Unlike other clubs, Celtic are not prone to firing out angry statements after we lose a big game. However, events inside and outside the stadium on Sunday demanded a response.
The club have now done so.
What Celtic Said
Celtic’s official website published a brief yet all-encompassing statement from the club last night.
To quote, it said: “Celtic Football Club has received complaints regarding the policing operation concerning yesterday’s match, specifically events away from Celtic Park.
We are reviewing our supporters’ concerns and will be looking into these issues.
It is important that these matters are addressed and the Club will be engaging in discussions with supporters and Police Scotland to understand the circumstances and events.”
As we said in yesterday’s blog, fans have made serious allegations regarding widespread misconduct and the excessive use of force by police. The club is right to investigate this.
However, it is crucial that any and all information uncovered is fully disclosed to the public. Any hint at a cover-up or attempt at downplaying this by the police or the club cannot be allowed to stand.
Rangers Players Behavior Also Called Out
Celtic’s statement also highlighted the unacceptable conduct of Rangers’ players towards the end of the game.
The Statement continued: “With regards to the match at Celtic Park, we can also confirm that the Club has raised concerns regarding members of the away team engaging with Celtic supporters with the relevant authorities.”
This, of course, refers to Vaclav Cerny’s idiotic decision to spray the contents of his water bottle over some of the Celtic support behind the dugout, necessitating police intervention to prevent a full-scale brawl breaking out.
A First Step, or a Token Gesture?
Fans will hope this statement marks the beginning of Celtic’s fightback, and not just a case of fan appeasement. What the club do next will be crucial.
Most important of all is communication. Too often in the recent past, Celtic fans have been subjected to unacceptable treatment from police, whilst Scottish football’s administrators and certain other clubs have treated Celtic with contempt.
Whilst I hope I am wrong, the board’s strategy to date has consisted mostly of “make a wishy washy, non-committal statement, then wait for everyone to calm down and move on.”
Fans Need More than Just Statements
Celtic’s measured language, which sits in stark contrast to the subnormal scribblings that often emerge from Ibrox at times like this, is the right call, for now.
With legal actions likely to come from all of this, Celtic need to ensure that all official communication is calm, considered and based entirely on established, proven facts.
However, that only applies if we assume this is a holding position whilst the club conduct the necessary legal preparations and internal investigations. This cannot be the end of it, it must part of a lengthy, fully transparent process.
Inaction Only Breeds Further Resentment
Relations between the Celtic board and fan groups like the Green Brigade have not been great recently. The Green Brigade themselves are something of a divisive topic among fans.
Adding further fuel to this division, is the increasingly prevalent insinuation that the Celtic Board have been somehow complicit in Police Scotland’s crackdown on organized fan groups.
My own views on this are irrelevant, but what I can say is I've heard plenty of accounts but not seen any direct evidence to support this notion, yet.
Whether it’s true or not, even the allegation that the club would conspire with police against our own fans is very damaging and needs to be tackled head on.
You Don’t Have to Agree with the GB to Support Them
The color and atmosphere the Green Brigade bring to Celtic Park is stunning, as is their incredible charity work, which supports some of Glasgow’s most vulnerable people.
However, whilst I personally find myself in almost total agreement with the Green Brigade’s political stances, some fans don’t.
Some would rather that overtly political statements are kept away from Celtic Park. While I understand that viewpoint, it’s not one that I share.
Politics are Part of Celtic’s History
Politics, particularly when it comes to how immigrants, the poor and the disadvantaged are treated by those in positions of power, underpins Celtic’s entire history. We literally exist as a football club because someone had to stand up and fight for the rights of displaced Irish refugees in Glasgow in the 1880s.
The Green Brigade and many other fans see a modern parallel to this with Palestine. Again, that’s a debate for another time, but whether you agree with this view or not, we have to respect the right to express it.
So, What Happens Now?
Anyway, back to the task at hand. Celtic have said their piece. The onus is now on the SPFL, Rangers and Police Scotland to explain themselves. I expect some form of similarly non-committal statement from Scottish Football’s governing body.
Rangers will either ignore it, or issue another error-ridden assault on the English language, in the form of a “statement”.
Police Scotland, likewise, will try to pretend this isn’t an issue and carry on as normal. This is where we will see the Celtic Board show their true hand.
Celtic Must Lead on This
While others try the “move along Timmy, nothing to see here” routine, Celtic must take control of the situation and its emerging narrative.
We can expect the usual Scottish Press lapdogs to do all they can to vilify the Celtic support in the days ahead. Such is the common behavior of abusers: to convince their victims that they somehow “brought it upon themselves”.
This is where our board need to be strong and to stand up. They need to call out any lies, false narratives or innuendos that emerge from Ibrox or Ibrox-adjacent media sources over the the next few days.
Celtic didn’t start this fight. But we owe it to our fans, to Scottish football, and to wider Scottish society to make sure we finish it.