Peter Lawwell pledges to rid Celtic of embarrassing ‘rogue element’

PETER Lawwell has admitted Celtic have been embarrassed throughout Europe by the conduct of a section of their supporters in Italy on Thursday night, which is set to earn the club their fifth fine from Uefa in as many years.

The Celtic chief executive has pledged to eliminate what a “rogue element” who lit flares and displayed an abusive banner directed at Uefa before the Europa League match against Udinese at the Stadio Friuli.

One of the offending supporters was arrested by Italian police for allegedly assaulting a Celtic steward who attempted to remove the banner. Lawwell has already declared a life ban on the fan concerned and any others subsequently identified for their part in the incidents will face a similar sanction. Lawwell confirmed that Uefa match delegate Steen Dahrup of the Danish FA has mentioned the banner and flares in his official report, meaning Celtic face certain action from European football’s governing body.

Earlier this week, the club was fined £12,700 by Uefa for illicit chanting during the Europa League game against Rennes at Parkhead in November. They were fined £420 in March 2007 for bottle-throwing at a Champions League game in Milan, £25,000 for improper conduct of supporters when a spectator ran on to the pitch to confront Milan goalkeeper Dida at Celtic Park seven months later and then £42,430 for another pitch invasion by a supporter during a home game against Manchester United in November 2008.

Lawwell expressed his dismay and frustration at Celtic’s image being damaged just eight years after they received the Uefa Fair Play award for the behaviour of their supporters at the 2003 Uefa Cup final in Seville. “Off the pitch, over the last decade we have built a fantastic reputation around Europe which we are all very proud of and which we want to protect,” said Lawwell. “Clearly, there is a very small, rogue element that has developed within our support which we have got to weed out.

“We are not going to tolerate it. The guy that we got last night actually assaulted one of our stewards, he was arrested, and he spent the night in an Italian jail and he will be banned for life. We are very hopeful of identifying the other guys who had the flares and the banners.

“It is a very small, rogue element. It is not the Green Brigade. There is possibly a small element within these ranks, it is a handful of people who for some reason think this is the right thing to do.

“It embarrasses the club. It embarrasses the vast, vast majority of our supporters, who would be sitting there last night watching the game and, as Celtic supporters, would feel embarrassed. Celtic as a club, together with our supporters, will weed this out.

“This could well be the tipping point. People are sick of it. In 2003 our supporters collected the Uefa Fair Play award. But now, eight years later, we get this, and these banners. It’s just not right, it’s not Celtic.

“I don’t know what the motivation of these people is. But we are going to stop this. These people cannot love Celtic, given what they have inflicted on us. We don’t know what will happen with Uefa yet, but we know the flares and the banner are in the match delegate’s report.”

Lawwell dismissed suggestions Celtic have not been firm enough in controlling the Green Brigade section of their support who have been cited by many as the source of the pro-IRA chants which landed the club their most recent Uefa punishment.

“This is a rogue element that has infiltrated our support, with whatever objective,” added Lawwell. “But it is a very small minority. What we have done is try to enhance the atmosphere at Celtic Park, by making it an event, an occasion. But we have also been very strict in terms of behaviour. So I don’t think we have brought it upon ourselves.”