A large band of Celtic supporters have today written an open letter to the acting Celtic Chief Executive Michael Nicholson.

Here it is in full:

Dear Michael Nicholson,

We, the undersigned, wish to state our objection to the rumoured appointment of Bernard Higgins as a member of Celtic FC’s security staff. In his role as Assistant Chief Constable with Police Scotland, and as the national strategic lead for football, Higgins has been responsible for the policing of football fans for almost a decade.

In the period since he was appointed to this position, the policing of football matches has changed dramatically, with the introduction of intrusive surveillance the widespread use of football banning orders and a determination to arrest fans on spurious charges.

This has caused irreparable damage to the lives of many Celtic fans as well as to the relationship between the supporters and Higgins himself. It must be made known that we will refuse to recognise or engage with Higgins if he is appointed, as his history makes him an unsuitable candidate to be tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the safety and security of Celtic supporters. We ask you to address this issue and to reconsider such an appointment.

It was signed off by major Celtic groups, supporters clubs and fan media.

We are firmly behind this cause too and are hoping Celtic will see sense in this case.

Celtic have refused to engage with groups about this potential appointment. At the AGM, Ian Bankier outright dismissed the question put to him by Jeanette Findlay.

Celtic fans have so far protested Higgins’ appointment with a banner at Celtic Park and throwing tennos balls onto the pitch against Dundee, disrupting the game and drawing attention to what’s going on.

Fans who aren’t yet behind this need to do their homework. The policing of Celtic and football fans over the past decade has been nothing short of a disgrace. Dawn raids on peoples houses, their lives being disrupted for court cases, jobs lost etc only for many of these arrests to be thrown out by a judge.

Celtic fans are treated like criminals. I’ve been to away games in the last ten years where I’ve been aggressively spoken at by police officers for no reason other than I’m going to watch my team play.

Celtic hiring this man is a massive slap in the face to all our supporters and we should support this all the way.

11 COMMENTS

  1. Common sense says his appointment, if it is made is a “wrong un” by the board. The idiots running the asylum springs to mind. Bankier ignored the questions and hides his shame by skulking away from “decent & honest Celtic fans” which is the reason many fans object to this suggested appointment.

  2. The common thread running all throughout the Celtic boards draconian and reactionary contempt for their bread and butter supporters and the very people who have kept the good name of Celtic alive for over a century is that little Thatcherite cretin, Ian Bankier.
    He is poison.
    His contempt and elitist behaviour speaks volumes.
    I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if he is a personal friend of the black-shirted Higgins.
    Question. Who are they REALLY working for?

  3. It must be great to live so high up that the thoughts and feelings of the supporters are not even worth a thought our letters and E mails will be wrapped in the celtic boards fish n chips the day after they are received, because that’s the utter contempt they hold us in .

  4. Higgins is a disgrace and is hated even by some of his own officers.
    Get bail for attempted murder
    Get bail for drunk driving etc.
    Why ? Because you are innocent until proven guilty
    Therefore you can try and murder again or you can drink drive next day
    Stopped for drinking a can on way to a football match , it IS illegal , barred from ANY GROUND , whether guilty or not guilty.
    Why ? Because Higgins and others have decided you are guilty until proven innocent.
    This can take years to go through the legal process but still THEY say ,you as a football fan , are Guilty till proven innocent

  5. Celtic fans have made it abundantly clear that employing Higgins would not be accepted, so why on earth would they persist with this? Is his CV so outstanding that there’s no one else in the country that could do the job equally or better than Higgins…of course there is, so why try and push this through and alienate the very people that bankroll the club?? It’s as mad as the law which the SNP created that gave Higgins the very powers in the first place.

    This is not a difficult decision and to be honest, shouldn’t even be a topic for discussion.

  6. They will go through with this for the same reason Lennon wasn’t sacked much earlier than he should have been bcoz the board feel they won’t be dictated to by fans as they see it and kept Lennon in position out of spite.This is why they will appoint him for that same reason.They have no fear of losing their positions on the board and feel they can act as they please.It is a foolish and incompetent board that does not listen to it’s customers.Appointing Higgins will be a slap in the face to the Celtic support and if they didn’t know before,they certainly do now know how the fans feel about it.To continue with this appointment will be a clear indication of what this board thinks of it’s supporters.

  7. Mr Desmond snr has obviously decided.
    So as none of the board has any interest in opposing their masters voice Higgins will be appointed .
    UNLESS Mr Desmond changes his mind

  8. Pretty sure the board will go ahead with this appointment regardless of the fans opinions. What to do? Going after their money is usually the answer, but I want to support my team and don’t want to give up my seat by not buying my season ticket. The board already have the season ticket money for this year anyway. I propose complaints to sponsors, boycotts of sponsors products and services and banners suggesting sponsors are complicit, how would dafabet feel about that? If this works then who’s next? Cinch? & SpecSavers? Until something is done about referee standards? This would need the backing of major supporters groups to promote it. Anyone up for it?

  9. Id love to see polis start wading in to the clowns who think its clever to let off flares. Followed up with dawn raids and severe financial punishments before someone, probably an innocent kid, gets seriously injured

  10. “No Doubt”…Excellent suggestions. They know we can’t or want to stay away from watching our club, so maybe a bit of pressure from their secondary source of income would do the trick. Count me in?

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