ian1964 10,444 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 (edited) ANXIOUS cops have moved to take the heat out of a potential powderkeg in the Highlands tomorrow by pleading with the Green Brigade not to cause further damage to Celtic's reputation. We revealed on Wednesday how Strathclyde assistant chief constable Campbell Corrigan had asked Parkhead chief executive Peter Lawwell to set up talks with the fans group whose song book has been blamed for dragging the club into the dock with both UEFA and the SPL. But Corrigan's attempts to negotiate were booted into touch when the Green Brigade issued a stonewall refusal to get around the table with police. Now Record Sport understands a crack team of specially trained officers will be deployed to Inverness tomorrow to monitor fans' behaviour as Neil Lennon's side take on Caley Thistle in a lunchtime showdown. And Corrigan has pleaded with Celtic's travelling support not to indulge in the pro-IRA chanting that has landed their club in trouble. He said: "I fully intend to meet fan representatives from Celtic - our intention is to impress upon people who continue to sing these songs they do nothing but damage to the club they love. "We don't solve these problems by working in isolation, we solve them by getting around the table and talking about them." Corrigan has set up talks with two other Hoops fan groups - the Celtic Supporters Trust and Celtic Supporters Association. But his main concern is over the more militant Green Brigade and it's understood, even yesterday, Lawwell was still attempting to persuade organisers of the group to listen to what the cops have to say. Lawwell fears that unless they clean up their act more arrests will follow and leave Celtic open to further national embarrassment. Manager Lennon has again made his own plea for songs celebrating paramilitaries to be ditched. He said: "We can't pre-judge any investigation but it's important we put a message out that these chants have no place around our club. "Ninety five per cent of what these fans bring to the game is positive and adds atmosphere but we need to make sure all the negative stuff is removed." And Paul McBride QC, who has represented Lennon and the club, added: "I'm a great supporter of the Green Brigade but a small minority of them sing songs about terrorism and that is not acceptable. "Soon after January it will become a criminal offence. "These individuals might not listen to me or the Celtic board. The hope is that by Neil repeating the message he made last time they will listen to him." Daily RHebel Edited November 18, 2011 by ian1964 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dutchy Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 "Pleaded", "septic's reputation"??? Stop pussy footing around these criminals and arrest them for their law breaking, instead of pleading for them to protect the reputation of their 'other' country's team! Utter shite policing. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,444 Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 CELTIC fans groups today united to deliver a snub to Strathclyde Police, insisting they will not meet cop chiefs to discuss fan behaviour. Assistant Chief Constable Campbell Corrigan was keen to meet with members of the Celtic Trust, Celtic Supporters Association and Green Brigade today. But after the Green Brigade issued a stonewall refusal, the other two supporters bodies have now followed suit and pulled out of the summit. The behaviour of Celtic fans has come under intense scrutiny in recent days after Uefa and the SPL launched probes into alleged pro-IRA chanting at home matches against Rennes and Hibs. Corrigan today again pleaded with supporters not to indulge in such chants when they face Inverness tomorrow, with a team of specially- trained officers set to be on hand to monitor the behaviour of the Celtic support. The police chief had hoped the talks today would be the first step forward – but the various supporters groups have joined forces in their refusal to meet with Corrigan. A Celtic Trust statement read: “On Tuesday of this week we were advised that assistant chief constable Corrigan wished to have a meeting with all the supporters’ organisations. “With the exception of the Green Brigade, we agreed to the meeting. “On Wednesday we were extremely disturbed to find that there was inflammatory and misleading coverage of the proposed meeting. “It gave the impression that we were being summoned to discuss bad behaviour by Celtic supporters, it attacked our colleagues, the Green Brigade and it appeared to focus on singing. “This is not what the meeting was intended to be about, and it is not possible to have a constructive dialogue under these circumstances. “Therefore, we will not be attending the meeting with Mr Corrigan. “However, we are a responsible supporters’ organisation and we are always willing to enter into constructive dialogue with any organisation or individual in order to advance the interests of our members, of the Celtic supporters generally and of Celtic. “For that reason we do not rule out future meetings with Strathclyde Police, but these will have to be on the basis of mutual respect and an agreed and published agenda.” Joe O’Rourke, of the Celtic Supporters Association, added: “We, as part of the FAC (Fans Against Criminalisation) group were asked to attend a meeting on Friday with ACC Corrigan, but following his comments, the groups representing the Celtic supporters felt it was inappropriate for us to attend the meeting. “Mr Corrigan was reported to be summoning us for a slap on the wrist, well he obviously doesn’t know who he is dealing with. It was us who asked for a meeting with the Police over their heavy handed policing of the Green Brigade in the match against Hibs on October 29. “This occurred after a well-attended and well-behaved demonstration in George Square. We were then subjected to behaviour by the police which might have been more appropriate for China or North Korea. “Let us say this, we have always been happy in the past to have dialogue with the Police, but we will not be criminalised for doing nothing more than supporting our team, we will not be bullied by the government, the police, or anyone else.” Now all eyes and ears will be on Inverness tomorrow and then on Parkhead on Wednesday night when Dunfermline come for Celtic’s first home game since the problems over singing were highlighted. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/celtic-trust-ko-to-police-meeting-1.1135663 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovanAllan 0 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Can't remember anyone pleading with us not to sing songs. You know the scumbags are going to sing just to see what the police will do. My answer get the batons out Mr Police man and crack some skulls. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calscot 0 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I'd be cringing if our supporters' representatives put out statements like that. They really are showing themselves up for who they really are, and with a fair bit of schadenfreude, I really hope they get their just deserts. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zappa 0 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Mad Joe was a gift to us all. Sent to entertain us, he was. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovanAllan 0 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Mad Joe was a gift to us all. Sent to entertain us, he was. And rob the world of semi-colons. :smile: 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,444 Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Roll of Honour | ICT V CELTIC 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovanAllan 0 Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Never happened Ian you just made that up, you big bad Rangers fan you. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,444 Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 Never happened Ian you just made that up, you big bad Rangers fan you. It does prove that this is being ignored! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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