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.

Match report: Ross County 0 - 2 Celtic

Celtic got on the road again after Sunday's disappointing result with a 2-0 victory in poor conditions at Victoria Park versus Ross County. Neil Lennon named a very strong team to face County, making a point that tonight was a must win game as the team looked to progress further in the Scottish Communities League Cup. Anthony Stokes' partnership with Gary Hooper was given priority again. Kris Commons was completely absent, Charlie Mulgrew took up the berth at left midfield. Daniel Majstorovic returned to the centre back position while Adam Matthews again started on the right of defence.

The rain was lashing down in Dingwall as the game kicked off. Ross County made a bright start getting in the faces of the Celtic midfield, managing to use their energy to mark their men, making it difficult for Celtic to build from the back. However, it didn't take long for Celtic to make the breakthrough; from two yards Hooper tapped in Joe Ledley's downward header in the fourteenth minute. The chance came from a corner whipped in by Charlie Mulgrew; as the ball went deep to the far post Stokes managed to keep it in play and lob the ball back across the face of goal to set up Ledley.

Only a few minutes later the ball bounced from the Celtic penalty area, it sat up for Michael Gardyne who volleyed it onto Fraser Forster's post. The only other chance in first half came through Ledley who had a low shot saved smartly by County keeper Michael Fraser after Hooper poked a through ball into his path. Celtic dominated possession for most of the first half but the majority of play was ponderous. The defence, Kelvin Wilson in particular, looked nervous with the ball and they struggled to find men in midfield throughout. Most of Celtic's good play came from Beram Kayal who did well to ping crossfield passes into the wide areas where the likes of James Forrest and Badr El Kaddouri could probe the County penalty area.

At half-time Victor Wanyama replaced Kelvin Wilson; the Kenyan slotted into central midfield with Ledley moving left and Mulgrew moving into defence. Celtic started with purpose and it took only six minutes for the second goal to come. Michael Fraser made another good save from Hooper at his near post but the Celtic striker regained possession and shifted the ball out to the far right where Stokes pushed into the box and fired the ball low across the six yard box. Scott Boyd was caught in two minds as the ball came to him and he turned the ball into his own net.

The goal deflated Ross County who showed none of the determination or spirit we saw at Hampden eighteen months ago. The game petered out and became a mere runabout for the Celtic team, most of whom played within themselves. Any possession did not find it's way to threaten the County goal. Forrest continued to run at the defence and at points linked well with Hooper, demonstrating again one of the best combination of players we've seen in games so far this season. Kayal continued to be strong in midfield with Wanyama; the two ensured there was no meaningful late push for a goal from Ross County.

With Ross County offering no threat, Neil Lennon managed to give Mohamaed Bangura a little more game time when the Sierra Leone player replaced Anthony Stokes in the seventy-seventh minute. Bangura showed a glimpse of quality when he skillfully cut inside from the wide right and played a delightful ball through the County defence which Hooper should have done better with. It was a proud night too for young Irishman Paul George who made his Celtic first team debut coming on in the eighty-ninth minute for Hooper. It was nearly a dream start when he almost converted a late chance to make it 3-0 but Michael Fraser made another fantastic save to keep the score respectable for Ross County.

The result puts Celtic into the League Cup Quarter Final draw tomorrow with Dundee United, St.Mirren, Kilmarnock, Hibernian and rather remarkably three SFL teams. East Fife, Falkirk and Ayr United all managed to knock out SPL teams on Tuesday and Wednesday night with Aberdeen, Rangers and Hearts being their scalps. Celtic now look to complete a Highland double bill when they face Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday at Parkhead. Neil Lennon will be as relieved as the Celtic fans to avoid a slip up which would've put further pressure on the club moving into a series of crucial league games before another international break in October. It's never easy going away in a cup competition, especially in midweek and in poor weather conditions. The job was done and done professionally. This is all we can ask as the team looks to rebuild consistency and confident performances.

Match preview: Ross County vs. Celtic

When Neil Lennon took over as caretaker manager for the remainder of the dreadful campaign Tony Mowbray left behind he was asked to do two essential things; one was to close the gap as much as possible on a marching to victory Rangers team and the other was to win the Scottish Cup. 10th April 2010 will be a day Ross County fans never forget because that was the day they stopped Celtic doing the latter. In a season which couldn't get much worse it sent the Celtic fans into deep reflection and the entire club into a Summer of revolution. Ross County went on to have their cup final day out vs. Dundee United and whilst they came up short it was a unifying moment up North for fans of Highland football.. On Wednesday night the two clubs meet for only the third time in their history. The media will build the game around these events but it's unlikely either team will want to focus on the past.

I've invited another guest blogger to give their thoughts on how the opposing team's season is going for those of us unaware. The man with the task this time is Alan Ross from Ross County fansite TheJailender.com (you can also find Alan @TJE_Updates on Twitter). He explains:

Ross County’s start to the season was sluggish, although has steadily improved as the season has progressed. 

The season opened with a shock defeat at home to Third Divison, and former Highland League rivals, Elgin City in the Ramsdens Challenge Cup; a trophy they were looking to retain after winning it only three months beforehand. The following week saw an improvement as County scrapped a 2-1win against Queens Park at Victoria Park in the first round of the Scottish Communities league Cup. 

As for the league season, the First Division is as tight as ever with only 2 points separating second top from second bottom, with only 6 points between top and bottom. It’s no surprising that the majority of County’s games have ended in draws then. That’s how the league campaign started when they drew 2-2 at home to the early league leaders Morton. County then suffered their heaviest defeat since entering the Scottish League 16 years ago when they lost 5-1 away to Hamilton the following week. 

However County recovered from the defeat and beat Queen of the South the following week before returning to Hamilton’s new Douglas Park to win 2-1 in the League Cup. This revival in fortunes coincided with County Manager Derek Adams’s return to the dugout after serving a four match suspension.  

Since then County’s performances have steadily improved week on week, although their long running frustration of not being able to convert chances created in front of goal has seen them draw many of their games.

Ross County will undoubtedly smell the blood of a Celtic which was wounded by the hand of Rangers. Saying that, teams facing either Celtic or Rangers after a bad result often fear the wrath of a team itching to set the record straight. County's side remains surprisingly similar from the exploits at Hampden. First goalscorer Steven Craig (whose father Joe played for Celtic) remains at the club and six further players in the squad started that day; Garry Miller, Scott Morrison, Scott Boyd, Richard Brittain, Iain Vigurs and Michael Gardyne. The game is a showcase for the players again with it being shown live across the nation on BBC1. Victoria Park is home to the small but imposing stands and tight pitch you often see in the SFL; under the lights it's likely to be a claustrophobic place to play football.  The team will be eager to write a new giant killing chapter into their relative short history in the football league; they will believe that if they can get in the faces of supposed stars of the SPL anything is possible. The prospect of Hampden is now closer for the Dingwall side looking forward rather than looking back.

For Neil Lennon it's a tricky proposition. Whether the manager decides to give fringe players of the squad a meaningful game to prove their worth or opts to send out the complacent team from the second half at Ibrox remains to be seen. Another defeat and exit from the League Cup at this stage would be further damaging to his and Celtic's reputation regardless of the strength of the eleven. In an already hectic schedule perhaps it would be prudent to send out a mixture of youth and proven talent. It should also be a good chance to give Charlie Mulgrew and Kelvin Wilson further game time together if, as hoped, Glenn Loovens returns to being very much a squad player for what seems like the third or fourth time. Mohamed Bangura will perhaps get his first start after coming on in the latter stages of the only games he's played in so far. Adam Matthews may get to continue his development at right back and Badr El Kaddouri might be given the opportunity to play his way out of his Sunday nightmare. In midfield Victor Wanyama could get a start in the middle to further adapt to the pace and physicality of the Scottish game. Then there's the enigma that is Paddy McCourt; will he get the chance to show he can be part of this season if fit and available for selection? Youth knocking on the door of the first team squad includes Filip Twardzik, Paul George and Lewis Toshney; any combination of these players, who traveled to Madrid, could feature if the game is going well.

Celtic will be looking to enter the deepest stages of both domestic cup competitions and the only thing we know for certain is that Neil Lennon will take the threat of Ross County very seriously after we were collectively embarrassed eighteen months ago. A team will be sent out that he believes is good enough. Going forward there's no room to take any team we face lightly. While respecting County, Celtic should really be looking to take a comfortable victory on Wednesday night. Even if the majority of fans do not look upon the League Cup as one of the most glamorous trophies we compete for there would certainly be a a lot of discontent if we are dumped out of another competition at the hands of 'the Staggies'. As I've previously written... a momentum of defeat can not be allowed to gain pace.

Match Report: Rangers 4 - 2 Celtic

In my match preview I urged caution about the strength of confidence in our chances to go to Ibrox and sweep Rangers aside, collecting three points in the process. It was a tough day. Rangers surged to a convincing victory after a shambolic second half from the team in green and white. It leaves Celtic four points from the top of the table and if current form continues Rangers' lead will be stretched to seven when they play their postponed game against Kilmarnock (so they could face Chelsea) a week on Tuesday. Celtic would have a game in hand but it's a depressing situation to be in before October.

Both teams started the game anxiously and it was only through a Kelvin Wilson clearance error that Steven Naismith found himself completely unmarked in the box to fire a sweet shot past Fraser Forster into the top left hand corner of the net.

Celtic picked up the pace and Scott Brown started to put his foot on the ball and push the whole team further up the pitch. Prior to this every hooped man was sitting far too deep and allowing Rangers to pressurise their box too easily. The equaliser came for Celtic when Brown played a clever reverse ball, completely bamboozling everyone apart from Gary Hooper; he broke free from his opposition, took control of the ball and slipped a smart finish past Allan McGregor who must have thought he'd had his angles completely covered.

Growing into the game, Celtic began to pass the ball with more urgency and accuracy. It was Scott Brown again who made space for Ki Sung-Yeung to square the ball to Badr El Kaddouri who struck a powerful low shot towards the Rangers goal; instead of putting his body behind it, Allan McGregor let it slip through his gloves and through his legs to send the Broomloan Stand into delirium. The half-time whistle came with Celtic very much in control of proceedings; while fortunate to be ahead, the team looked comfortable.

Rangers emerged from the break in a typically fired up fashion. A series of chances then followed for the Govan side; Steven Davis crashed a volley off the crossbar and Kyle Lafferty had a goal disallowed after he was wrongly judged to be offside. Celtic were nowhere. It was no surprise when Nikica Jelavic was found unmarked in the box from a corner; the Croatian powered a header into the ground and the ball bounced above El Kaddouri into the net.

The men in blue now looked the more likely to take the lead; Lafferty squandered two clear chances. The only bright spot from a Celtic point of view came when Glenn Loovens came so very close to regaining the lead when his glancing header defied physics by bouncing off the inside of the post without going in. Shortly after this the Celtic defence failed to deal with Gregg Wylde's ball into the box and after two blocked attempts Lafferty nutmegged Forster. Rangers had taken the lead after all their huffing and puffing.

As Rangers took complete control of the game Charlie Mulgrew got himself sent off after a yellow card in each half for crunching tackles on Steven Naismith and Steven Davis. Celtic pushed forward and by this point had Mohamed Bangura, Anthony Stokes and James Forrest on the pitch but the lack of cutting edge in the final third remained. Naismith's second of the game in the dying seconds was a formality of a game long lost; the Rangers player exploited a lack of defenders at the back to fire home from a Steven Davis lob.

Questions will be asked of Neil Lennon now. His team selection was another head scratcher. Too often Lennon changes his winning team to stop Rangers instead of letting his trusted players flourish against the rival team. Anthony Stokes again didn't feature; he hasn't started against Rangers at Ibrox since his signing from Hibs. James Forrest was left out after his best performance in a Celtic jersey against Motherwell; the young Celt would surely have given Gregg Wylde a run for his money. Charlie Mulgrew started in midfield with Glenn Loovens replacing him in central defence. Joe Ledley was left on the bench for the duration. Lennon's team looked completely unmotivated in the second half with the manager even commenting after the game that some appeared to believe the game was already won. Scott Brown was left on the pitch limping for 10-15 key minutes before he was replaced by James Forrest. It's all rather worrying.

Regardless of Neil Lennon's decisions on the day I feel the team had enough about them to see out the game after being in a winning position at half time. The problems at Celtic run deeper than team selections and the fans should be more worried that our defence can't seem to track a man at a corner or clear tame balls into the box without it going straight to an opponent. It seems in an age of over analysed, over thought football that we can't even do the basics correctly. I had highlighted Ki Sung-Yeung as a key player in my match preview but the South Korean disappointed me greatly, he was simply missing. Ki has fantastic technical ability but you need more than that in games like these, you need more than that to be considered a good Celtic player. It's my belief that Rangers won today because of player error and because of the deficiencies in the Celtic team rather than playing their way to victory. I said in my match preview "Whether Celtic take victory or not is entirely down to the the players and no-one else, it's yet another measurement of how good these players together actually are right now." Well to put it plainly, they aren't very good.

It hurts... it will hurt all week. While it might seem small consolation, strong performances and results against Ross County & Inverness Caledonian Thistle are now even more essential. It's still very early in the season and nothing was decided today. Celtic mustn't let a bad feeling linger, they must bounce back. I will be more worried if they don't because it would mean something is amiss at Celtic beyond a lack of all conquering ability. Some of the knee jerk reaction to a result and performance like this is to be expected and the questions of Neil Lennon and his team will remain. The next few weeks will be some of the hardest for Lennon as Celtic manager... on the pitch at least. Rangers now have breathing space but Celtic must focus, stay postive and take advantage of any slip up across the city. It is those moments that decide where the league title heads over the course of a season.

Match preview: Rangers vs. Celtic

After a busy week, Celtic travel to Ibrox to take part in their biggest game of the season so far. There's no arguing the importance of a Glasgow derby, not just in terms of points at the expense your closest rival, but for the momentum it will give the victorious team going forward against the rest of the SPL. While Rangers' off field problems have been brought to the fore in recent weeks, it has barely effected their playing form and they remain undefeated domestically this season, their only slip being a 1-1 draw with Hearts on the opening day of the season, which also saw their only goal conceded so far. It's a tough test for a Celtic team that battled Atlético Madrid not even twenty-four hours ago. The game in Madrid was what you would call a 'graceful defeat' in that Celtic didn't disgrace themselves in a way the fans have been accustomed to in recent European adventures away from home. Neil Lennon said that Celtic wouldn't have a full training session on either Friday or Saturday, feeling that the team is ready after a decent display against top class opposition.

Rangers have used a light schedule recently to bring their squad close to full fitness with Sasa Papac, Lee McCulloch and Nikica Jelavic all expected to be available for selection. The Rangers team is full of experience and more specifically, experience of playing against Celtic. However, in key areas, Old Firm debuts await. Doran Goian and Carlos Bocanegra will both be under pressure in their central defensive positions and even though they have international experience we know this unique occasion can unsettle even the most unshakable of players. The midfield too may feature fresh blood in Matt McKay and Alejandro Bedoya, neither of whom will have come close to taking part in such a massive football match. The return of Jelavic is a boost to Rangers even if the Croatian hasn't picked up where he left off from last season so far. He will undoubtedly be a threat going forward even if Rangers set up defensively.

It's worth noting that Celtic were undefeated at Ibrox last season, in one game even playing an entire half with ten men. Neil Lennon has a fantastic record in these games so far and had the measure of the way Rangers play by season's end. It will be interesting to see if Ally McCoist opts for similar tactics to Walter Smith by packing the midfield and playing a lone striker or being slightly braver and playing a partnership against a less than convincing Celtic defence, the line-up of which you wouldn't like to bet on at this stage.

One of Celtic's key players in that impressive record against Rangers last season was Scott Brown and the captain looks set to return to action. Lennon made sure he would be fit for the game by keeping him behind in Glasgow to rest his ankle while the rest of the squad flew out to Madrid. Brown, for me, typifies the kind of passion, guts and cocky attitude that every Celtic player needs on occasions like these. He's also a leader in the big games and I'm positive he will be vital to any success we have on Sunday. Ki Sung-Yeung likewise will be a catalyst for any good work we do. The Korean has been in excellent form so far this season and is arguably the best player Celtic have in their possession. If the Celtic midfield turn up to the best of their abilities on Sunday I can't see us not creating the number of chances we will need to win the game.

Of course there's always a chance of 'the unknown' playing a factor in the outcome of these games. All the talking in the world can be done before the game about tactics and team selections but it's really how the players react to real-time situations that produces the result in a Glasgow derby. Keeping a cool head, not reacting to inflammatory situations and being sensible are all as important as laying all the footballing skill you possess down on the pitch. There's always a danger that a fear of this from both teams can cause a stalemate to take place but the early season games tend to see a more relaxed set of players who know the title isn't being dramatically won or lost.

Despite it not being a definitive answer to the question of who will win the title, Sunday represents a perfect opportunity for the Celtic team to take a victory which would be as valuable to them as it would be damaging to Rangers. This fixture has never been played with a backdrop of Rangers' very existence being in question. A defeat would be another demoralising and bitter blow to a blue support which has already taken many so far this season, albeit most of them off the pitch. It would cause further spotlight to fall on Ally McCoist who has managed to rally his team after humiliating exits from both European competitions, exits which angered many in the Rangers support.

As perfect a storm as it appears to be brewing over Ibrox, we know things are never that easy. Celtic need to prove they can embark on a European campaign at the same time as challenging strongly for the SPL title. The Celtic support might underestimate Rangers but the team never should, they are going to the home of the reigning champions after all, champions who know how to win when it matters, champions who will not give an inch to us. Whether Celtic take victory or not is entirely down to the the players and no-one else, it's yet another measurement of how good these players together actually are right now. A lot of talking has been done of market value, renewed contracts and playing at a higher level. It's time to prove that by taking our first big step towards regaining the title.

Site news: I'm now on Facebook, get involved!

There is now a community 'like' page on Facebook for the blog.

There will be regular updates and an oppurtunity to interact with myself and other readers of the website.

I've posted a poll to get the ball rolling, about Sunday's game.

As is common sense, remember to use Facebook wisely and set your privacy settings to a level you're comfortable with, though no-one will see your details/name in the list of 'likes'.

You can 'like' the page here: Facebook page.

If Facebook is not your thing then you can find me on Twitter as always:  http://twitter.com/fritzagrandold

I returned to blogging a month ago and I'd like to thank everyone checking out the posts, there's been a good response and number of readers and I'm looking to get a proper domain name and blogging template sorted as soon as time allows.

News: A chance to see next generation on TV

Yesterday the SFA announced their squad for the first match in the annual Victory Shield tournament. The tournament is a home nations style event featuring Scotland, England, Wales & N. Ireland. Scotland's first game is against Wales on 30th September and five Celtic youth players have been included in the 18-body squad. Jordan Hart (GK), Calum Waters (DF), Liam Henderson (MF), Jaison McGrath (FW) & Paul McMullan (FW) were all selected by Ross Mathie to travel to The Airfield in Broughton and have a chance of representing the junior side.

In the last ten years the tournament has become something of a procession for the England U-16s with established Premiership players such as Aaron Lennon, Jack Rodwell, Wayne Rooney & Jack Wilshere all contributing to success that has ensured another nation hasn't become outright winners since 2000, when N. Ireland saw off Wales to clinch the trophy.

However, it's a good challenge for the young Celtic players who will be provided with another outlet to pit their skills against the best youth in the Isles. It's also a great chance for fans to check out rising stars coming through the club. In the past the Scottish Victory Shield team has included club legends like Kenny Dalglish & Paul McStay. Sky Sports will shine their regular spotlight on the action with Scotland's first match being shown live at 7.35pm on Friday 30th September. Further squads to face N.Ireland on 4th November & England on 25th will be announced in due course.

Good luck bhoys.