TO VILIFY CELTIC FANS POLICE SCOTLAND SEE WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
Well, it’s not just the Celtic manager who should probably lose his job in the near future. As anyone who watched the utter comedy of errors that unfolded last night would probably agree, somebody at Police Scotland should be facing the sack this morning.
I refer of course to the “manhunt” supposedly launched last night for a “knife-wielding thug” who threatened the Celtic Board after Wednesday night’s loss to Dundee United.
Launching an investigation into a non-incident without carrying basic due diligence on the “evidence” is one thing, but releasing the information to the press before even attempting to verify the aforementioned photo is either outright malicious or utterly incompetent.
Of course, in the mad dash to become the first of many to throw Celtic fans under the bus yet again, it seems nobody in our mainstream press, or our police force actually bothered to take a closer look at the photo.
After Latest Falsehood Against Celtic Fans, Police Scotland Must Answer for Their Tactics
Unless somebody in the Green Brigade has mastered that mysterious Star Trek cloaking technology, there was no knife in anybody’s hand among the Celtic support that night.
What there was, was an image of someone’s hand gesticulating at members of the board, which when taken in tandem with a rather bizarre mix of the florescence of a police officer’s jacket and the metallic reflection off of their belt, might look a bit like the shape of a knife.
If you've got the critical thinking skills of a two week old chimp, that is...
Relations between Celtic fans, Police Scotland and The Celtic Board were already at an all-time low before this utter embarrassment last night．
As funny as it may seem, when we see how quickly our police flew into action over this imaginary knifeman, it begs the question: How many other Celtic fans have fallen victim to this “jail them first, ask questions later” approach to policing?
So far this season, despite multiple supposed offences being blamed on Celtic fans, Police Scotland have yet to charge anyone with a serious offence.
We’ve also yet to see any conclusive evidence of any kind of violence from Celtic fans towards stewards, police or indeed board members.
Now, I wouldn’t dare question the honesty and integrity of as fine and upstanding a gentleman as Peter Lawwell. But even he, with his heated driveway and misplaced sense of importance can’t just summarily accuse people of using threats of violence without any evidence to back it up.
However, Mr. Lawwell certainly isn't the first to make such an accusation this season.
So far this season, we’ve had an alleged incident involving “100 members of the Green Brigade” were both police officers and Celtic staff were allegedly injured (the only evidence Celtic made public in this case was some grainy footage of about 20 or so supporters jumping a fence and running into a concourse.)
I’m not saying nothing happened. I am however asking, if the Celtic Board expect us to swallow the official line that there is widespread thuggery among the Green Brigade, then where is the evidence?
Then earlier this week we had our soon to be former Chairman Peter Lawwell claim that threats of violence and intimidation against him and his family forced him to step down.
Again, I’m not saying it didn’t happen, but if it did where is the evidence?
Finally, it all came to a head last night yet again with this line of utter nonsense about “a madman with a knife”.
Ironically, the only violent incident at Celtic Park this season for which we have seen clear, irrefutable video evidence is the manhandling of a child by a steward about double his height, while Police just stood back and watched.
And funnily enough, not only have Celtic taken no action on this incident, at time of writing they still haven’t even acknowledged the complaint made by the family of the boy in question.
Nothing in the press about it either. I guess it just doesn’t fit the narrative.
However, as much as some at Police Scotland seem to wish it were so, Scotland is not a fascist police state. At least, not yet.
Celtic’s Board may think they can run roughshod over due process and the rule of law. Police Scotland may think that their uniforms give them free reign to act like SS stormtroopers. Neither is true however. They are both in for a rude awakening, and dare I say, a whole lot of legal headaches if their campaign of slander and intimidation isn’t halted soon.