Stand up for The Green Brigade (And every other fan group in Scotland)

For me, yesterday provided the first hair raising, spine tingling moment of the season so far. It came in the first half when as part of their silent protest The Green Brigade produced the 'NO STANDING' banner to immediate backing from almost every person in the stadium who stood in defiance and applauded. A further chant of "Stand up for The Green Brigade" followed in what was a unifying day for everyone present. The group also unfurled banners which said "NO SWEARING", "NO LATERAL MOVEMENT", "SMILE FOR THE CAMERA - SEE YOU IN COURT" & "NO POLITICAL EXPRESSION" before a message which read "Our songs are not sectarian. Our songs are not illegal. We will not be criminalised. We will not be silenced". As the group exploded into life in the second half it cascaded round the stadium and by the end of the match everyone was engrossed with what was happening in the stands, not on the pitch. The Green Brigade have a controversial history in Scottish football already with some seeing their banners and songs, some of which are political in nature, as inappropriate to bring into the arena of football. There are some popular misconceptions about who the group actually are or what they represent due to bad press in both the media and fan forums. Most of these critics would have you believe they're sectarian bigots out to cause harm to the peace and civility of the national game by pushing their agendas onto us. This isn't the case. I have no problem with those who disagree with banners they produce or songs they sing. I have a big problem with people who try to deny their right to do so.

In a statement which traveled round the Celtic internet communities yesterday the group laid bare their reasons for the protest at the match. In it they highlight some experiences with Police forces around Scotland they've encountered, from light intimidation to full body searches, even serious allegations of made up charges being brought upon their members. I've read some opinion today which labels The Green Brigade as 'attention seeking' or 'self-centered', completely ignoring the point that they were protesting for every football fan in Scotland who has a voice and not just themselves. It comes at a time when the culture in stands at Scottish football seems to be "shut up, sit down and know your place". It appears that if you don't do this, you're fair game to be labelled out of order, or worse, a criminal. In Dunfermline the club have threatened to close a stand because some fans aren't sitting down. In the past Green Brigade members have been threatened with bans from Celtic Park for 'lateral movement' in their section. If you have a smoke canister or flare you can be prosecuted under firearm laws. This season you'll see designated police officers at every match filming and documenting everything for reasons unknown. A Motherwell fan was removed from Fir Park for having a banner with the word 'hun' on it. It seems in an effort to rid the game of sectarianism and racism we've gone too far... or is it just a police force who are completely out of touch with a new generation of football fan?

A point that appears to me to be often missed is that regardless of political opinion or ideology, channeling that into making a banner or singing a song is a ridiculously positive way to convey your message. It happens in fan groups all across Europe. Of course some will argue that the football is no place for this and it's fair to think that. Though it seems natural to me that a group of young people will come together and express a shared belief, especially in an arena where you all first happened upon one another. Would police and stewards suddenly be easy going and relaxed about organised displays if there wasn't a banner about a poppy being on a Celtic shirt? I'd have to say probably not. They're scared of something else. It seems to me that they're stuck fifteen or twenty years in the past when organised groups of young guys didn't make a banner to express themselves, instead storming a pub or kicking a rival fan's head in. The Green Brigade lead the way for fan groups in Scotland at the moment with fans from other teams noticeably raising their game in the last two or three years to compete with the colour and noise, this can only be a good thing. In light of this protest, authorities should now begin an effort to open communication with every fan group in Scotland to try and get a perspective on where they're coming from. Whether or not groups would be open to that is debatable but for me it would make sense to try and find some other way forward, because hurling guys out of stadiums isn't it.

In many ways this isn't about Celtic or The Green Brigade. Scottish football should be looking to make itself as vibrant, exciting and atmospheric as possible. It appears to me that we've hamstrung ourselves with constant conservatism and small-minded thinking. We will continue to do so if new legislation being discussed at the moment comes into force. It's my opinion that this legislation is an over-reaction from a Scottish Government desperate to land headlines to be seen to do something about Scotland's societal problems of alcohol abuse and violence. It's certainly not about football OR sectarianism. Unless overtly abusive of creed, ethnicity, sexuality, colour or a call for violence then we should be encouraging expression and different voices. You cannot seperate life into neat little sections of 'Sport', 'Politics', 'Entertainment' like some sort of programme guide and to try to do so is folly. I'd ask every fan in Scotland to let themselves be heard. Bring awareness to your ideas and your personal opinions. Become involved in a fan group of similar minds and use it as a conduit for positive thinking. Support your team. Sing songs of past glories. Stand up and scream obscenities. When you get home start a blog to discuss anything you want. Jump about and sing Discoland for all I care. I may not join you or believe in everything you do but that's your right as a member of free society and no-one should try to take that away from you regardless of the enviroment you are in. I was inspired by The Green Brigade yesterday, not even because of the message they put across, but the clever way they went about expressing it.