Look at me, but not at my face

2751

I don’t get the flares thing. It’s not a part of my going-to-see-Celtic tradition. But if it was my thing, I’d have the courage of my convictions, I wouldn’t hide the fact.

There are consequences of bringing flares to football games, always has been. By not having the courage to openly ignite them, those consequences are not personalised to the individuals who regard this as an integral part of what they do at a football game, they are visited upon everyone in the vicinity, as well as the club.

The problem with flares at Celtic games is those who bring them hide the fact – as they clearly know there are consequences, and presumably aren’t too interested in taking responsibility for them. ‘Keen on flares, not keen enough to stand up for them’, is why the issue persists.

I get the attraction to bright, shiny, things, but this isn’t a campaign to bring the vote to disenfranchised people against a force who will execute the offender on sight. It’s about bringing a flare to a football game. If it’s so important, do it openly. If you think Health and Safety are simply wrong, find the evidence and use it in court. Have the courage to change something.  I know lots of Celtic fans who have had the courage to put their name to something they believed in, in recent years.  It’s seldom easy, but it has been done.

But in the years of this debate no one has ever pointed to evidence that igniting flares in a football ground is a clever thing to do. It’s just a ‘look at me’ exercise, ‘But don’t look at my face’, of course.

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Episode 5 of ‘A Celtic State of Mind’ finds Paul John Dykes and Kevin Graham discussing a variety of topical subjects concerning Celtic Football Club, including:

* What now for the Green Brigade?
* Dedryck Boyata – Are reinforcements on route?
* Virgil van Dijk – The windfall cometh;
* Emilio Izaguirre – Moving on.

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  1. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Canamalar

     

    As health and safety seem to be the issue of the day did you get anywhere re H&S of our players ?

  2. QUONNO on 22ND JULY 2017 9:58 AM

     

     

    GORDON64 on 22ND JULY 2017 9:40 AM

     

     

     The Board is more than happy to use any fallout as a smokescreen to bury Res 12.

     

     

    ====%%==

     

    You don’t know that. Perhaps it’s the silence that makes you believe that but it’s only a meaning you have given the silence.

     

     

    My belief, which may be wrong, is they will have to act, or face charges as Directors of not acting to protect the best interests of Celtic.

     

     

    But with a much better understanding now of what they are up against I give the silence a different meaning.

     

     

    It’s been a bit of an eye opener the lengths some will go to in order to preserve their way. Verging on criminal and born of incredibe hubris.

  3. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION on 22ND JULY 2017 10:08 AM

     

     

    Yes.

     

    I think that is absolutely right .

     

    A claim for unfair ( illegal ? ) trading which adversely affected earnings and ergo share price may be a goer .

     

     

    However , outside my area of questionable expertise .

  4. Celtic board were just too quick to condemn the GB after Wednesday’s game.

     

     

    I’m still waiting to hear the Celtic board condemn the attack on Scott Btown at Ibrox last season.

     

     

    I won’t hold my breath.

     

     

    We have been cheated for decades in this country and I’m still waiting on our board to challenge the cheats.

     

     

    I won’t hold my breath.

     

     

    We have a biased media in this country who put the boot into Celtic every chance they get, and we still give them access to our stadium.

     

     

    When will our board tackle the bigots with laptop’s ?

     

     

    I won’t hold my breath.

     

     

    We have a brand new club in this country pretending to be another now deceased club, and claiming the titles won by the deceased club.

     

     

    Our silence has been deafening.

     

     

    LNS

     

    DOS

     

    EBT’s

     

    Campbell Ogilvie

     

    Tainted titles

     

    Biased match officials

     

    ICT Semi Final cheating

     

     

    Our silence has been deafening.

  5. Macjay

     

     

    Read what I do trust.

     

     

    I think the Board would find my stance a reasonable one.

  6. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    AULDHEID on 22ND JULY 2017 10:17 AM

     

    Macjay

     

     

     

    Read what I do trust.

     

     

     

    I think the Board would find my stance a reasonable one.

     

    =====================================================

     

     

    As I said before.

     

    Bunnet doffed.

     

    If you have right on your side , then the pursuit of justice is your duty .

     

    Sadly , it doesn`t mean that you will get it .

     

    As you well know.

     

     

    Best of………..

     

    Nearly said British … :-)

  7. What is the Stars on

    No matter what the right’s and wrongs of the current green brigade situation,collective punishment is wrong.

     

    900 season ticket holders cant go to the next 2 home games. I would imagine that at least 880 of that 900 had absolutely nothing to do with the banners…..very unfair

     

    Ok maybe 898… that means it must have been Mini BT and her cousin…

     

    Elementary deduction

  8. Love the atmosphere the GB create , as support goes they are the best . But OMG they do commit some own goals . Although of Irish decent and a lifelong celtic fan , I am not a big fan of some of the pro IRA tunes , and I was brought up with them day and daily . We have some wonderful songs in our repertoire , without indulging in the Rebs , the laptop loyal , and friends attend our games , they are not interested one iota in celtic , they are there solely to pinpoint faults, to try at every opportunity to discredit the club and fans , good god BFDJ , has made a living out of It , a guy who is well known to have less brains than a false face . But he is taken by the hand because ,he hits the celts at every turn . Traynor , Jackson ,dear oh me the list is endless . All guys making a living out of Irish , catholic , celtic hating , what we need , and need it urgently is a dose of scouser bottle , those people showed how it should be done , ban them , get them all out of our club , and keep them out . Get someone in to do the clubs talking , keep the rats away from our manager, players . Coaches . because these are the people who shop us at every turn . Make no mistake about that . With regards to the board ,I just cannot fathom out why they and other clubs , are not pulling the trigger on the cheats . Now that they have concrete proof ,of the cheating . Our club were the most cheated ,not to act is a slap in the face to all celtic supporters , past and present , the corrupt chiefs at hampden , should have been outed years ago . Do it now Peter , if not let everyone of us get behind the res 12 bhoys and make it happen .

  9. CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION on 22ND JULY 2017 10:08 AM

     

     

    macjay,

     

     

    here’s the rub, I couldn’t give a funkey’s muck about other clubs, other clubs are not responsible to protect my interests as a shareholder of Celtic FC, this board are and to date they have failed to do that. Their failure to protect my interests as a shareholder has reduced the income the club were entitled to and this is unforgivable. In fact heads should role for this dereliction of duty.

     

    ——————————————————————————–

     

     

    Just sell your shares and invest in another PLC then. Plenty out there that will meet your specification.

  10. cathedral view on

    WITS,

     

    That’s a good point. The GB don’t have 900 members. To close an entire section like that seems like the kind of thing UEFA would do as a punishment.

     

    If the club needs a list of which season books to deactivate I’m sure Police Scotland have one somewhere.

  11. Flares, banners, whatever. When oh when are these idiots going to realise that the meeja are always , and I mean , always, looking for a stick to beat us. Why in the name of Christ give them the ammunition. I just do not get it, honest.

     

     

    KINGLuBO

  12. Stewart Milne of Aberdeen said he’s not interested in stripping titles from RFC IL .

     

    And James Forrest says it’s PL fault?

     

    Sometimes James can’t help it. :))

  13. glendalystonsils on

    50 SHADES OF GREEN on 22ND JULY 2017 9:20 AM

     

    No

     

     

    I have never laughed so much at such a short post!

  14. TONYDONNELLY67:

     

     

    I didn’t say it was Peter Lawwell’s fault.

     

     

    I said if this is him coalition building it’s a bad start .

     

     

    Look, this to me is quite simple. He’s not asking for people to come together around the idea of Give Celtic More Money or Turn The Game Into My Own Personal Fiefdom or Justice For The Green Brigade, And Let The People Sing … Peter Lawwell is approaching his fellow chairman to get them to stand up for the principles of sporting integrity and justice and Doing The Right Thing.

     

     

    If that’s too hard then either he’s doing it wrong or the game is beyond redeeming.

  15. Im not in the least surprised by Milne’s stance, this guy said the same last year, move on, Aberdeen supporters have been seduced by winning one cup and getting to a couple of cup finals, they now must demand that their club pursue an integrity agenda , how many of them back this will be interesting and instructive.

     

    I’m with Canamalar on this, I believe Celtic at every turn have blocked attempts to hold the football authorities to account here, they wish all the historical stuff would disappear and they can get back to making money, that is all they care about, nothing else.

     

    Auldheid I do not know how many more slaps on the face you can take , your positivity and long game attitude to this is admirable but I do not think with bear fruit, now you might decribe that as a core belief , well prove it wrong and soon.

  16. a light insanity on

    WRT the flares at Hearts game – I thought that it would come back to haunt the fans. Why didn’t the polis / steeards take action at the time? I kept waiting for them to catch people responsible.

  17. It’s been correctly pointed out by several posters that ticket holders who then set off flares are in breach of contract agreed on purchase.

     

     

    Conversely are Celtic not similarly in breach of contract to any ticket holder who is barred from the next two games if they weren’t involved in flares or banners?

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  18. I’m not about to defend or condemn anyone for perceived wrongdoing; however, I have never believed in a broad brush approach to justice or punishment. To ban 900 people for allegedly breaching some regulation or offending someone’s sensitivities is absurd. Celtic have completely overreacted and are “punishing” some entirely blameless supporters. Reminds me of school days, when I or someone else made a surreptitious comment and the teacher dished out punishment to the whole class, simply for being there. Celtic must rethink their strategy and see that alienating large groups of fans is unnecessary and unfair.

  19. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    James

     

    I’d assume it comes down to the old ‘management reserve the right etc’

  20. Clogher Celt

     

     

    These banners aren’t the type of things that are readily concealed ‘up your juke’.

     

     

    ——-

     

     

    Speak for yourself

     

     

    LinfordChristieCSC

     

    AyeRightCSC

     

    ;-)

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  21. Some of the vitriol directed at Celtic supporters by other Celtic supporters is, in my 50 plus years of supporting Celtic unparalleled. The Green Brigade’s contribution to atmosphere at CP is outstanding making it one of the best football grounds anywhere. Unfortunately it doesn’t stop there. The baggage( flares banners pro IRA songs) diminish that. I do not include amhran na bhfiann in that as it is a sovereign country’s national anthem. The GB are not Celtic, They do not speak for Celtic or its support. Celtic was here long before them… and will be long after. I do not like that anyone besmirches the good name of OUR club. It’s time some of the sycophants realised the damage done.

  22. BT

     

     

    I hear you.

     

    But similarly a customer could similarly reserve the right to complain and pursue it through statutory/legal mechanisms.

     

     

    At what point – section in the ground – does the guilt through proximity and association end? Especially after an evening when the Rebs songs went around the ground like a Mexican wave?

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  23. So Paul’s article today is about a couple of flares that were let off 8weeks ago?

     

     

    Yeah right.

     

     

    In cahoots with the board Paul. Doing their dirty work for them. And best of all do you get to put your snout in the trough with them?

  24. TIM MALONE WILL TELL on 22ND JULY 2017 9:32 AM

     

     

    “If you set off a flare or any other type of firework in Marks and Spencers on a Saturday – do you think that would be viewed as being in any way acceptable?”

     

     

    **************

     

    No, but sometimes it’s the only way to clear a path to the Twofur£10 shelf before it all disappears!

  25. Premier League Asia Trophy starting now. West Brom v Palace.

     

    Corporate football at its worst. No atmosphere, everyone dutifully sitting with their club shirts on and merchandise in hand. How long before League games will be played in Asian cities, like NFL in London every year.

     

     

    Celtic board’s dream?

     

     

    Football without fans in nothing.

     

    Football with customers is profit. But helluva boring.

  26. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Jamesgang

     

    I’ll ask my trading standards pal about that big chap..

  27. Paul67

     

     

    I hope you’re well sir and it was good to catch up recently, if only briefly.

     

     

    I’m sorry but I’m not buying this article Paul. If there was a risk that the Hearts game could have been called off as a result of the smoke why didn’t the club/company say something at the time?

     

     

    I also don’t understand writing an article which is relevant to Celtic’s statement but doesn’t address the banners on Wednesday night. It really does look like a squirrel Paul.

  28. James Forrest

     

    PL is already made his stance very clear on how CFC have a stand alone policy, if Milne has no interest in the title stripping, then that’s it mate, PL won’t be calling him or knocking on his door James, and I for one would back that stance by PL, CFC are still the only club to make they’r feelings known to the SPFL and still no answer, other clubs have to make up they’r own mind on how the feel, without outside influence imo.

  29. Philbhoy the fix is in. Paul is simply doing his bit. He is discussing flares 8 weeks ago because the only way to make the boards actions look sensible is to discuss health and safety issues. The banner at the linfield game is such a minor thing (and as others have said they must have sanctioned it).

     

     

    If Paul wants to distract us from the corruption at the behest of lawwell and co then by definition he is part of that corruption.

     

     

    If I am wrong then let’s hear it.

  30. Jimtim,

     

     

    Good post.

     

     

    I thought UEFA’s flares at the CL Final in Cardiff were fantastic. They were enhanced by the closed roof and must have fell within the Health and Safety Regs:)

     

     

    Not a chance anything could have gone wrong.

     

     

    Some think the GB hide behind Celtic while others think the Plc hide behind the GB and Health and Safety.

     

     

    Who knows?

     

     

    We’ll see what happens with the SPFL review.

     

     

    PL’s Resignation…(from the SPFL Board)??

     

     

    It’s almost time for the Plc to show their hand?

     

     

    Jamesgang,

     

     

    Up yer juke Mo Chara :)

     

     

    I hope the family are well.

  31. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    WHAT IS THE STARS on 22ND JULY 2017 10:25 AM

     

    No matter what the right’s and wrongs of the current green brigade situation,collective punishment is wrong.

     

    =============================================================

     

     

    That`s right.

     

    But is relocation ” collective punishment ” ?

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