Fan group anger at alarming Celtic decline – support wants best version of Celtic | OneFootball

A prominent Celtic supporters group has hit out at the Celtic board in the wake of a run of three consecutive defeats, including two against bitter rivals the Rangers, with supporters concerned about the lack of leadership on and off the park…

Celtic Fans Collective

Despite a positive start to the domestic campaign, and several new additions arriving through the door, the season is in severe danger of completely imploding after the damaging defeat against LASK that saw the club throw away a golden opportunity to compete in the money laden Champions League group stages, despite at one stage holding a 4-0 aggregate advantage in the tie.

On Tuesday evening the club announced a loss after tax of £4.8m for the year ending 30 June, 12 months on from making a profit of £33.9m, and a 22.7% revenue drop to £111m.

Celtic v theRangers – Scottish Premiership – Celtic Supporters hold up a Let Celtic Flourish banner during the match at Celtic Park on Sunday September 1, 2024. Photo Steve Welsh

This has led to the Celtic Fans Collective, a coalition of supporter groups formed a year ago releasing a statement proclaiming their anger, something that the overwhelming majority of supporters outside of the dwindling small band of happy clappers will wholeheartedly agree on.

The Celtic Fans Collective statement certainly pulls no punches as it hits the target on behalf of the Celtic support.

“Anger at recent shambolic results on the park in big games was compounded yesterday by Celtic plc latest financial results. The statements from the ‘interim’ chairman (Brian Wilson) and CEO (Michael Nicholson) typically lacked humility and did little to improve the mood. Supporters are not fooled.

“The stark reality is that Celtic FC is underachieving across the club and the trajectory is alarming. We have highlighted the signs of this decline since our formation. We will continue to hold the club to account and fight for the standards that the Celtic support deserves.

“Celtic Fans Collective representatives met with Celtic FC yesterday to discuss the club’s fan engagement strategy. We also the took opportunity to express the deep frustration at the continued mismanagement of the club. A full update will be shared with members shortly.”

Yet again the club are in the firing line due to their own gross incompetence, but will it fall on deaf ears once again? Probably, they after all reckon that they are world class in everything they do.

Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Celtic, applauds prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Brendan Rodgers in Munich gave Celtic hope

Since Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic team allowed us to dream again in Munich about being able to hold our own, Celtic has gone down hill at an alarming rate. Celtic played in Munich without a Kyogo replacement and that should have been the priority signing for the Champions League playoff against Kairat Almaty where Celtic failed to score over two matches and a half hour of extra time.

Callum McGregor of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with Colby Donovan during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 Play off round second leg match between LASK and Celtic at on August 25, 2026 in Linz, Austria. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)

This time around we were 4-0 ahead in Linz but this summer’s achilles heel, the failures to sign a top class keeper and a holding midfielder to replace Arne Engels – who was allowed to leave before these matches as the board saw the £££ signs – allowed the Austrian side to score FIVE goals and deliver the worst result in Celtic’s history.

13th September 2026; Ibrox. Scottish League Cup Football, Rangers versus Celtic; Rangers players applaud their fans as the scoreboard reads Rangers 3 Celtic 0. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

The past week has shown the LASK disaster was not merely a one off and the Rangers used the Austrian playbook twice either side of Ferencvaros leaving Celtic Park with the gifted three points. Three punishing defeats in a week including an exit for the Premier Sports Cup and Celtic are deep in crisis.

Daniel Arzani of Ferencvaros celebrates scoring his team’s third goal with teammates during the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Celtic FC and Ferencvarosi TC at Celtic Park on September 17, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

It’s not the fault of the Celtic fan media who remain banned. Or Martin O’Neill who is currently considering his position and may well take family advice on the matter as he ponders the poor hand he has been dealt by the Celtic Board.

It was NOT the Celtic fan media who spoke to the Scottish Sun to knife Brendan Rodgers in the back, that came from the suits. That clearly added to the tensions and contributed to Rodgers deciding to leave the club last October after away defeats to Dundee and Hearts.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill looks on during the Scottish Premiership 2026/27 match between Celtic and the Rangers at Celtic Park on September 20, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The Celtic Board Blogger

Of course the one and only Celtic Board Media blogger was quick out the traps with snidey remarks that others make a business model out of kicking Celtic. That has been a view from inside the Celtic boardroom going back to the Covid season with a few of the podcasters being the main target of that criticism.

Why not tell them to their faces? Sit them down and talk it through rather than letting it fester for five years. Maybe that was the way to go.

The financial results show the folly in the way the Celtic Board are running the club. An elite Celtic manager walked, a legendary Celtic manager is considering his position, the support’s backing of the Not Another Penny campaign has hit hard. It should be noted too that many supporters had already started their own retail boycott before the collective formalised it.

Kieran Tierney of Celtic reacts during the UEFA Champions League Play-offs Round First Leg match between Celtic and Kairat Almaty at Celtic Park on August 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Celtic’s main sources of revenue are from Champions League revenue (if we qualify) and from the pockets of the supporters. That’s season ticket money and then retail spending inside the stadium and in the club stores, HCTS and sponsorship deals.

All are being undermined by the Board who reckon it’s always someone else’s fault. Blame Brendan (x2), blame the supporters, blame anyone but themselves.

The fans were blamed for creating a toxic atmosphere that has allegedly resulted in a reluctance of potential new recruits to join the board or take over from Interim Chairman Brian Wilson. These people involved have, if we are to believe what we read, told the Board friendly blogger that’s the reason they have declined to get involved.

Brian Wilson, Dermot Desmond and Michael Nicholson overseeing 2 x £40m Champions League misses…

Maybe that’s what they said. But the real reason is that they can see the corporate structure and the iron grip Dermot Desmond, a minority shareholder and a non executive director, has over the club. He and he alone appoints managers. He has access to the club’s official website to attack anyone who has upset him, like Brendan Rodgers who spent the summer of 2025 pointing out that Celtic needed to sign players.

Maybe those approached didn’t fancy being a part of that structure and the polite and easiest way to say ‘thanks but no thanks’ was to point to the consequence ie the fan anger.

Celtic supporters want Celtic to be the best version that is possible. Nothing more than that.

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