Celtic have engaged the services of a Dutch lawyer to investigate complaints from the club's fans over their treatment in Amsterdam last week. Six Celtic supporters arrested before the Champions League game with Ajax will stand trial on 21 November. Chief executive Peter Lawwell said: "This lawyer will be tasked with looking at each serious complaint more closely on behalf of our supporters. "Events in Holland need to be looked at in real detail." Lawwell insists Celtic are treating the issue with "real seriousness". "As we have said already, Celtic Football Club does not condone any form of violent or offensive behaviour and clearly, should it be found that anyone connected to the club has indulged in such behaviour, then absolutely, as a responsible football club, we will take the appropriate action," he told Celtic's annual meeting. Celtic statement "We have received numerous complaints from supporters concerning their treatment in Amsterdam and it is our duty to investigate these further. "Celtic and our supporters have a tremendous reputation. It is one we hold dear and one which we want to preserve. "Celtic has been pro-active, serious and sincere in relation to this matter and we will continue to be so." Dutch police made 44 arrests and, of the 28 Celtic supporters held, 22 were freed - 10 without charge and 12 after paying fines. Police claimed that eight officers were hurt after being attacked with bottles and sticks by Celtic fans. But, in a fresh club statement, Celtic said: "Prior to the match against Ajax, Celtic Football Club put into action the normal rigorous matchday planning protocol, which involved visiting Holland in advance, liaising with all relevant authorities, including both the Scottish and Dutch police forces, Uefa, AFC Ajax and the British consul. "As part of the visit to Amsterdam for this match, we took six police officers from Police Scotland, along with 13 travel stewards to accompany our supporters. "All relevant safety and security information was relayed to supporters in advance, including particular areas of the city which were identified as unsafe by local police. "Following an incident in the city centre on the Tuesday evening where Celtic supporters were attacked, the club repeated its warning for supporters to be vigilant. "Following the incidents on match night, Celtic FC engaged in immediate dialogue with all authorities, including the British Consulate, to understand what had happened. "It became clear that a number of arrests had been made but also became clear that there was considerable comment regarding the negative treatment of our supporters."
I wonder is that judge who is commenting on the Amsterdam fiasco, the same judge who when presiding over a case involving some of the Rangers 1872 rioters. The juge told them that they had done more damage than the other Huns had done in the blitz. That means the Rangers fans had done more damage than the IRA .
Ernesto Dam Hello, as an Ajax fan, but also since I was a kid Celtic fan I'm disappointed about how things have been going between some of our fans. I am surely not speaking for all Ajax supporters of course, but I guarantee you that I'm not the only one who thinks this way. As Padraig and Andy are still under unlawfull arrest there are more Ajax fans who are bringing this under the public attention. Here a column (in Dutch, but hey, there is Google translate) about the case. We all know that the behaviour of the police was out of line and there is filmed footage/proof of that. Hope this given is comforting you a bit. And we expect that Padraig and Andy will be instantly released on the 21st November after the courtcase and that they will get (financial) compensation for the damage done. Greetz to all.
It is a little contradictory though in his perspective on indiscriminate head bashing. Either it is bullshit....or not. He can't then rhetorically muse on people's expectations as to the stoicism of the Feds. Although that account allied with what we now know about the timing of the mayoral order to start bashing skulls would seem to fit. Not to mention lending credence to the notion that the police lifted folk who were proximate to any wrongdoing rather than the actual perpetrators.
It is regular and often when there is disturbance that the police will lift anyone who is handy to the incident .
Judge handed out custodial sentences to 5 of the 6. One was acquitted. Not sure who is who at the moment. The cops got compensation. 2 weeks to appeal. I only saw the judgements coming through on the twitter machine but the decision making process and the information he chose to consider seemed really strange to me.
Five Celtic fans have been found guilty of using violence against Dutch police ahead of the club's game against Ajax. At a court in Amsterdam, two men were sentenced to two months in jail, two others to six weeks in prison and the fifth was jailed for a month. They have also been ordered to pay compensation of between 250 and 500 Euros. A sixth fan was acquitted. The judge said the men should have left Dam Square when trouble erupted on 6 November. He said police had used force in dealing with the riot but in the circumstances it had not been excessive. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-25033941 "The judge said the men should have left Dam Square when trouble erupted on 6 November." I don't get that at all.
It isn't any clearer at all. The guy acquitted was the one who was in the back of a police wagon talking to his girlfriend when he was supposed to be outside fighting with cops. .......yet the cops testimony is relied on in all other cases.
Of course the Dutch police have added their name to the very long list of police forces who have a different understanding of truth and lies , from the rest of the population . For whatever reason the police were not cross examined so it was quite easy and I suppose natural for them to lie. I believe all five will released tomorrow on bail pending appeal. I just hope that the five of them have proper legal personnel at the appeal and that the police are properly cross examined.
Not unusual to be honest. It sounds as if it could have gone any way and they must be hopeful that the appeals will focus on the fact that some Police officers lied.
Well the judge referenced the chaos of the situation in reference to the level of violence used by the Police. It must also be considered as a mitigating factor in their ability to accurately recall what happened..... Now I've fine that, I rather suspect you are right and it is just lies. Those lies would be pulled apart under cross examination but the defence aren't allowed to do that now. A really odd state of affairs. I was pretty confident we'd get at least some degree of clarity, instead we are none the wiser. A lot of it seems to be done on the balance of probability. That shouldn't be good enough in criminal proceedings.
It will all depend on the ability of the cross -examining lawyer at the appeal. If each appeal is heard separately I think the lawyer will be able to spend more time. I worry that the police have more time to "harden -up " their evidence but if the lawyer really wants to break the police he will.
I've said on here before that regardless of the police actions it would not necessarily have prevented Celtic fans being equally as bad and thus deserving of convictions. Some it would appear struck police officers - that may be true - however it has not been made clear if that was through choice or in self defence. I expected more to be said following the Judgment. The fact not much has been said leads me to actually go against my original thoughts that these guys are there for a genuine reason Also 2 of the men got 6 weeks jail....for throwing a can?? Can only guess this somehow then prompted a police reaction leading to the trouble? None the less 6 weeks for throwing a can???
