We all have our own opinions about the Green Brigade, but it has to be said, their latest statement was brilliant in both its simplicity and its brutality.
Police Remain Totally Tone Deaf
As the fallout from widespread allegations of police overreach before and during last Sunday’s match at Celtic Park continue, Police Scotland tried to gain some sympathy with a rather tepid and, some might say desperate, further statement.
Naturally, it went down about as well as an offer of communion at Ibrox.
A Taste of Their Own Medicine
Despite their insistence on both filming and recording all the personal details of any Celtic fan they choose, with or without provocation, the police, it seems, don’t like having the tables turned on them.
In response to continued police harassment, The Green Brigade relaunched “Pig Watch” on social media. This was a series of posts showing the faces and identities of police who have targeted fans both at Celtic Park and elsewhere.
Naturally, this led to some of these individuals coming in for a fair amount of abuse.
Police Statement Shows Total Hypocrisy
Speaking to the Glasgow Times newspaper, David Kennedy, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation said the following: “What the fans need to understand is that these police officers are just mums and dads, brothers and sisters, like everyone else. They will be Celtic fans, Rangers fans, fans of other teams. They will have family members at the game. They are just doing their job.
He continued: “I don’t think anybody wants their photograph plastered all over the internet. But if you have got people trying to identify who police officers are from the pictures of them which have been put online it can be very dangerous.
“Many of them will try to keep what their job is private. Putting pictures of them online is potentially putting them at risk and putting their families at risk as well. It is definitely a concern.
I was “Just Doing My Job” Where Have we Heard that Before?
The statement concluded: “They are just there doing their job. They’re given a task to do when they go to work in the morning and they’re just complying with that task. What team you support doesn’t really matter to them. They are tasked by their supervisors to go and do the job they’ve got to do and they go and do it without fear or favour.”
Green Brigade Turn the Tables
On the face of it, Police Scotland’s plea to “leave us alone and let us do our job” doesn’t seem unreasonable. But the Green Brigade were having none of it.
Their response is simple, but absolutely ingenious.
The Green Brigade’s response began as follows:
“What the PIGS need to understand is that these SUPPORTERS are just mums and dads, brothers and sisters, like everyone else. They will have family members at the game. They are just SUPPORTING THEIR TEAM.
Police Statement Completely Eviscerated
Not content with that opening salvo, the Green Brigade Statement went on:
“I don’t think anybody wants their photograph plastered all over the internet. But if you have got people trying to identify who SUPPORTERS are from the pictures of them which have been put online it can be very dangerous.
Absolutely nailing it so far, and with their beleaguered opposition on the ropes, the response landed another gut punch of truth:
“Many of them will try to keep what their job is private. Putting pictures of them online, ON TV OR IN PAPERS, is potentially putting them at risk and putting their families at risk as well. It is definitely a concern.
A Final Coup De Grace
And then, finally came the knockout blow:
“They are just SUPPORTING THEIR TEAM. They’re GOING TO THE GAME and they’re just SUPPORTING THEIR TEAM. What team you support doesn’t really matter to them. They are tasked with SUPPORTING THEIR TEAM and they go and do it without fear or favour.”
That’s the problem with bullies. When they get things all their own way for so long, they become completely oblivious to the utter hypocrisy of their cries for help when the tables are turned. Police Scotland are now learning this the hard way.
Often, the Direct Approach is the Most Effective
It’s easy to go on long-winded rants, tirades of righteous anger, but most of the time these will fall on deaf ears. Turning your opponent’s own words right back on them is, most of the time anyway, a far more effective way to win the argument.
Fans Approve, Police Humiliated
The Police Scotland statement was a very transparent and cynical ploy to play on public sympathy, and to try and cast the Celtic support as the villains of the piece. It backfired spectacularly. Even fans who are normally ambivalent, or even opposed to the actions of the Green Brigade spoke approvingly of this statement on social media yesterday.
It seems the police scored a massive own goal here. This debate isn’t going anywhere, and the fight for fans rights continues.