Pyrotechnics at Parkhead – Is It Time to Bring the Fire Back? 

There is nothing quite like Celtic Park when the atmosphere is bouncing. The flags are flying, the songs are ringing around the stadium and the players can feel 60,000 supporters behind them.

But how often do we actually get that now? Too many games see the atmosphere fade when things aren’t going our way, and perhaps it’s time we had a conversation about how we can get that atmosphere back to being a cauldron of noise and aggression. 

Yes you can argue there is nothing to sing about right now with how everything is somber round the club but to me a big discussion is bringing pyrotechnics back in a safe manner.

Across Europe, supporters use smoke, colour and displays to create an occasion. It looks incredible when done properly, and you can understand why fans want to bring that spectacle to Celtic and more generally Scottish football.

Should we be exploring ways to make that happen at Celtic Park?

I’m not suggesting we ignore safety or pretend the current rules don’t exist. Uncontrolled flares and smoke bombs can put supporters at risk, and pyrotechnics are prohibited at Scottish sporting events under current rules. Any proposal would need to be legal, properly managed and agreed with the relevant authorities.

But surely there is room for a conversation about how supporters can create bigger, more colourful displays without putting anyone in danger?

For me, though, pyrotechnics are only one part of a much bigger issue.

We need to talk about the atmosphere at Celtic Park itself.

We’ve become a support that can expect far too much, far too quickly. We want to be three goals up before half-time, and if we aren’t, the groans start and the frustration spreads around the stadium.

Of course, we should demand standards. We’re Celtic supporters, and we expect our team to compete and win. But football doesn’t work like that every week. Sometimes the opposition make life difficult, sometimes we have to grind out a result, and sometimes the team needs us to help get them over the line.

Think back to the final run-in last season. When Celtic needed us, we found another gear. The atmosphere was there, the backing was there, and we got behind the team when it mattered.

That is the Celtic Park we all want to see.

So why can’t we carry that into every game?

The upcoming fixtures against Motherwell, Benfica, Hearts, Celta Vigo, Hibs and Dundee United are going to test this team. There will be pressure, difficult moments and matches where we need patience. We cannot demand a reaction from the players and then turn on them the moment a pass goes astray or a goal doesn’t arrive.

We can criticise the board, question recruitment and demand better performances while still backing the team for 90 minutes. Those things are not mutually exclusive.

And let’s be honest, the club has a responsibility here as well. Supporters want to feel part of something. They want to contribute to the atmosphere rather than simply turn up, sit down and wait for the football to entertain them.

More flags, better coordinated displays, safe-standing initiatives and genuine cooperation between the club and supporter groups could all help. If there is a legal and safe way to incorporate pyrotechnics into an authorised display I believe could be a start. 

But we shouldn’t pretend a flare will solve everything. The noise, the singing and the commitment of the support have always been the foundation of Celtic Park’s atmosphere, if anything it’s been missing in recent years. It shows up for the odd game but then disappears. 

But why do we need to be 3-0 up before we find our voices.

The players have a responsibility to give us something to shout about, but we have a responsibility to make this ground a difficult place for visiting teams. That means getting behind Celtic when the game is tight, when the performance isn’t perfect and when the team needs a lift.

Let’s bring the atmosphere back, bhoys. Let’s get behind the team like we did during the final run-in and make these upcoming fixtures feel like proper occasions.

Pyrotechnics might add to the spectacle, but the real fire has to come from us.

Let’s make Parkhead bounce again. Celtic Park should be a fortress, not a place where the atmosphere depends on the scoreline.