after being hit with a fourth Uefa charge this season, claiming they had to “tackle any behaviour which can compromise the safety of our supporters including the use of pyrotechnics, overcrowding and offensive chanting or banners”.
The Green Brigade response claimed there had been a “breakdown of trust” between the group and the club.
The statement added: “Throughout our near 15-season existence, we have always accepted responsibility for our actions and ramifications where justified and proportionate.
“We know that the use of pyrotechnics may bring consequences therefore accept the inevitable sanctions for using it. We regret that any fans outside of our membership should suffer those consequences and point to that being disproportionate and unnecessary.
“To implement sanctions at three days’ notice highlights a blatant disregard for the considerable expense some fans undertake to support Celtic.
“Considering we met with the club last week to discuss potential sanctions specifically against our group, t he timing and scope of this decision is particularly vindictive.
The statement added: “As the team strives for a historic nine – and then 10 – in a row, we would rather not be engaged in this negative narrative.”