Celtic supporters made their presence felt ahead of today’s highly anticipated Glasgow derby against Rangers at Parkhead, unveiling a tifo display reading “Bhoys X Celtic” before kick-off.
The Green Brigade, renowned for their striking pre-match displays, had been expected to orchestrate another visual showpiece for the Scottish Premiership fixture. However, the group confirmed earlier this week that they had been denied approval by the Celtic board, leading to a heated war of words between the club and its most vocal supporters.
In a strongly worded statement, the Green Brigade accused the board - specifically chief executive Michael Nicholson and finance director Chris McKay - of prioritising politics over the interests of Celtic fans. The group claimed their stance on Palestine, which has been widely displayed in previous matches, led to their tifo request being blocked.
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Their statement read: “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 numbers for the first time in almost seven years, eager to make their mark.”
The Green Brigade pointed to their previous “Show Israel the Red Card” tifo as a key factor behind the board’s decision, arguing that Celtic’s hierarchy had bowed to external political pressure.
“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 six continents," they continued.
“Despite demonstrable proof of widescale support for Palestine across the fanbase, the Celtic board continues to sanction our group and individuals for this sentiment.”
The group also accused the board of failing to adapt to modern fan culture, despite nearly two decades of their presence inside Parkhead.
While the Green Brigade’s usual display was missing, another group of fans stepped up to provide a visual tribute to the team before the spine tingling rendition of 'You Never Walk Alone'.
The “Bhoys X Celtic” tifo covered a section of Parkhead, ensuring the stadium was still a cauldron of green and white ahead of kick-off.
