Celtic ban Green Brigade after Linfield last straw
CELTIC will close the Green Brigade section of the stadium for the next two games after a display of paramilitary banners at this week’s victory over Linfield in a second round UEFA Champions League qualifier.
The club is facing disciplinary action from UEFA for their display of the banners depicting Brendan Rodgers in an infamous ‘men at work’ sign, a reference to an IRA slogan ‘sniper at work’ which was deployed in Belfast during the Troubles.
The banner also depicted Brendan Rodgers mocked up in military get-up, with a beret, shades and an overcoat.
The section will be closed for the forthcoming home games against Rosenborg on Wednesday night as the club seek to get into the concluding play-off round of the Champions League, and it will remain closed for the opening home game of the season against Hearts.
And Rodgers himself appealed for the club’s self-proclaimed ‘ultras’ to ‘wake up’.
“The fans have a responsibility to behave in the stadium and I would urge everyone involved to see the damage this is causing to the club, read a statement from the club.
“Hopefully this is a wakeup call. The players thrive on the cauldron that the fans create at Celtic Park but there are clearly boundaries that you can’t step over. Everyone knows that pyrotechnics, unacceptable banners and ignoring stewards who are enforcing basic stadium safety measures are simply not on. I really hope that the fans take this on board. It would be a real shame if they forced the club to take more permanent action to ensure safety and protect the club’s standing in European football, which is what we should all be aiming to promote.” And the club have also revealed that the stadium was very nearly closed and the game aban- doned on the final day of the season when Celtic were given the league trophy against Hearts. A display with flares set off the fire alarms inside the stadium, with fire chiefs close to calling a halt on the game. In any case, it is clear that the club’s hierarchy have lost all patience with the group who have contributed to 12 fines for Celtic in the last six years.
Club Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: “There is no room for debate. The safety authorities and the football authorities make the rules. We cannot understand why supporters who are capable of contributing so much that is positive to the club can be so reckless in doing it damage.
“In addition to the serious safety concerns, we face further UEFA disciplinary action. This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but the behaviour of fans in this sec- tion is posing a direct risk to the safe operation of the stadium and is also seriously tarnishing the club’s hardwon reputation.
“Dialogue, engagement and communication with the Green Brigade have evidently failed at this time, given the behaviour experienced at these matches, and we are therefore left with no choice but to take action to ensure safety at the stadium.”