The Green Brigade have confirmed there will be no tifo display in the North Curve for Sunday’s Glasgow Derby after they say the Celtic board blocked plans for the occasion.
The fan group, renowned for their visual displays and backing of the team at Celtic Park and beyond, released a statement expressing their disappointment ahead of one of the biggest games of the season. Sunday’s match marks the first time in nearly seven years that a significant number of away fans will be present at a Glasgow Derby, with Rangers bringing 2,400 supporters to Celtic Park.
In their statement, the Green Brigade say the decision to deny them a tifo is tied to recent displays at home games which the board have taken issue with. They highlight two specific fixtures—one featuring a pro-Palestinian message and another a tribute to Bik McFarlane.
The group argue that the club continues to “commodify” aspects of Celtic’s Irish identity while sanctioning them for expressions which, they claim, carry wide support among the fanbase. They also call for Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay to review the club’s fan strategy and engage with supporters in a more meaningful way.
The Green Brigade’s full statement reads:
“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 6 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.”
Sunday’s Glasgow Derby promises to be an intense occasion on the park and in the stands, but the absence of the North Curve’s tifo will be a noticeable omission in a fixture renowned for its atmosphere.
