Green Brigade

Green Brigade
Motto	Until The Last Rebel
Team	Celtic F.C
Location	Glasgow, (Scotland)
Established	2006
Membership	60

The Green Brigade is an ultras group with Celtic F.C. of Scotland. They align themselves with left-wing politics and Irish republicanism, and are seen waving Republic of Ireland, Palestinian and Basque flags, along with flags of Che Guevara and other such symbolism to emphasize their beliefs. They see themselves as "anti-racist, anti-sectarian, anti-fascist and left-wing", similar to comrades from St Pauli, Livorno and Athletic Bilbao. Although they see themselves as anti-sectarian, they are widely perceived by others to be sectarian, namely from the Irish/Catholic side of the sectarian divide. They believe that they should be allowed to show their support for political causes which have "always gone hand in hand with being a Celtic supporter." They are characterised with their songs, use of drums, and visual displays at matches.

Formed in 2006, the majority of the founding members had been involved with a tifo group called the Jungle Bhoys but had split from them after realising there was a difference in mentality and felt that the Jungle Bhoys were not as independent from the club as they should have been. Since then they've grown and picked up many new members and become an established part of the support at Celtic.

They have approximately sixty members. Most members are very interested in such things as left-wing politics and, of course, Celtic FC. They regularly attend matches at Celtic Park and also away matches, and members are seen packed into the south-eastern corner of the Lisbon Lions stand. They start and lead most songs sung inside the stadium during the course of matches.

The Green Brigade Ultras have grown from a group with seven or eight members, and only a few in section 111 of Celtic Park where they stand, to having sixty members and on regularly have in excess of 3000 people joining them in leading chants during league matches. At cup games, when many season ticket holders aren't at matches, there can be over one thousand supporters in the section getting involved.

Poppygate 2010

At a match against Aberdeen FC in November 2010, when they unfurled a banner with the words "Your deeds would shame all the devils in hell. Ireland Iraq Afghanistan. No bloostained [sic] poppy on our hoops", This protest against the placing of the poppy on football shirts around Armistice Day was widely reported in Scotland. Celtic FC responded in a statement saying: “The Club is currently carrying out an investigation into this matter. When it is concluded, it is the Club's intention to ban those identified as responsible from Celtic Park."

The independent Scottish football publication Scotzine commented: "Whether they claim that they are protesting against wars in Iraq, Afghanistan or Ireland, the point is the Poppy does not represent one or two conflicts but ALL conflicts since the First World War. Even their beloved Republic of Ireland saw a good number of their young men travel over the border to Northern Ireland or to Liverpool to volunteer to fight.

Approximately 70,000 Irishmen (Eire) joined the British Military, despite Eire being a neutral country during World War Two, and some claim that 210,000 Irishmen enlisted to fight in the First World War, for the British Military. In fact these Ultra-Irish wannabes are shaming the memories of SEVEN footballers who played for Celtic and who died in the First World War. Remember these names – Leigh Roose, Patrick Slavin, John McLaughlin, Peter Johnstone, Archie McMillan, Donald McLeod, Robert Craig and William Angus VC. What of the Celtic fans who took up arms in both World Wars and thereafter in future conflicts? Will they continue to shame them also?

These cretins should memorise Celtic’s Social Statement:

“Celtic Football Club is for people who want to support a football club that strives for excellence in Scotland and in Europe, is proud of its history, supportive of its local community and seeks to support the following aims: “To maximise all opportunities to disassociate the Club from sectarianism and bigotry of any kind. To promote Celtic as a Club for all people, regardless of gender, age, religion, race or ability.”

The terrorist group that these people glorify killed men, women and children across the UK and in Ireland. Whether they were innocent or not, the fact is they are nothing short of murderers and likewise those of the Loyalist faith who conducted their own mass murder operations."

The incorrect spelling portrayed in the banner caused much amusement to fans of other Scottish clubs. One Dundee United fan commented, "You've got to feel that if you are going to make your annual "continue to make your club out to be a pathetic bunch of terrorist-sympathising nutjobs" then at least let matron check out the work you've done on your torn bedsheets when you hand back the crayons. I am no longer surprised, no longer shocked by these knuckle-draggers. They still seem oblivious to the irony of hating the English yet wanting to whore themselves to them - burning the St George's flag at preseason friendlies in front of bemused locals and so on, yet desperately pleading to enter England's competitive setup. So not shocked at all, but just when you think they can't possibly look any more stupid by God they go and break their own records! ... I wonder what it must be like to hate yourself, hate your country, romanticise the land of your great-great grandad and yet want to play in the league of your imagined oppressors? Tell you what, all the shrinks in the world couldn't untangle the heads inside Celtic Park if they had a thousand years!"

The Green Brigade had already released this statement:"At half-time during today's match against Aberdeen we displayed message banners calling for `No bloodstained poppys on our hoops' in protest at the Club's decision to once again wear the poppy on our shirts during next week's game at St Mirren (a match our group will not attend because of this decision). This is in support of an appeal by Poppyscotland to all SPL clubs. Poppyscotland describes its role as `supporting heroes' and state that `the poppy has become a symbol of remembrance and for the sacrifices made by our Armed Forces'. Our group and many within the Celtic support do not recognise the British Armed Forces as heroes, nor their role in many conflicts as one worthy of our remembrance. Earlier this year, the Saville Report on Bloody Sunday confirmed that 14 unarmed civilians were murdered in Derry in 1972 by the Paratroop Regiment. They were among hundreds killed by the British Army during the most recent phase of conflict in Ireland. More recently, the British Armed Forces have murdered and maimed many thousands more innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. The poppy remembers not just our grandfathers who fought the Nazis but also those who sank the Belgrano and brutally occupied the streets of Belfast and Basra. While we recognise the right of individuals to remember their dead and that many within the Celtic support will wear the poppy in memory of family and friends lost in WW2 and other conflicts, we cannot accept the imposition of the poppy onto our shirts.

As far back as April, representatives from the Green Brigade, Celtic Supporters Association and Celtic Trust met with Peter Lawwell to express our united opposition to the Club imposing the poppy on the first team jersey. We also know that the AICSC and many other individual supporters had called on the Club to reverse their position of previous years and take the poppy off the shirt. Following our meeting in April, the Club were contacted on several occasions for further dialogue on the issue but informed us that they were still considering their position and would get back to us. The first any group knew of the decision was after it had been made, and publicly announced. We share the views of the AICSC whose recent statement on the poppy stated that `to see the jersey being used as a medium for such a divisive symbol and the message it communicates is deplorable', and that it showed a complete lack of respect for the support, further highlighted by repeated declarations on the official website of Celtic's delight to be wearing the poppy and supporting Poppyscotland. It appears rather than leave his politics at the door, chairman John Reid, the former Armed Forces Minister and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Defence, has forced his onto the first team jersey."

The Celtic Trust, an organisation that works to combine shareholdings of supporters at Celtic Park, expressed its dismay at the club's intent to ban supporters from the ground. "We are particularly against the practice of using the team shirt to promote this symbol and we welcome the news that this practice will end this year...We further note with dismay the demonising of those people who exercise their right to free speech and dissent on this question and we oppose any action which may be taken against anyone who chooses to peacefully demonstrate their point of view, whether in a football ground or elsewhere."

The Association of Irish Celtic Supporters Clubs (AICSC), also released a statement on the display stating: "A recent display of banners at Celtic Park spoke for many of us and not, as some would have it, a minority. We believe this was an overdue and welcome message to the club and reflects a large degree of concern at the failure to listen to the views of supporters. In addition, we deplore any threat to ban those who participated in this display from Celtic Park and call on it to be retracted immediately. We believe that those behind the display have added greatly to the atmosphere at the stadium in recent times and such an attempt to stifle their freedomof expression should be condemned."

The Celtic Supporter's Association released a statement addressing the placing of the poppy on club shirts but not the banner incident itself. "The Celtic Supporters Association after having a number of discussions with the club and our member branches wish to make it clear once again that we believe the Celtic shirt should be used only to promote Celtic Football Club and it’s sponsors. We believe that this form of bullying people and clubs into wearing the poppy symbol is contrary to what many people believe is a democratic right; to have freedom of choice; freedom of expression, and freedom of speech."

See Also

• Celtic F.C.