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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2,751 Comments

  1. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    The Tim Reaper

     

     

    I agree totally.

     

    We can either oppose vehemently, or roll over.

     

    Its not rocket science.

     

    We all love Celtic, but do we want to be cheated forever, with the Huns having the whip hand over us, i certainly dont.

     

    Id rather fight:)

     

     

    HH

  2. peter lawell and celtic and i include brendan as he says its the club he speaks for,if you dont tackle the shame of cheating then forever be known as cowards.

  3. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    I see another flare goes up, the hard of thinking are out in force today eh

  4. tonydonnelly67

     

     

    That was my post. I don’t quite follow your reply.

     

     

    Linfield are facing charges for the first leg. Not too sure about the second leg as all you hearing about is the ones against us. Which is what I was alluding to.

  5. Seen a GB statement on KDS.

     

     

    Reads like something from Club1872. “War criminals” Tory Lords” etc etc.

     

     

    Think the end could be night for the GB.

  6. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Look, there’s another crisp poke blowin down the street, quick, jump oan it.

  7. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    You have all seen that Hitchcock movie ‘The Birds’, well, imagine it with crisp pokes:)

     

     

     

     

    HH

  8. Best of Luck to Emilio in his new adventure. Just a shame (for you) Kieran touched down. WOW WowWow

     

     

    Priceless Left. :))

     

     

    tralalala

     

     

    The Celtic Support is Ready to Rock the whole Stadium Arcadium.

  9. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Green Brigade statement – And its bang on.

     

     

    Following the club statement on Friday, we take this opportunity to accept full responsibility for both the pyrotechnics display to celebrate the achievements of the Lisbon Lions at the Hearts match in May and our ‘Brendan’s Undefeated Army’ tifo during the match against Linfield on Wednesday evening. While we are disappointed to hear of the impending two match ban that we face, we know that in the sanitised world of Scottish football the actions of an Ultra group like ours may have consequences for our members. We do however completely oppose collective punishment and a blanket ban on all fans in our block is disproportionate and unjust therefore we call on the board to revise this decision.

     

     

    As a group we are defined by our style of support and our politics, both of which the club are happy to benefit from when it suits their agenda. Almost a year ago, after much immediate criticism, we brought worldwide adulation on the club for our show of solidarity with the people of Palestine and the subsequent charity fundraising which was endorsed by the Celtic support. What isn’t common knowledge is if it had not been for this incredible response, we would have faced the same punishment as we currently face. In light of this, and of the condemnation of banners and songs from Wednesday, we refuse to allow a discredited and corrupt organisation like UEFA or a board which has welcomed war criminals and Tory Lords to dictate our moral compass.

     

     

    Our decision to mark the achievements of 1967 by using pyrotechnics was not taken lightly. We took the required steps to ensure that this was carried out as safely as possible and in the knowledge that we as a group may face potential consequences as a result of it. We believe the scenes that day and the response from the Celtic support proved it to be worthwhile. We have engaged in regular dialogue with the club over this matter throughout the summer and believed to be reaching an amicable outcome, however it seems as if events outside of our control on Wednesday have impacted upon the decision which has now been reached.

     

     

    The Green Brigade exists to support Celtic in a positive manner and we believe that this current confrontation is unnecessary and avoidable. We welcome Peter Lawwell’s call for dialogue as we have been waiting on his availability for some time. One of our first talking points will be the unnecessary and unsafe policing operation carried out during Wednesday night’s match, which we believe must be the source of one of UEFA’s charges (blocked stairwells) and could only have been designed to antagonise fans in the area. As the evidence below proves, it is bizarre and shameful that the club have not only blamed the fans for this charge but have cited it as a reason for the ban.

     

     

    Other pertinent issues to be addressed are the club’s response to the biggest cheating scandal to shame Scottish sport; the insulting of the Celtic support over the Linfield away debacle and negligence of the safety of those they knew would travel; and the silence over the racial and sectarian hatred directed at our player of the year and manager. Typically, the club are quick to bite the hand that feeds them yet reluctant to unite against common detractions.

     

     

    We have built a positive relationship with the Celtic SLO however we are concerned that his position is nearly untenable due to the manner in which he is continually undermined by Celtic security staff. The SLO is required to ”collaborate with the security officer on safety and security-related matters” however has been deliberately excluded from discussions of this nature which is in breach of the UEFA SLO Guidelines, as per article 35. His exclusion is a deliberate tactic adopted by the police and Celtic security to facilitate the targeting of our members

     

     

    For over 10 years now the Green Brigade has withstood attacks from Police Scotland and sadly this will always continue. This also will not be our first ban or forced absence from Celtic Park. The Green Brigade has not only survived through the years but we have thrived – we are currently as large and strong as we have ever been. We can assure all that we will be back in Celtic Park soon enough and that we will never allow our style nor our politics to ever be diluted

     

     

    Green Brigade

     

    Until The Last Rebel

     

     

    congested stairwells:

     

     

    Video –

  10. theBHOYfromU.N.C.L.E on

    Now that there is going to be a substantial area not populated v Rosenborg ……..prime site for a massive ‘STRIP THE TITLES’ banner.

  11. ITALIABHOY on 22ND JULY 2017 2:58 PM

     

    Seen a GB statement on KDS.

     

     

     

    Reads like something from Club1872. “War criminals” Tory Lords” etc etc.

     

     

     

    Think the end could be night for the GB.

     

     

    Let’s hope so, everyone Iv spoke to are sick of them, but a few still cling to them as that is they’r choice.

  12. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    I agree with the GB statement, its the truth.

     

    That is what matters.

  13. The GB know F all about the situation in Israel. STFU.

     

     

    The 6 fingers on Murals in Belfast disney mean anyone knows.

     

     

    That is a mural that is Demonic.

     

     

    Stop flying the flag from what you have no idea about. Please.

  14. !!Bada Bing!! There is no mention of the Brendan at Work and the paramilitary figure banners but reference to “events outside of our control”. Perhaps, I am interoperating this incorrectly, they are claiming these banners were not the GB’s?

  15. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    Kjam,

     

    A distraction from the real issues affecting our club and support, being cheated and swindled, I mean what Celtic supporters actually think having a dig at an insignificant support of an insignificant club from an insignificant culture is the work of “university types” seriously with everything going on in the game just now in Scotland, a chance to publicise it world wide and that’s the best they could come up with, nah no wearing it. The banner was displayed because that’s the banner the Plc wanted displayed.mthere is a procedure that banners are only displayed with the permission of the club, if there was no permission security and the police would have been dispatched to remove the banner before it was completely unfurled.

  16. embramike supporting Res 12 on

    Jags 1 up v St Mirren though Doolan looked clearly offside from through ball – welcome to another season !

  17. mike in toronto on

    CCE @2:52

     

     

    Just back on and saw your comment about JF.

     

     

    Agree/disagree .. fine

     

     

    Cheeky/ clever insults … ok

     

     

    But homophobic slurs… pretty certain that is not acceptable on CQN. Please ask the mods to delete that post.

  18. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Petec

     

     

    Are you quite happy to be cheated by the huns?

     

    Do you want to be cheated, or do you want truth and justice?

     

    What’s it to be, darkness or light?

     

     

    HH

  19. Very intelligent statement from the Uni Bhoys of the GB.

     

     

    The old age pensioner blue pill libido raisers will be up!

     

     

    Petec. I’m sure you are unaware of the awareness of members of the GB and their knowledge of Palestine and/or Israel.

     

     

    MWD

  20. For over 10 years now the Green Brigade has withstood attacks from Police Scotland and sadly this will always continue. This also will not be our first ban or forced absence from Celtic Park. The Green Brigade has not only survived through the years but we have thrived – we are currently as large and strong as we have ever been. We can assure all that we will be back in Celtic Park soon enough and that we will never allow our style nor our politics to ever be diluted

     

     

     

    In other words, we will do what ever the feck we want, oh you think so? Well let’s just wait and see how that goes then eh?

     

    Pompous arrogance, and of course lots of whatabouterie, and they want to sit down and discuss things with our board? Get them all ti …. this statement is so wrong in many many ways, this mob has to be sorted out, they are hell bent on closing our doors.

  21. embramike supporting Res 12 on

    Linfield are to pursue financial redress from fans after being fined £8,971 by UEFA and ordered to close a section of Windsor Park following crowd disturbances during the club’s Champions League qualifier against Celtic in Belfast last Friday.

     

     

    The club have issued a statement stating they will be working with the PSNI over antisocial behaviour by a small pocket of home fans.

  22. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Have to admit to being slightly surprised by the Green Brigade statement.

     

     

    It is articulate and well argued.

     

     

    I just wish some one (or small group) had put their names to it.

     

     

    Hail hail

  23. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    TD67

     

     

    I think me and you could sort this out, sit down with the GB, talk it over:)

     

    What do you say?

     

     

    HH

  24. THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 22ND JULY 2017 3:10 PM

     

    I agree with the GB statement, its the truth.

     

     

    That is what matters.

     

     

     

    Wooft! Never saw that coming :))

  25. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Cmon bhoys lighten up:)

     

    Lets fight the hun.

     

     

     

     

    HH

  26. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    TD67

     

     

    We can sort this out, me and you, GB will listen to you:)

     

    LOL

     

     

    HH

  27. Statement from GB confirms their immaturity.

     

     

    Shame, it was fun while it lasted but no way can the board tolerate a large group of fans who basically do what they want, regardless of police, GCC, UEFA rules.