CELTIC HAVE AN ULTRAS PROBLEM; RANGERS HAVE A HOOLIGAN PROBLEM. WHAT’S THE DIFFERNCE?
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
We’re into week two of the “both as bad as each other” narrative game being played out in the Scottish media. I’ve been thinking about how to tackle this for a while now. But I held off in the hope that Celtic would give me something, anything, actually worthy of response and analysis.
Instead, what we got was another game of “let’s not answer any questions in as many words as possible” from our interim chairman Brian Wilson.
Rangers meanwhile have adopted their usual “it wisnae us, those Fenians did it and ran away” routine. All the while our supposedly objective, uncompromised mainstream media adopts the “both as bad as each other” narrative largely unopposed.
At the core of this however, there seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of how these two very different fan cultures operate.
Many political and media figures, cowering behind the “both sides” argument cite the Green Brigade and the Union Bears as opposite cheeks of the same posterior. This could not be further from the truth.
The Green Brigade have about as much in common with those Smackhead Smurfs over in the Copland Road as Israel and Iran’s governments have with each other. Mutual loathing is about the only trait they share.
Celtic Ultras Have Their Issues, but Ibrox Hooligan Problem is a Far, Far Greater Problem
The Green Brigade are politically outspoken, driven by activism, maintain a strong belief in the right to protest, the right to assemble and opposition to what they perceive to be abuses by police and security. They do not shy away from these core principles even when it brings them into conflict with the club.
The current stand-off between Celtic and these supporters could have been resolved long ago if the Green Brigade had been willing to compromise these principles and admit culpability for what Police Scotland alleges but has yet to prove, were numerous acts of violence and intimidation at the Celtic vs Falkirk match last October.
The Green Brigade chose not to admit to crimes that they believe they are not guilty of. In a society such as Scotland that still, on paper at least, is supposed to operate on the presumption of innocence, until Police Scotland can produce conclusive evidence to the contrary, I’ll take the Green Brigade at their word.
Whether you agree or disagree with the Green Brigade’s views or actions, few could deny that it is clear what they believe in and what they stand for. They have backed these beliefs up with tangible actions. I don’t know if Celtic’s founder Brother Walfrid would think much of the pyros, but he would certainly be a wholehearted supporter of the Green Brigade’s annual food drive collection, which raises tens of thousands of pounds every year, and helps feed and clothe struggling families across Scotland, regardless of what team they support.
Likewise, the Green Brigade’s ongoing solidarity with the people of Palestine, long after the media has moved on to other wars and conflicts, has also been matched with financial action. Numerous charitable initiatives over the years have allowed Celtic fans to offer direct support to those currently enduring an illegal occupation that is not too dissimilar to that endured by our Irish ancestors.
So, political activism, charity work, community organization and solidarity with the working class are all part of what the Green Brigade represents. That’s before we even start to talk about the incredible atmosphere they help to create inside Celtic Park. Tifos, drums, and yes, even the occasional bit of pyro, all add to an absolutely electric atmosphere that truly evokes the “good old days” when Celtic Park truly was a fortress to be feared and respected.
Now, let’s look at their supposed opposite numbers across the city: The Union Bears.
Their homepage has no stated political ideology, but then again neither do most far-right militias. I won’t say that they don’t do any charity work. Indeed they have an ongoing fundraising initiative that has been in place for several years.
So, which charity would a far-right, British nationalist group like the Union Bears support?
Military Veterans? Support for Rangers fans currently struggling in the cost-of-living crisis? Rebuilding work on the local Orange Lodge?
Nope. None of the above
Their only fundraiser active right now is their “Tifo” fund. Considering that most of their displays look like they’ve been put together by a toddler who spent more time chewing the lego bricks than he did arranging them into some semblance of a pattern, I’d say this isn’t the most astute financial investment currently available to lovers of all things “staunch”.
Oh, but wait, there’s a new T-shirt on sale, depicting a Celtic fan having his head stamped on by one of these blue-clad gimps. And if that alone isn’t enough to get the denizens of Ibrox buying it up in their droves, then there’s this little aside at the bottom of the t-shirt info:
“All profits from this T-shirt will go towards supporting Rangers fans who will face legal proceedings after the incidents at the recent Derby.”
So, let’s see: no activism, no ongoing political operations, no concerted efforts to confront abuses of power by the authorities, no action to support their club or its fans with any kind of charitable acts. And the two fundraising activities they currently have on the go are to raise funds for (checks notes...) themselves.
The Union Bears may try to fashion themselves as an ultras group like the Green Brigade, by they are not. They’re hooligans, that’s all they are. Their only means of expression apart from the “scattered lego brick” tifos are acts of wanton violence and destruction.
It’s also an open secret that illicit drug use (and I’m not just talking about smoking a wee joint here and there) is a regular part of the matchday experience when these thugs are around.
You’ll find numerous posts on supporters’ forums from other, decent Rangers fans calling it out, only to be shouted down by the rabble who think these coked-up clowns should be the rallying point for the wider Rangers support.
These are hooligans, these are criminals. The Green Brigade are certainly no angels, but to try to put them into even the same conversation as these “Smurfs on Smack” is an insult not only to the Green Brigade but to the intelligence of all decent football fans, regardless of the club they follow.
