Livingston Football Club has expressed disappointment over the breach of pre-match agreements by Celtic’s Green Brigade during the recent Scottish Premiership clash. The club had allocated three stands at the Tony Macaroni Arena to Celtic fans as per usual practice. However, the situation took a turn when several Celtic supporters deviated from the agreed terms and ventured onto the pitchside area to unfurl two unauthorized banners prior to kick-off.

One of the banners highlighted the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin with the message ‘Born into slavery, they were Freedom’s Sons’, while another banner displayed at half-time read ‘Hold on to our title Bhoys. Don’t Give up The Dream’.

In response to these actions, Livingston released a statement addressing the incident and expressing their dissatisfaction with the behavior of some Celtic fans. The club clarified that the Green Brigade had sought permission to conduct a Tifo display in all three allocated stands and put up a banner along the front of the East Stand. However, this request was turned down, with approval granted solely for the South Stand.

The club’s statement revealed that despite prior agreements made during a pre-match meeting attended by representatives from Livingston, Celtic FC, the steward company Amberstone, and an SPFL delegate, the Green Brigade proceeded to display the banners against the arrangements agreed upon.

Moreover, the unauthorized banners were allowed into the stadium through an emergency gate that was opened due to safety concerns, disregarding club instructions and police directives. The decision to let the banner and Tifo display continue was taken in consideration of public safety and to prevent potential disruptions that could have jeopardized the match proceedings.

The statement highlighted the inappropriateness of allowing visiting supporters trackside access for displaying banners without approval, emphasizing the serious breach of protocol. Livingston Football Club reiterated their disappointment over the incident and emphasized the importance of respecting pre-match agreements to ensure a safe and orderly match environment for all attendees.

Conversations are currently underway with external partners who were present at the stadium on Sunday in order to determine the reasons behind the occurrence of several incidents and to establish measures that will prevent a recurrence in future events.