Balls protest – Celtic’s wage thieves real ‘masters of our own downfall’, Martin | OneFootball

Last night Celtic quite literally paid the price for interim Chairman Brian Wilson’s disingenuous attempts at restoring unity with the balls protest that happened early in the Europa League play-off match against VfB Stuttgart. An inevitable UEFA fine will follow…

Fan protest at Celtic v VFB Stuttgart at Celtic Park during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off First Leg match between Celtic FC and VfB Stuttgart at Celtic Park on February 19, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

Wilson delayed Wednesday evening’s meeting with the Celtic Fans Collective by a week so that ‘executive directors could attend’ which of course they didn’t. Instead they sent along a second string including the Celtic SLO and the marketing chap – who had no real authority to agree on anything. The bans were always going to remain despite the old Westminster fox playing devious games.

Celtic interim Chairman Brian Wilson looks on during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on February 01, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Meanwhile Martin O’Neill was fed misinformation and went into last night believing that progress had been made. That was far from the truth. At the game the Stuttgart fans held their banner in support of the Green Brigade calling for the bans to be lifted.

Fan protest at Celtic v VFB Stuttgart at Celtic Park during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off First Leg match between Celtic FC and VfB Stuttgart at Celtic Park on February 19, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

The protest was therefore as inevitable as it was regrettable. At some time there needs to be unity restored. At Ibrox they have pumped up the volume big-time and are creating levels of noise that Paradise was once renowned for – not any more. We are a shambles.

Fan protest at Celtic v VFB Stuttgart at Celtic Park during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off First Leg match between Celtic FC and VfB Stuttgart at Celtic Park on February 19, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

We are a club on the slide. The self-harm is there for all to see and tracing the rot back it’s clear to see where it started. Not from 200 or so ultras paying for games they can’t attend due to the Celtic Board’s collective punishment but at the very top from those taking hundreds of thousands from our club – wage thieves the lot of them.

At the meeting with the Celtic Fans Collective the club for the first time gave an explanation of sorts for the ban on Celtic Fan Media, including of course The Celtic Star. Apparently the club took offence at a couple of things said on podcasts earlier in the season. That’s it. Nothing more than that. Nothing more specific.

Here’s a thought – speak to the podcasts responsible, ask for an apology, an explanation, a resolution. If that’s not possible then look at banning those responsible. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath-water. That has resulted in other outlets that were working with the club professionally, with no issues at all, including The Celtic Star, being banned for no reason whatsoever.

It’s the same nasty, small minded, vindictive behaviour that has seen hundreds of Celtic supporters paying for their tickets but banned from matches for incidents that they were clearly not party to. If that was you, how would you feel? There’s a chap on our supporters bus affected. He’s not an ultra. He just sits behind the Green Brigade, or at least he did. He is in his seventies. Banned for no reason. We’ve offered him tickets but he won’t go to games until the ban is lifted.

How dare they do that to him! Or to any Celtic supporter who has broken no rules but merely find themselves dragged into their vindictive collective punishment.

A club like no other right enough.

Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr. Click on image to order

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