Bhoys Celtic’s ‘Hargreaves Out’ protest raises tensions

Mark Hargreaves has increasingly become a central figure in the growing tensions between the Celtic board and the Green Brigade throughout the season…

Relations between the club and the ultras group have deteriorated significantly, with several disputes arising over matchday operations and supporter conduct.

Following the disorder that occurred at Ibrox last weekend, the Celtic Fans Collective released a statement claiming Hargreaves’ role had become “untenable”, highlighting that he was “inexplicably absent” from the fixture.

Despite attending a number of recent meetings between club officials, the Collective and representatives of the Green Brigade, there has so far been little indication that the ongoing disagreements are close to being resolved.

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During Celtic’s 3–1 victory over Motherwell, a banner reading “Hargreaves Out” was displayed prominently inside the stadium. It appeared in the corner section linking the Main Stand with the Jock Stein Stand, an area typically occupied by the Bhoys supporter group.

Earlier this week the club issued an update regarding the situation involving the Green Brigade, maintaining that the next move lies with the supporters’ group.

Interim chairman Brian Wilson told Celtic TV: “We met with the Green Brigade and it was clear that the purpose of that meeting was to have a shared approach which would allow us to go to Glasgow City Council safety advisory group and to advocate for the group’s return. That meeting took place about three weeks ago.”

“Celtic made that case and Police Scotland said they were not really prepared to go along with it. The two grounds for that included that the members of the Green Brigade had continued to attend most games in defiance of the suspensions.”

“In that respect nothing had really changed but also that behaviours had not changed. And particularly behaviours towards police and stewards.”

“We met again this week with the Green Brigade to explain this position to them and that the conclusion of that meeting of a safety advisory group was that conditions were set which would create the pathway for the return.”

“We’ve communicated these to them and I think that they should accept them. If they accept them then they get into a dialogue into the policing and stewarding of the section and that creates a pathway to resolving this. We now await a response.”

Conor Spence