Celtic Park is set to host its first match since the club clinched the league title at Tannadice, with Hibernian the visitors for Saturday’s 3pm kick-off. But the build-up to the penultimate home fixture of the season has been clouded by off-field tensions, as the Green Brigade confirmed they will not be permitted to stage a planned tifo display.
In a statement shared on social media, the group wrote: “Unfortunately, the club has refused tomorrow’s NCC tifo. This is a continued sanction due to the Green Brigade’s ‘Red Card’ and Bik McFarlane tifos. Despite repeated attempts, the club has refused to meet with the Green Brigade since November 2023.”
The statement follows direct communication from the club, in which Celtic rejected the group’s request to display a tifo at the Hibs match, citing “serious breaches of the Banner Protocol” earlier in the season. In an email sent to the group, the club said it had reviewed events and concluded the breaches were significant enough to warrant the continuation of restrictions.
The club stated: “The Club does not approve the request to set up and display a tifo at tomorrow’s match… The Club therefore requests that the group does not bring any tifo or other banners to the stadium for the match.”
Celtic also reiterated safety and competition regulations in their response, including a prohibition on the use of pyrotechnics, and made clear that access to the stadium would not be granted for any unauthorised materials. However, the club left the door open to future discussions, saying it remains “open to scheduling a meeting to discuss these matters at a future time.”
The decision means there will be no organised visual display in the standing section tomorrow, despite it being a celebratory return to Celtic Park following title success.
Saturday’s match will mark the final home fixture before Trophy Day next weekend. On the park, Brendan Rodgers’ side will look to maintain their winning momentum heading into the Scottish Cup final.
