Good display in Paisley. Police need lessons on how to treat those who pay their wages, they need to be accountable too.

[Joe O'Rourke]

Hopefully, we are back to normal in terms of performance and results, after two horrendous displays and results against Kilmarnock and Hearts. It was a great start yesterday at Paisley, to be two goals up after about six minutes was the perfect start, quick and aggressive football is in our DNA, that’s the way we have to play to counter the deep defensive football preferred by most of our opponents, and it’s as the song says “To play football the Glasgow Celtic way”. If there was a negative, it would be that we should have scored more goals, having said that, Saint’s goalie Hemming had a few good saves.

We now have a welcome break for a few weeks, it will give our injured players more time to recover, and it will give us more time to strengthen the playing squad. After Buckie Thistle and Ross County at Celtic Park, we travel to Aberdeen on February 3rd and Hibernian on Wednesday night of February 7th, two difficult stadiums to visit, so we will need to be on top form to get maximum points, I am sure we will do just that.

Another alarming incident yesterday in Paisley, was the plan for the Police operation for getting the large Celtic Support into the stadium, this is becoming a concern for the Celtic Support at every away ground, we are getting treated like second class citizens all over the country, probably apart from Aberdeen, where the Police and Stewards seem to have a plan that works. it needs to be rectified as soon as a meeting can be arranged with the Police, and it needs to involve Celtic Supporters Organisations, and senior executives from Celtic Football Club.

The information we got about the match was that the turnstiles would open at 4pm, and that Mounted Police would be in attendance. That set alarm bells ringing right away, there will be occasions and major events where mounted police are required, but at football matches in Scotland, they are most certainly not required. I arrived at the stadium at about 4.15pm, to find a queue the full length of the stand, and nobody moving. I phoned John Paul Taylor as I made my way to the front to see what the hold-up was, there did not seem to be any reason for the delay.

I have found over the years of dealing with police on behalf of the Association and the general Celtic Support, that the lower the rank you deal with, the Bigger the Axxxxxe, and I am very reliably informed that was the case again yesterday. The mounted police officers just wanted to act aggressively with the fans, they did not want to engage with us. When John Paul arrived to try to help, they became aggressive with him as well, and refused to engage with him. John Paul approached them later for an explanation, he was told to get lost by three officers from the mounted section, in fact he was pushed away by a male officer. This behaviour from Police Scotland towards a well-respected employee of Celtic Football Club is totally unacceptable and must be challenged at the highest level by Celtic Football Club. If Police Scotland, through their arrogant and aggressive manner, are trying to provoke a reaction from the Celtic Supporters, then they had better be careful what they wish for. I will certainly be following this up, and demanding a meeting with the Police, and demanding the appropriate action is taken against the officers
concerned.
Glasgow’s still Green & White.