The Green Brigade has fired back at police criticism over their controversial ‘Pig Watch’ campaign, which involves taking photos of officers at Celtic Park and posting them online.
In response to their treatment at Sunday’s Glasgow Derby, the Celtic ultras group announced they would be restarting the movement, having previously cooled down its activities.
Their actions have drawn strong criticism from David Kennedy, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, who described it as “very dangerous”, warning that officers and their families could be put at risk.
“What the fans need to understand is that these police officers are just mums and dads, brothers and sisters, like everyone else,” Kennedy told The Herald. “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.”
The Green Brigade has now hit back, responding by releasing a modified version of Kennedy’s statement, replacing references to police with supporters, to highlight their own grievances.
Their version of the statement reads:
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
Spot the difference, David. https://t.co/JgcKKcsAlD pic.twitter.com/I8EeL5TIVK
— North Curve Celtic (@NCCeltic) March 19, 2025
This latest exchange adds fuel to the ongoing tensions between the Green Brigade and Police Scotland, particularly after Sunday’s heavy-handed approach to crowd control, which saw both the Green Brigade and Rangers’ Union Bears groups blocked from entering the match.
The Section 60 order was branded a success by the police, and it looks set to remain in place for big matches.
With both sides unwilling to back down, it remains to be seen how authorities and Celtic will respond to the resurgence of the ‘Pig Watch’ campaign and the increasing hostility between fans and police at matches.
