SFA issues notice of complaint to Celtic over ‘offensive banner’

CELTIC face a Scottish Football Association charge over an alleged offensive banner which was displayed among their fans in their pre-season friendly against Norwich.

The SFA yesterday issued a notice of complaint alleging four rule breaches over the banner relating to Rangers, which appeared among the Celtic support in the 24 July contest at Parkhead.

The SFA charges allege that Celtic have fallen foul of the rules by failing to prevent supporters from bringing the banner into the ground and displaying it. The club are also accused of failing to deal effectively with an instance of unacceptable conduct, “by allowing spectators to retain possession of the banner after it had been initially displayed, which allowed them to display the banner on a second occasion during the above match”.

The banner in question is understood to have featured a silhouetted image of a gunman emblazoned with a green shamrock, taking aim at a zombie-like figure in front of a gravestone with the Rangers badge on it, as Celtic supporters mocked the impending liquidation of the Ibrox club.

A line of figures depicting a reverse evolutionary process from man to ape was drawn on the opposite side of the grave.

Celtic have been given until next Thursday to respond to the notice of complaint with a principal hearing date set for

11 October.