“This isn’t Celtic in any respect,” was supervisor Martin O’Neill’s response to the rising tensions between sections of the fan base and the membership’s board.
The Inexperienced Brigade has introduced plans to boycott Scottish Cup matches and residential European ties, with the ultras group saying: “The disconnect between those that management Celtic and people who assist it has by no means felt higher.
“Underneath the affect of Dermot Desmond, a darkish cloud lingers over our membership creating an more and more unsustainable setting.”
Desmond, the membership’s largest shareholder, was not too long ago the target of a protest through the Alfred Dunhill Hyperlinks golf match in St Andrews.
Celtic responded with the specter of an “indefinite ban” on anybody “established to be concerned in planning, facilitating or taking part” within the incident.
The membership has additionally chosen to now not recognise the Celtic Followers Collective as a consultant physique.
“I got here into this example this time final yr and it appears to be going again to that once more,” O’Neill mentioned, referencing earlier anti-board sentiment.
“I do not agree in any respect with what occurred up at St Andrews. I do not agree with that in any respect.
“I imply, we derided Rangers [ultras] within the [last season’s Scottish Cup] sport for sporting balaclavas after which immediately we’re doing it ourselves. This isn’t Celtic in any respect.”
The Celtic Followers Collective is a coalition of supporter teams, together with the Inexperienced Brigade.
Referring to the membership’s “newest irrational assertion”, the Inexperienced Brigade described it as “one other assault on supporters” and mentioned it demonstrates the “utter disdain they’ve for our group”.
Additionally they state their members had nothing to do with occasions in St Andrews, whereas commending these behind the stunt, which concerned the throwing of tennis balls.
O’Neill known as the boycott “a extremely unhappy state of affairs” earlier than including: “However we went by way of it final season.”
The veteran supervisor continued: “I can keep in mind the times of getting 80,000 individuals in Seville [2003 Uefa Cup final] with out an arrest, that is Celtic to me.
“Or the ultimate whistle going within the final match of the season, the place the group come onto the pitch and that is like a euphoric state. These are phenomenal recollections which I will always remember.
“All I do know is that when the membership had been collectively in the direction of the tip of the season, I genuinely felt we had been unbeatable.”
