When the Celtic board is afraid to offend the Ibrox side, we've got serious problems. Why else would they block the GB's Tifo for Sunday?

Yesterday at 09:58 AM

As is customary for home games against the Ibrox side, the Green Brigade had a Tifo ready to go for Sunday’s Glasgow Derby at Celtic Park.

News has emerged early this afternoon that the Celtic board have blocked the Ultras group from using the Tifo they had planned for Sunday.

Since no explanation has been given as to why by our uber communicative board, we can only assume it was blocked because it might offend the delicate sensitivities of the Ibrox support?

Well, it’s either that or the board is grandstanding after their recent statement regarding the “Show Israel the Red Card” and Brendan “Bik” McFarlane banners.

Since they do not deign to give any explanations for their actions, we are left to speculate as to the reasons behind their decision making.

We discussed in depth the recent statement by the Celtic board regarding banners on the latest Trinity Tims podcast.

YouTube: Hampden Here We Come

Rest assured we’ll be discussing this subject again on our next show.

The Green Brigade has released a statement slamming the decision to block the Tifo.

It doesn’t say what the Tifo was about, as I’m sure they wanted to reveal it on Sunday, but it’s pretty damning in terms of the way it calls out the board.

Here it is in it’s entirety:

Unfortunately, there will be no traditional tifo in the north curve for Sunday’s derby following a refusal by the Celtic board.

Tifos are now customary for major fixtures and widely accepted to add to the occasion and atmosphere. It is therefore particularly disappointing to lose this when opposition fans will return to the derby in reasonable number for the first time in almost seven years, eager to make their mark.

Two recent fixtures are cited as justification for refusing the derby tifo, with appeasing loyalists and Zionists shamefully being put ahead of the interests of Celtic fans.

Last month, thousands of Celtic fans willingly participated in a tifo to “Show Israel the red card.” This launched a global campaign of almost 150 similar actions across 126 sports clubs from 31 countries and six continents.

All followed the example of Celtic: a football club held in the highest esteem for reasons beyond sport. Despite demonstrable proof of widescale support for Palestine across the fanbase, the Celtic board continues to sanction our group, and individuals, for this sentiment.

A couple of weeks later, we paid tribute to a friend and lifelong Celtic supporter in Bik McFarlane. Bik was a hero to many and is widely recognised as a pivotal part in bringing Ireland beyond armed struggle.

While the Celtic board shamelessly commodifies aspects of Irishness, including an earlier era of armed struggle, it sanctions our group for expressions which, again, carry broad demonstrable support.

Despite approaching our 20th season inside Celtic Park, we continue to face the same intransigence from a Celtic board unwilling to engage with fans and evolve alongside fan culture.

The manager recently correctly pointed to how clubs engage with supporters in other countries; until this happens, the same tedious cycles, distractions and disruptions will inevitably continue.

We urge Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay to revise the club’s entire fan strategy and to do so in consultation with fans.

One of the key take outs for me in that statement is relating to the way the “Show Israel the Red Card” campaign resulted in 126 other football clubs worldwide engaging with this.

The Celtic board are but a few men, if they were offended by this action, then maybe they shouldn’t be involved in a club like ours then?

As the GB quite rightly points out, they are quite happy to “shamelessly commodify” aspects of the club’s Irishness when it comes to making money out of it, but then they pick and choose what elements of the club’s Irishness the fans are allowed engage with, or what banners they’re allowed to create relating to it.

However, the below line from the statement is what stands out most to me:

Despite approaching our 20th season inside Celtic Park, we continue to face the same intransigence from a Celtic board unwilling to engage with fans and evolve alongside fan culture.

The board’s refusal to engage with fans, and the vague language in their recent statement, shows almost an element of cowardice on their behalf.

As we said on our recent podcast, if they had something to say about the banners, why didn’t they actually say it?

And by that, I mean why didn’t they say which banners offended them, why they offended them, and what their response to these banners might be?

In other words, tackle the issue head on, instead of skirting it.

Which is exactly what they’ve done.

They couldn’t namecheck the banners and say that they offended them because that would mean they were distancing themselves from our Irishness firstly, and secondly, that they found that “Showing Israel the Red Card” was unpalatable or offensive to them.

They are blocking the planned Tifo for Sunday for one of two reasons.

Either they do not want to offend the Ibrox side, or they are following through on their recent statement relating to the banners.

If it’s the former point, I can only assume it’s a celebration of our Irishness that the Ibrox side and their ilk will find offensive.

And if that’s the case, they are total hypocrites, and gutless to boot.

If it’s the latter, then put simply, they need to explain themselves.

But, as we’re all aware, they won’t.

They never do.

If what I’m saying is offensive to them, then if they actually explained their motives, I wouldn’t be forced to speculate.

You know they won’t.

But I’ll say one thing, the Green Brigade are spot on when they say they need to revise their entire fan strategy.

If they even have one, that is.

As far as I can see, there isn’t one.

Simply because they never engage with us.

Will that happen any time soon?

I won’t hold my breath.

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