David Kennedy
General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation
Glasgow Times, 19/03/2025
“What the fans need to understand is that these police officers are just mums and dads, brothers and sisters, like everyone else. They will be Celtic fans, Rangers fans, fans of other teams. They will have family members at the game. They are just doing their job.
“I don’t think anybody wants their photograph plastered all over the internet. But it you have got people trying to identity who police officers are trom the pictures of them which have been put online it can be very dangerous.
“em onle is pointy ly peting them of rio in putin, intimiches a of
risk as well. It is definitely a concern.
“They are just there doing their job. They’re given a task to do when they go to work in the morning and they’re just complying with that task. What team you support doesn’t really matter to them. They are tasked by their supervisors to go and do the job they’ve got to do and they go and do it without fear or favour.”
POLICE
Green Brigade, 19/03/2025
“What the PIGS need to understand is that these SUPPORTERS are just family members at the gs de. They are just SUPPORTING THEIR TEAM.
“I don’t think anybody wants their photograph plastered all over the internet. But if you have got people trying to identify who SUPPORTERS are from the pictures of them which have been put online it can be very dangerous.
“Many of them will try to keep what their job is private. Putting pictures of thad putting their families af risk as well. it is deninitely a onchen at risk
“They are just SUPPORTING THEIR TEAM. They’re GOING TO THE GAME and they’re just SUPPORTING THEIR TEAM. What team you support doesn’t really matter to them. They are tasked with SUPPORTING THEIR TEAM and they go and do it without fear or favour.”
SEN
The quotes you provided reflect a tension between two groups: police officers and football supporters, specifically in the context of matches involving Glasgow’s rival football teams, Celtic and Rangers. Both sides seem to feel a sense of vulnerability when their identities are shared online, as both groups are concerned about the safety of their families and themselves.
David Kennedy, the General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, is trying to emphasize the human side of police officers who are often depicted as authority figures or symbols of the law. He points out that police officers are regular people too—mums and dads, brothers and sisters—and they may have their own family members at games, often attending as fans themselves. However, the issue arises when their images are shared on the internet, as some people try to identify these officers and make them targets, either for negative attention or more serious risks. Kennedy emphasizes that these officers are just doing their jobs, following orders from their supervisors, and their personal football allegiances should not influence how they perform their duties.
On the other hand, the Green Brigade (a prominent Celtic supporters’ group) responds in a similar tone, but from the perspective of football fans. They argue that supporters, like police officers, are just regular people who are attending games to support their teams and that their identities should not be exposed online for the same safety concerns. Just as police officers might feel threatened when their photos are shared, fans also fear the potential risks of being identified, especially if the pictures endanger their personal safety or that of their families. They are expressing frustration at being unfairly categorized or targeted, similar to the police officers’ concerns.
The broader issue here seems to be about respect for privacy and personal safety. Both groups are vulnerable to being identified and possibly harassed or endangered due to their public roles, whether it’s attending a football game or carrying out policing duties. The debate is a reflection of the challenges posed by the modern digital age, where images and personal information can quickly be shared across the internet, sometimes leading to unintended consequences.
