Getting your kicks from notoriety


I know thousands have planned a trip to Rome for the Lazio game next month but news that Uefa may make this a closed doors game throws an interesting spanner in the works.  Two years ago Uefa closed the Olympic Stadium for the Europa League game between Lazio and Belgian side Zulte Waregem after the home club were disciplined for multiple racist infractions.  The governing body have now charged Lazio again after an alleged similar offense in their recent home game against Rennes.

Some of the racist and anti-Semitic actions Lazio fans have been disciplined for in recent years are staggering.  For many, it is perhaps more staggering that a stadium closure has served no purpose. You and I have discussed this over the years.  The perpetrators construct a victim narrative; some nefarious force is out to get them.

Their individual reputations are not damaged while their club’s is demeaned, it does not cost them a single euro, in fact, it saves them the cost of a match ticket and gives them the satisfaction that comes from celebrated notoriety that perhaps only a Downing Street strategist could come close to.  This notoriety is not be how you get your kicks, but others are hooked on it.

If this game is played behind closed doors and you have bought a flight to Rome, there are worse places to spend a day.  Take in lots of the sights, find a safe haven to watch on TV and enjoy the city.


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  1. Very timely article, Paul.



    One can’t fail to notice a message in there for some our own support. Completely different ‘offence’ though also harmful to the club.

  2. The Celtic statement, is to state the bloody obvious an appeal, to lets face it, the Green Brigade to stop the pyro’s before we get a stadium closure.



    They hide behind their banner and light up the flares, home and away now and even occasionally in Scotland at away games. They travel to and from Celtic Park holding up flares, they campaign for the “safe use” of pyro’s in stadiums, but not firecrackers, maniacs.



    If ever there is a partial stadium closure issue start with that shower of morons.

  3. So lets hear from Celtics Head Of Security,is it still Ronnie Hawthorne?



    This entire episode appears to be a clash with the Security people at Celtic and this is the way the Green Brigade seem to be retorting.



    That apart,if any other Section or Department of Celtic was failing in their duties to this extent, and frequency,in this case to prevent flares being admitted,they would be fired.



    Bottom line is our Security has failed time after time to the extent that we are writing to these irresponsible clowns asking that they behave.



    You could not make it up,simple for me,shut the Section,no allocation of away tickets,there have been plenty of warnings.




  4. Have the GB acknowledged culpability or Is it because the flares were raised in the Standing Section that it is being assumed the Green Brigade were responsible?


    As far as I know, the GB are fewer than 10% of that section. I thought the flares were from people in front of the GB.


    They should certainly not be used but let`s make sure we apportion blame accurately.

  5. lets all do the huddle ? on

    “As far as I know, the GB are fewer than 10% of that section.”




    i think you are right



    from what i know there are only a hundred or so actual GB members, maybe less



    but im not sure how relevant that might be if the argument is that the rest all go there because its where the GB go which i reckon a lot of them do

  6. While flares, drums, banners and a general thumbing of the nose to the authorities is pretty much a feature of football Ultras in Europe, so is the authoritarian, extremist, violent, aggressive, bullying and thuggish tendency. This is still going on across Europe. There has been no let up over the years.



    Ultras and their apologists often propose to be socially responsible and a counter point to the commercialisation of the game. However, is there any group of Ultras in Europe who are not, or have not been, involved in murderous or quasi murderous activities, beatings and violence towards their Ultra opponents or towards the wholly innocent? Personally, I believe anyone claiming that there are these socially responsible Ultras is at best very naïve.



    We are due to play at the Stadio Olimpico. The first game I attended in Italy was Roma Lazio in 1979, at the Stadio Olimpico. The Roma Ultras brought what was effectively a surface to surface rocket launcher into the stadium, attached a heavy firework to it and fired it in the direction of the Lazio curva nord. A man taking his son to the game was killed as the rocket took off half his head.



    At other times, over the years, I personally recall being chased by Ultras and tear gassed while walking home from games for no reason whatsoever. Their bullying and harassing of their own fans, players and club officials is a staple of their activities.



    Why do the GB want to be associated with these people, the Ultras? There is nothing romantic about their customs or presence. They are no band of brothers in a common search for a more authentic expression of the game and fan participation in its administration. I enjoy most of the GB’s support for the team but their Ultra signs and banners make me sick to the stomach. I can’t believe the GB don’t know who they are associating with.



    As for the flares. Stupidity and arrogance – typical of Ultras everywhere.

  7. To all the lads saying we should sign a 4th striker…



    Wilfred Bony is still a free agent

  8. glendalystonsils on




    I watched Bony a few times on match of the day when he first burst on to the scene , think it was with Swansea? but I could be wrong . Anyhow , i thought he looked terrific and destined for the top , but his career seems to have got sidetracked somehow. I would certainly take the old Wilfried Bony. Same with Wanyama , but I’m just not sure we would be getting the same player back as the one we sold to Spurs.

  9. Re Celtic’s statement deploring the continued use of pyrotechnics in the general area of the Green Brigade, why not deploy a high pressure hose from the track aimed directly at any emergent flares?


    Douse them immediately. Doing this a couple of times will quell the besotted enthusiasm for these dangerous devices, save our Club thousands of pounds, and forestall any ground closure.



  10. If teams down south aren’t interested in Bony for free,we should leave well alone IMO,probably injury prone or downed tools after getting mad money for 4 years at Man City

  11. It’s way past the time of appealing for this behaviour to stop….. Action needs to be taken and that for me is to shut down the section where the incident took place ….I cannot believe that the idiots that lit the pyrotechnics 🧨 are unknown to those within the vicinity…why has no one been identified and charged?….so it may be unfair on the decent fans in that section…but the actions of clowns are destroying the club and it’s reputation ….it’s been going on for too long and strong action has to be taken by the club before the problem is taken out of their hands ….

  12. We have enough cctv in the stadium to pinpoint these wee GB w#nkers who are risking more fines and possible stadium closure, so hit them with the fine that UEFA impose…should soon make them see sense!

  13. Re Lazio- Wolves just been told no fans at Bratislava game in 2 weeks time….played behind closed doors

  14. Watching Sky Sports news just now…get the impression that they will be really disappointed if Englands next two fixtures proceed without any racist incidents. Absolutely no talk of the squad, the fixtures, the possible results, just blanket coverage of what to do to get the games abandoned….






    Exactly what I thought mate….

  16. Shut stands,stadiums next season, same punishment, punters have tickets, flights etc for a game in 2 weeks and might not get in…

  17. I wonder if it would be a blessing in disguise if the game was behind closed doors. Celtic have reputation as a Left wing club and support. We attract Left wing Fans and Antifa fans from all over St Pauli is the best known.


    Lazio are probably the best known fascist support, Nazio anyone!!


    The potential for full on violence is huge. I know our support is generally well behaved,apart from Pyro, but. Israel flags and other Fascist regalia with Palestinian flags and Anti fa symbols could lead to violence


    Inside and outside the stadium

  18. I’ve got a cracking idea for the fans who are letting off flares. Tell the club as soon as you tackle the corruption with the SFA/ Referees/Sevco and resolution 12 then we’ll stop the pyrotechnics.

  19. I was made to wear my sister’s hand me down cord flares as my ‘out playing’ gear. Got caught in my bike chain all the time



    Ban flares

  20. Hunderbirds are Gone on



    Damn, you just beat me. I was gonna say I only found Flares dangerous the one time they snagged in ma bike chain and I hit the deck with the bike landing on top of me. 😃



  21. I know for a fact that Celtic are internally considering shutting the safe standing section and have been for some time. Whether that is a genuine possibility i do not know but i know they have been considering it. Recent events will not help.

  22. Celtic should not be considering shutting down the standing section.



    They should be using all their time and energy fighting the corrupt cabal that is the SFA and their undying love for the zombies.






    D. :)

  23. bigbhoy









    very unfair on the rangers group of clubs,



    hello hello …………..

  24. Does the Safe Standing Area not revert to a seating area in European games?


    If so,should this no be the reason for greater crowd control at these games? maybe a suspension of the Standing Area concession might concentrate fans on their responsibilities to others who are adversely affected by smoke inhalation?



  25. FED C. DOBBS,



    Some Celtic supporters, who constantly bring trouble on the Club, don’t deserve the name. Why should genuine supporters be punished because some daft wee boys can’t conduct themselves with respect for others?

  26. The club have made far more money from the sales of displays than the total of fines, the free publicity the club got from the Palestinian fine far outweighed the token £10K fine that UEFA dished out.


    All this reputation stuff is absolute rubbish, nobody outside Scotland will care or probably even know about the club being fined.


    I’m with Fred C. Dobbs on this, get a grip, this happens a couple of times a year with the usual suspects whinging about the young team, no harm was done, no racist stuff, no pitch invasions, nobody was beaten up, a few sparklers and the bed is soaking.

  27. no googling now,



    anyone tell me who else got a UEFA fint this week, and what for ?



    the list goes on and on

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