A ban is not a ban when Celtic supporters stands together

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The Celtic Star

·10 novembre 2025

A ban is not a ban when Celtic supporters stands together

When is a ban not a ban? When the Celtic family stands together…

Celtic Park was in full voice as the team brushed aside Kilmarnock 4–0 — and among the crowd, in not-so-quiet defiance, were members of the supposedly banned Green Brigade.

The ultras group had been officially locked out after the club enforced a three-game home and away suspension following the alleged confrontation at the Falkirk match.

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According to the club, the punishment stemmed from an assault on a steward and the obstruction of police officers attempting an arrest, behaviour described in Celtic’s statement as “violent” and “orchestrated.” That claim, denied by the Green Brigade, triggered a previously suspended sanction covering six fixtures in total.

Celtic players observe a one minute silence for Remembrance Day Celtic v Kilmarnock, Scottish Premiership Celtic Park, 9 November 2025. Photo Mark Runnacles. IMAGO /Shutterstock

Yet as the team kicked off against Kilmarnock, it became clear that the ban was not holding. Thanks to the generosity of fellow supporters, many in the group found their way back inside the ground. The stands might have been missing a drum or a banner or two, but certainly not the spirit of solidarity.

The Green Brigade released a statement of thanks that read –

“Thank you to all of the Celtic supporters clubs, groups and individual fans who kindly gave the Green Brigade tickets for today’s match. This is another demonstration of unity from the Celtic support, rallying around fans who have been mistreated by a Celtic board clearly feeling the pressure and desperately trying to quell dissent.

“We appreciate that some fans stayed away from today’s match in light of the decision to ban the Green Brigade. We encourage all fans to attend matches as normal while our ban continues, to keep supporting the team and to keep up the pressure on the Celtic board.”

Johnny Kenny of Celtic celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match between Celtic and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on November 09, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The group had already labelled their suspension “a cynical attempt to lock out anti-board sentiment dressed up as a safety measure,” arguing that the board’s true motive was to silence the most vocal critics inside the stadium.

Whether we all agree with that or not, the speed of the club’s action, and the absolute wording of its claims, clearly continues to draw questions across the wider support.

For all the talk of due process lately, this didn’t look like any process at all. There was no right of reply, no public evidence, no opportunity for those accused to defend themselves. The club leapt from allegation to punishment in record time. Even if elements of the incident prove true, the manner of response tells its own story, decisive perhaps, but not necessarily fair.

Green Brigade gesture prior to the UEFA Champions League match between Aston Villa and Celtic at Villa Park on January 29, 2025. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Celtic may well argue they are navigating a difficult landscape. As a club operating under safety licences and public scrutiny, they must be seen to act. The safe-standing section depends on compliance, on paperwork, on the reassurance of control. To do nothing, in the face of reports involving police officers, could invite questions from the authorities. The board might see their actions as necessary, a precaution, not a provocation.

But intent and impact are rarely the same. For many supporters, this episode feels less like stewardship and more like opportunism.

The timing alone raised eyebrows. The Celtic Trust had just ignited debate over proxy voting and shareholder transparency ahead of the AGM. The Celtic Fans Collective and their ‘Not Another Penny ‘ campaign was gaining traction as a unified front for supporter pressure. And now, suddenly, the group most visible in leading protest inside the stadium, the Green Brigade, found itself removed from the stage.

The Celtic Board. Partick Thistle v Celtic. Premier Sports League Cup. Sunday 21 September. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Coincidence? Perhaps. But at Celtic, coincidences have a habit of landing exactly where the board needs them to.

Since the ban was announced, supporters’ clubs and individual fans redistributed tickets, others boycotted in protest, and the Collective reiterated its position that collective punishment is not the Celtic way. What the club called discipline, many fans interpreted as a rallying cry. The harder the board clamps down, the tighter the bond seems to grow between many of those in the stands.

For all the talk of sanctions and suspensions, what unfolded at Celtic Park against Kilmarnock was a reminder that spirit can’t be banned. The Green Brigade may have been locked out on paper, but in reality, they were right there, carried in by the generosity of others, and by a support that refuses to turn on its own.

The irony is that Celtic once understood this. The club that prides itself on community now often acts like a corporation guarding its brand. Decisions are made with the caution of accountants, not the compassion of custodians. And while that might satisfy a PLC’s obligations, it erodes something deeper, trust.

Sack The Board protest at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Many supporters have stopped believing the official line, not out of blind loyalty to the Green Brigade, far from it, but because of the club’s own pattern of behaviour. Repeatedly, Celtic’s leadership has chosen the easy way out, issue a statement, invoke ‘safety,’ and move on. It is efficient, but is it honest? It arguably silences dissent without resolving it. The board may think they are protecting the club, but arguably, they are isolating themselves from it.

Sometimes some of us forget what it was to be young, to belong to something, to have a real passion for it. If we were all collectively punished for the misdemeanours of youth, we’d have felt collectively victimised too. Many of us move on to careers and families and play it safe. Yet the next generation still wants to rebel, form bonds, and let it all out. Maybe some of us remember what it’s like to be young, maybe some of us choose to forget.

What no one likes, young or old, is even the perception of club and police collusion without the right to a defence. None of us gets to play judge, jury and executioner — no one. That’s why it was good to see Celtic fans rally round. If punishments are to be meted out, let the process be fair, then if needed, let the individuals carry the can. Collective punishment is not the way.

The Celtic Board. Celtic Champions 2025. Dundee United v Celtic, 26 April 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star).

Celtic, for all their talk of heritage and belonging, now stand at a crossroads. They can continue down the path of closed doors, statements, and control, or they can choose dialogue, trust, and transparency.

The ban won’t hold. We’ve seen that already. The only road that is open right now is one of communication.

Niall J

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Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star

Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Photo: Celtic Star Books