MusaThe Celtic Fans Collective have urged acting chairman Brian Wilson to hold talks with them amid concerns that supporter fury has reached ‘breaking point.’ The prominent fans’ organisation is demanding action from decision-makers and reveals that 142 supporter buses have approached them regarding a potential boycott of an forthcoming home fixture. Tensions have simmered between the club’s supporters and its hierarchy throughout what has been a season to forget – with the group now pressing Wilson to meet them for discussions.
The Collective has pledged to ‘escalate their campaign’ following heated demonstrations outside Celtic Park after their 3-1 loss to Rangers, which brought Wilfried Nancy’s catastrophic eight-match tenure to an end. However, the primary frustration has been directed at the club’s board, with resentment intensified by an ill-judged statement from Celtic in September regarding their bungled summer transfer dealings.
This escalated into a bitter AGM which ground to a halt after Ross Desmond – son of majority shareholder Dermot – unleashed a scathing attack by labelling a portion of the fanbase ‘bullies.’ Non-executive chairman Peter Lawwell departed in December citing ‘intolerable abuse and threats.’ Whilst Martin O’Neill’s appointment may restore calm on the pitch, the Collective have cautioned Wilson and his colleagues that their frustration will persist for the foreseeable future.
The statement read: “On 9 September, after a disastrous summer transfer window and a fifth consecutive Champions League qualification defeat, 420 Celtic supporter organisations, buses, supporters’ clubs, and fan media outlets signed a joint open letter addressed to the Celtic board. The letter highlighted three main areas of concern, encompassing seven questions. This letter represented the views of tens of thousands of Celtic fans who sought more clarity on the club’s football strategy and modernisation plans, meaningful accountability for repeated failures, and a significant improvement in how the club interacts with and treats its supporters.
“Following the establishment of the Celtic Fans Collective and the start of a series of protest actions highlighting the Celtic Board’s failure to address these concerns, a meeting was organised between representatives of the Celtic support and the Executive members of the Celtic board. This meeting yielded no progress in addressing the legitimate concerns of the fanbase. In the months that have followed, things have deteriorated on the pitch. Celtic parted ways with Brendan Rodgers and his coaching team, culminating in a scathing personal attack on Rodgers from the largest minority shareholder. The temporary appointment of Martin O’Neill brought some stability, with on-field results improving.
“However, an already challenging season with an underprepared squad was made significantly worse by the baffling decision to appoint an inexperienced and ill-equipped manager in Wilfried Nancy to the managerial role, at a point where O’Neill had stabilised the team and reached a Cup Final. This decision resulted in Celtic losing four league matches at a crucial point of the title race, the League Cup Final, and will cost the club millions of pounds in lost revenue and compensation. We now find ourselves back where we were 5 weeks ago, with Martin O’Neill and staff returning, but with significant damage in terms of results, player confidence and reputation.
“When the PLC Board had the chance to take responsibility for some of its failings, most notably during the meeting with fans in October and at the cynically aborted AGM, they chose to double down, insisting that they had delivered success, ignoring the compelling body of evidence that suggested otherwise. When Brendan Rodgers left his position, Dermot Desmond was allowed to use club channels to attack him and lay all blame at his door for the season up to that point. When Wilfried Nancy was removed following a historically disastrous tenure, there was not a single word of contrition to be found within club communications.
The statement continued: “Since the joint letter and the founding of the Celtic Fans Collective, the Board has repeatedly taken aim at supporters through a series of punitive decisions. The Green Brigade have been banned since early November, collectively penalising supporters who contribute greatly to the matchday atmosphere and experience, without a full investigation or willingness to engage with the group. Fan media access has been revoked, preventing podcasts from attending club press conferences, including for the women’s team. Moreover, the club has published statements chastising supporters, facilitated a disgraceful attack on fans by the son of the largest minority shareholder at the AGM, and released videos making baseless accusations against its own fanbase.
Musa
