The Green Brigade have gone public again, and their Friday night statement lays bare just how troubling this row with Celtic has become.

With the group still locked out and the Motherwell game on March 14 set to mark the 30th match affected by the suspension, the ultras used the statement to set out their version of events, the timeline behind the ban, and their frustration at what they describe as a deeply unfair process.

Celtic’s public position has long been that the issue stems from the incident at the Falkirk match on October 29, when the club said a steward and police officers were “assaulted”, triggering a previously suspended sanction against the group. That sanction was first confirmed on November 7, before later updates from the club widened the dispute to include alleged intimidation of staff, social media activity, and broader safety concerns. 

The Green Brigade, though, are not accepting that version of events quietly.

In their latest statement, they say the 250 supporters affected have been subjected to collective punishment with no proper process, no right of reply, no means of appeal, and only limited communication throughout. They also claim the rationale behind the suspension has regularly shifted.

Their timeline states that concerns over the matchday security operation were raised with the Celtic Fans Collective in August, well before the Falkirk flashpoint. They go on to say that after the October 29 incident, they raised concerns again with the Supporter Liaison Officer, only for 250 fans to be hit with a six-match suspension on November 7.

The statement also points to later developments that have hardened feeling on the supporter side, including the refusal of fan representation at a Safety Advisory Group meeting on November 18, the arrest of five Celtic supporters on November 20, and the later court revocation of a police-imposed ban from Celtic Park for those individuals, which the group say undercuts claims they posed an ongoing risk.

There is clearly a battle here over narrative as much as outcome. The Green Brigade say they have been frozen out without due process and it’s difficult to come to any other conclusion.

What cannot really be denied is that this has dragged on for far too long. Celtic are second in the table, five points behind Hearts with nine games left, and the title race is still alive. 

Whatever side of the argument supporters fall on, this now feels like the point where a resolution is needed.

We think it is in Celtic’s interests, fans and board members, that the Green Brigade are back in for the run-in. Five points behind Hearts with nine games to go, Celtic Park needs to be rocking.

It’s time for sensible decisions to be made and for collective punishment to be binned by the club.

Full Green Brigade statement below