First off, let’s get one thing straight—I’ve got a lot of time for the Green Brigade. The energy, noise, and colour they bring to Celtic Park is electric. They make the atmosphere what it is, and I reckon we’d be worse off without them. I also tend to lean the same way as they do politically, so on a lot of issues, we’re on the same page.

But here’s the thing: we’ve got to be realistic about the recent ban from away games. I’ve seen some folk jumping to conclusions, suggesting this is all about the Brigade’s political stance, especially their support for Palestine. That’s off the mark. The statement from the club is pretty clear about why the Green Brigade has been suspended—it’s about safety issues, not politics. People suggesting otherwise are incredibly idiotic.

I also noticed some fans, and even fan media groups, going straight after the board when the news dropped. Look, I’m the first to say that the Celtic board needs a shake-up, but in this specific instance, can we not at least consider why the club’s taken this action? The incidents at Feyenoord and Motherwell aren’t things we can just sweep under the carpet. Unsafe use of pyrotechnics, rushing turnstiles, forcing open fire exits—these are serious issues that endanger fans.

There’s that video from pre-match at Motherwell with the police holding the fire exit closed. It’s grim to see the authorities doing that, but let’s not pretend the fans behind the door are choirboys. As someone who’s done plenty of away days, and talked to others who were at that Motherwell game, it’s hard to back the Brigade this time around.

I get it, people have their loyalties, but blindly supporting any group isn’t doing anyone any favours. The Green Brigade isn’t above reproach just because they bring the noise and colour. We’ve seen instances where the police have been the real problem on away days more often than not, but that doesn’t mean we can’t hold our own to account when they step out of line. Not doing so could detract from our real grievances with an over policed game in this country.

So, let’s try to see the nuance here. We should support the Green Brigade for all the good they bring to Celtic, but also be willing to call them out when they cross the line. No one’s doing the club or themselves any favours by pretending there isn’t a real issue that needs addressing.