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| Foto: Ultras Avanti |
Few supporter groups have changed the culture of a British football stadium as dramatically as the Green Brigade. Founded in 2006, the Celtic ultras transformed a relatively small corner of Celtic Park into one of the most recognisable active sections in European football. Their relentless chanting, large-scale choreographies and unmistakable political identity introduced a distinctly continental form of support to Glasgow while remaining closely connected to Celtic’s Irish roots.
The Green Brigade’s history, however, cannot be reduced to colourful displays and European nights. The group has repeatedly clashed with football authorities, police and Celtic’s own board over political banners, songs, pyrotechnics, standing and stadium regulations. At the same time, its members have organised food-bank collections, anti-discrimination tournaments and international solidarity campaigns that have raised substantial sums for charitable causes. This combination of football fanaticism, political activism and community work has made the Green Brigade both influential and controversial. Loved by many supporters and criticised by others, the group has become an unavoidable part of modern Celtic culture.
Celtic Park Before the Green Brigade
Celtic’s support possessed a powerful identity long before the emergence of organised ultras. The club was established in Glasgow’s East End in 1887, largely through the work of Brother Walfrid, with the original purpose of raising money to help feed impoverished local families. Celtic subsequently became closely connected to Glasgow’s Irish immigrant community, and expressions of Irish history, culture and politics became deeply embedded in its supporter base.
For much of the twentieth century, the old standing area known as the Jungle was the centre of the Celtic Park atmosphere. It was famous for its noise, density and intimidating character. The redevelopment of Celtic Park into an all-seater stadium during the 1990s greatly improved its facilities and capacity, but many supporters believed something had been lost. Fans were more dispersed, standing became increasingly restricted and the atmosphere was often inconsistent outside major fixtures.
The Jungle Bhoys were created in 2005 in an attempt to improve colour and noise inside the stadium. Although the initiative helped introduce more organised displays, differences soon emerged among its participants. Some younger members wanted a more independent group built around the principles of the European ultras movement, rather than a conventional association working closely with the club. Those differences contributed to the formation of the Green Brigade in the summer of 2006.
The Formation of the Green Brigade
The group emerged from meetings held by a relatively small number of young Celtic supporters in Glasgow pubs. Their discussions went beyond simply improving the match-day atmosphere. They considered ultra culture, independence from the club, political principles and the type of supporter organisation they wanted to build. From the beginning, the Green Brigade defined itself as anti-fascist, anti-racist and opposed to sectarian discrimination. Its wider outlook was left-wing, while Irish history and republican culture occupied an important place in the group’s identity. Individual political positions were not necessarily identical, but solidarity with marginalised communities and opposition to discrimination became unifying principles.
Its emblem combined a skull resembling a football with a scarf in the colours of the Irish tricolour. The motto “Until the Last Rebel”, often abbreviated to UTLR, further reflected the connection between rebellion, Irish identity and terrace culture. The early Green Brigade was small, independent and largely self-funded. Its first flags and banners were modest compared with the enormous choreographies that would later make the group famous. Members initially gathered wherever they could stand and sing together before gradually establishing themselves in Section 111, in the corner of Celtic Park’s lower tier.
Building Section 111
Section 111 became the Green Brigade’s first permanent home and the centre of its match-day activity. The group introduced coordinated chanting, drums, flags, scarves and visual displays influenced by ultra scenes in Italy, Greece, Germany and other parts of Europe. Rather than reacting only to events on the pitch, it attempted to maintain support throughout the match. The Green Brigade’s early relationship with Celtic was limited. Members entered the stadium at the normal opening time and assembled their material without special access. When particular banners or display materials were refused, the group occasionally found other ways to bring them into the ground. This independence became a central element of its reputation.
As participation around Section 111 increased, Celtic eventually allocated the group an official block of approximately 300 seats. The arrangement became formal at the beginning of the 2010-11 season. Although this gave the Green Brigade greater stability, it also produced continuing disagreements about overcrowding, supporters moving between seats, lateral movement, persistent standing and the use of pyrotechnics. Section 111 soon became far more than a seating block. Supporters from other parts of Celtic Park began moving towards it, while its chants regularly spread around the stadium. The Green Brigade demonstrated that a relatively small, organised group could influence the atmosphere of a ground holding approximately 60,000 people.
Choreographies That Changed Celtic Park
The Green Brigade became particularly respected for its tifos. Early displays were usually confined to the group’s immediate section, but growing experience, membership and financial support allowed it to attempt increasingly ambitious projects. The defining moment arrived on 7 November 2012, when Celtic hosted Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League during the club’s 125th-anniversary celebrations. The Green Brigade coordinated a stadium-wide card display featuring Celtic crosses, green-and-white hoops and the number 125. Almost every section of Celtic Park participated, producing one of the most memorable visual displays ever witnessed at a British stadium. Celtic defeated Barcelona 2-1 that evening, giving the choreography an almost mythical status among supporters. The display demonstrated the Green Brigade’s organisational ability and showed that ultra-style choreography could successfully involve an entire British stadium.
Other displays have honoured club figures, historic victories, Celtic’s Irish heritage and supporters who have died. European fixtures against clubs such as Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Lazio and Atlético Madrid have repeatedly provided the stage for the group’s most ambitious work. The Green Brigade also received visible recognition from the football team. At the end of the 2011-12 season, manager Neil Lennon placed the Scottish league trophy in front of the group’s section and saluted its members, acknowledging their contribution to the atmosphere during the campaign.
Politics, Irish Identity and the Poppy Dispute
Unlike many British supporter groups that attempt to avoid political identification, the Green Brigade has never presented itself as apolitical. Its banners have addressed Irish republicanism, racism, fascism, imperialism, policing, Palestinian rights and other international causes. That position has frequently brought the group into conflict with Celtic and football authorities. One of the most controversial incidents occurred in November 2010, when the Green Brigade displayed a banner referring to British military actions in Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan alongside the words “No bloodstained poppy on our Hoops”. The protest opposed the growing presence of Remembrance symbolism in football and the placing of a poppy on Celtic’s shirt.
Celtic publicly condemned the display and warned that those responsible could face exclusion from the stadium. The incident exposed a lasting disagreement. The Green Brigade regards political expression as inseparable from the history of Celtic’s community, while the club generally seeks to limit messages that could lead to sanctions, negative publicity or commercial difficulties. Similar disputes have surrounded Irish republican songs. The group and many other supporters regard them as expressions of history, national identity and resistance. Critics and football authorities have sometimes classified particular songs or references as offensive or inappropriate. The result has been a continuing argument over where cultural commemoration ends and prohibited political expression begins.
Fans Against Criminalisation
The Green Brigade became one of the most visible opponents of Scotland’s Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act. Introduced in 2012, the legislation created football-specific offences covering behaviour considered threatening, hateful or offensive. Critics argued that the law was too broad, inconsistently applied and capable of criminalising songs or political expressions that would not lead to prosecution in other settings. The Green Brigade participated in Fans Against Criminalisation, a campaign supported by fans from several Scottish clubs.
Tensions escalated in March 2013 when police stopped a Green Brigade procession in Glasgow and arrested a number of participants. Several weeks later, thousands of Celtic supporters took part in a demonstration against the legislation. The law became one of the most disputed parts of the Scottish Government’s response to football-related disorder. It was eventually repealed in 2018, although ordinary criminal law continued to apply inside and outside stadiums. For the Green Brigade, the campaign reinforced its belief that football supporters were being subjected to forms of policing and surveillance that would not be accepted elsewhere in society.
The Crisis of 2013
The most serious early crisis in the relationship between Celtic and the Green Brigade occurred in 2013. During a Champions League match against AC Milan, the group displayed images of Scottish independence leader William Wallace and Irish republican prisoner Bobby Sands. The accompanying message questioned how political figures are described as either terrorists or freedom fighters depending on the interests of those telling the story.
UEFA treated the display as an illicit political message and fined Celtic. The club condemned the group’s actions, arguing that repeated disciplinary cases were damaging Celtic financially and threatening its reputation. The situation deteriorated further after an away match against Motherwell in December 2013. Seats were damaged, pyrotechnics were used and sections of Fir Park required repairs. Celtic responded by suspending 128 season-ticket holders and relocating or offering refunds to approximately 250 supporters associated with Section 111.
The Green Brigade disputed responsibility for much of the damage but acknowledged that it had failed to control everything happening around its area. With its organised section effectively dismantled, members spent several months watching matches together away from Celtic Park. A brief return occurred in Section 118 near the end of the 2013-14 season. Following negotiations with Celtic, the group was allowed to return permanently to Section 111 for the 2014-15 campaign.
Safe Standing and the Birth of North Curve Celtic
One of the most important changes in Celtic Park’s modern history occurred before the 2016-17 season, when Celtic introduced a rail-seating section accommodating approximately 2,600 supporters. It was the first large modern safe-standing area introduced by a major British club and became an influential example for stadiums elsewhere. The development legitimised a style of support that the Green Brigade had practised unofficially for years. Supporters could stand more safely behind barriers designed to prevent forward movement, while the active section gained a more suitable environment for chanting, flags and coordinated displays.
The Green Brigade subsequently launched North Curve Celtic, an umbrella identity intended to unite active supporters within the standing section. North Curve Celtic should not be treated as another name for the Green Brigade. It represents a wider section containing more than 1,000 participating supporters, only some of whom are members of the original group. The North Curve has since become the main source of organised atmosphere at Celtic Park. It combines the Green Brigade’s ultra methods with the participation of independent supporters and smaller collectives. The group has also campaigned for the creation of a larger “Celtic End” — a unified standing home end behind one of the goals, similar to the active ends found in many continental stadiums.
Palestine and the Match the Fine Campaign
Solidarity with Palestine has become one of the Green Brigade’s most prominent international causes. Palestinian flags and banners have appeared regularly in its section, often producing arguments with UEFA and Celtic over political expression inside football stadiums. At Celtic’s final home match of the 2011-12 season, the group displayed Palestinian flags and a message declaring that dignity was more precious than food. The action supported Palestinian prisoners who were participating in a hunger strike. The campaign received much greater international attention in August 2016, when Celtic faced Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva in a Champions League qualifier. Hundreds of Palestinian flags were displayed throughout the standing section despite warnings that Celtic could face disciplinary action.
UEFA fined the club approximately £8,600. In response, the Green Brigade launched the Match the Fine for Palestine campaign, asking supporters to raise an equivalent amount for two charities. The appeal eventually collected £176,076 - more than twenty times the original target. The money was divided between Medical Aid for Palestinians and the Lajee Center in Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem. The relationship continued after the fundraiser. The Aida Celtic football academy was established in 2019, giving children in the refugee camp access to coaching, equipment and organised football. It became one of the clearest examples of the Green Brigade turning a stadium protest into a long-term community project.
Palestine again became a major source of tension in October 2023. Before Celtic’s Champions League match against Atlético Madrid, thousands of Palestinian flags filled the North Curve despite a club request that political banners should not be displayed. Celtic subsequently suspended Green Brigade access to home and away tickets. The club insisted that the decision was not based solely on the Palestinian display and cited a series of alleged safety violations, including pyrotechnics, unauthorised stadium access and problems at turnstiles. The group rejected that explanation and argued that safety concerns were being used to suppress political expression. The suspension was lifted in December 2023 after an updated code of conduct for the rail-seating section was accepted.
Community Work and Anti-Discrimination
The Green Brigade’s public image is often dominated by disputes with football authorities, but community work has been a consistent part of its activities. Following the group’s exclusion from Celtic Park in 2013, members organised a Christmas food collection for vulnerable families in Glasgow. The initiative became an annual event and has delivered large quantities of food and financial donations to local organisations. The group also established an annual anti-discrimination football tournament. Teams representing migrant communities, refugees, ethnic minorities, political organisations and LGBTQ+ groups have participated. The event reflects the Green Brigade’s stated opposition to racism, fascism and sectarianism.
In 2020, members and associated activists placed alternative street signs around Glasgow’s Merchant City. Streets bearing the names of merchants connected to slavery were temporarily renamed in honour of Black campaigners and people whose deaths had become symbols of opposition to racism and police violence. One of the signs, dedicated to Sheku Bayoh, was later added to the collection of Glasgow Museums. These initiatives are important to understanding the group. The Green Brigade does not view itself solely as a match-day organisation. Its members see football support, political activism and assistance to the local community as connected parts of the same identity.
A Difficult Relationship with Celtic
The relationship between the Green Brigade and Celtic has always alternated between cooperation and confrontation. The club benefits from the atmosphere, international attention and visual spectacle created by the group. Players, managers and many ordinary supporters have repeatedly praised its contribution. At the same time, Celtic remains responsible for stadium safety and is liable for UEFA sanctions. Political displays, pyrotechnics, overcrowding and alleged breaches of access rules have therefore produced repeated disciplinary action.
In 2017, Celtic closed the Green Brigade’s section for two matches after incidents surrounding a Champions League qualifier against Linfield. The club referred to safety concerns, pyrotechnics and an unauthorised banner, while the group and its supporters criticised what they regarded as collective punishment. Another extended dispute began following Celtic’s match against Falkirk in October 2025. The club imposed a suspension after alleging threatening behaviour and serious incidents involving stewards and police during ticket inspections. The Green Brigade rejected the justification for punishing the entire section and demanded refunds and the restoration of ticket privileges.
The suspension remained in place for several months before being lifted in April 2026 following discussions involving Celtic and Glasgow’s stadium-safety authorities. The group returned to Celtic Park, although its disagreements with the board over policing, ticketing, supporter representation and the future of the active section remain unresolved. This complicated relationship is unlikely to disappear. Celtic wants the atmosphere produced by an organised standing section but also expects compliance with stadium rules and football regulations. The Green Brigade values its independence and refuses to limit its identity to messages approved by the club.
Friendships and Rivalries
The Green Brigade’s most important domestic opposition is naturally connected to Rangers. Matches between Celtic and Rangers bring together competing football, religious, cultural and political identities. In terrace terms, the Green Brigade is frequently compared with the Union Bears, Rangers’ principal ultra-style group, and choreographies produced by both sides have become an important feature of the Glasgow derby.
Connections also exist with parts of the St. Pauli supporter scene. The broader friendship between Celtic and St. Pauli fans developed before the Green Brigade was founded and was based partly on shared anti-fascist attitudes, Irish connections and identification with clubs rooted in working-class communities. Contacts between individual groups have changed over time, so this relationship is better understood as a wider friendship between sections of the two fanbases rather than a formal and exclusive alliance. The Green Brigade has also established contacts with political and supporter organisations in Ireland, Palestine and several European countries. These relationships are frequently expressed through visits, banners, tournaments and solidarity campaigns rather than officially declared twinnings.
The Green Brigade’s Place in British Supporter Culture
Before the mid-2000s, large choreographies and permanently organised singing sections were still relatively unusual in Britain. The Green Brigade helped demonstrate that continental ultra methods could be adapted to a British and Irish supporter tradition without simply copying another country’s model. Its influence can now be seen in the growth of active sections and ultra-style groups throughout Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland. Drums, coordinated displays, sticker culture, megaphones and organised standing areas have become far more common than they were when the group first appeared in Section 111.
Not every Celtic supporter agrees with the Green Brigade’s politics or methods. Some object to pyrotechnics, controversial songs and actions that expose the club to fines or partial stadium closures. Others believe the group protects Celtic Park from becoming a passive, commercialised environment in which supporters are treated primarily as customers. Both views illustrate the scale of its impact. The Green Brigade cannot be dismissed as a small group operating in one corner of the stadium. Its presence has influenced debates about atmosphere, identity, policing, safe standing, politics and the relationship between football clubs and their most committed supporters.
More Than a Supporters’ Group
As it approaches two decades of activity, the Green Brigade remains one of Europe’s most recognisable groups outside the continent’s traditional ultra strongholds. Its history contains remarkable choreographies, confrontations with authorities, periods of exclusion and campaigns that have raised substantial support for communities in Glasgow and abroad.
The group revived organised support at Celtic Park and helped make the North Curve one of the most visually distinctive active sections in British football. It also demonstrated the tensions that arise when an independent, politically outspoken ultras group operates inside a globally recognised football club.
For the Green Brigade, supporting Celtic is inseparable from history, community and political identity. For Celtic, the group is simultaneously a major source of atmosphere and a continuing challenge to institutional control. That uneasy balance explains why the Green Brigade remains so important: it does not simply watch Celtic from the stands, but constantly debates what Celtic, its support and its traditions should represent.