Celtic’s statement has united the support against the Board

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·10 settembre 2025

Celtic’s statement has united the support against the Board

The statement issued by Celtic Football Club on 6 September, 2025, following their meeting with the Celtic Supporters’ Association (CSA), the Affiliation of Registered Celtic Supporters’ Clubs, and the Association of Irish Celtic Supporters’ Clubs, aimed to address mounting fan discontent over the club’s transfer strategy and broader direction.

Celtic fans hold up a banner during the Scottish Premier league match between Celtic and theRangers at Celtic Park on September 10, 2016. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

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However, it was met with widespread criticism from supporters, fan groups, and media outlets for its perceived lack of accountability, patronising tone, and failure to address specific concerns. It’s a serious situation at Celtic, a club which has won 13 titles over the past 14 seasons and it should be noted that football betting sites all are unmoved and maintain Celtic as their string favourites to win another Scottish Premiership title this season despite all the current controversy.

Let’s have a closer look at the responses to the official Celtic statement issued by the club on Saturday evening….

Celtic FC Statement: Key Points

The 1,030-word statement, published on the club’s website and social media, acknowledged fan frustrations, particularly regarding the summer transfer window and the failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

It emphasised the club’s commitment to a “self-sustaining model” driven by UEFA Financial Sustainability Regulations, which it claimed limited spending. The club cited challenges in the transfer market, such as inflated fees by selling clubs and players’ contractual demands, and blamed media and social media for spreading “inaccurate or misleading information.”

theRangers v Celtic,31 August 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

It described the meetings with fan representatives as “constructive” and promised to improve communication, but offered no specific answers to the seven questions posed in an open letter signed by over 350 fan groups.

Celtic Football Club Statement.
– sabato 6 settembre 2025

Supporter Group Responses

The response from Celtic’s fanbase and supporter organisations was overwhelmingly negative, with many describing the statement as tone-deaf, patronising, and evasive. Key reactions include:

Celtic Supporters’ Association (CSA)

On 7 September, 2025, the CSA, after reviewing the meeting with CEO Michael Nicholson and other club executives, issued a historic vote of no confidence in the Celtic board. This was the first time in the association’s history that such a step was taken, reflecting deep dissatisfaction with the board’s responses during the meeting. The CSA’s delegates found the answers inadequate, particularly regarding the club’s transfer strategy and lack of ambition for European competition. They also voted to join the North Curve’s campaign, endorsing the open letter’s seven questions.

theRangers v Celtic,31 August 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Association of Irish Celtic Supporters’ Clubs (AICSC)

The AICSC issued a strongly worded statement on 7 September, expressing “complete and utter disappointment” with Celtic’s statement. They branded it “patronising” and an “insult to the intelligence” of supporters, criticising its failure to address concerns about recruitment, the club’s direction, and matchday experience. The group endorsed the broader supporter movement for clarity and change, aligning with the CSA’s stance.

Affiliation of Registered Celtic Supporters’ Clubs (ARCSC)

On 8 September, the ARCSC also passed a unanimous vote of no confidence, describing the club’s statement as “cold, clinical, and devoid of genuine emotion.” They highlighted a lack of meaningful engagement and argued that the club’s direction risked eroding its foundational values of inclusion, integrity, and solidarity. This added to the growing coalition of discontented supporter group.

Celtic supporters at Ibrox. theRangers v Celtic, 31 August 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

North Curve Celtic and the Open Letter

The North Curve Celtic, representing the Green Brigade and other fan groups, condemned the statement as “condescending and unsigned,” noting it failed to address any of the seven questions in their open letter, which had garnered 378 signatories by 7 September. They announced a meeting for 10 September to coordinate further action, signalling potential protests or campaigns to escalate pressure on the board.

General Supporter Sentiment

On X, fans expressed frustration, with posts describing the statement as “a disgrace,” “patronising,” and “full of lies.” Users like @TheParkheadF and @celtic_jaime criticised the lack of accountability and the board’s attempt to deflect blame onto UEFA and the media. @TheCelticTrust called it “insulting,” urging the club to address the open letter’s questions. The statement’s 4.5 million views on X underscored its viral backlash, with engagement described as overwhelmingly negative.

Brendan Rodgers arrives at Ibrox. theRangers v Celtic,31 August 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Media outlets and fan media echoed the supporters’ sentiments, amplifying the narrative of a board out of touch with the fanbase.

The Celtic Star described the statement as a “massive own goal” and “gaslighting,” accusing the board of deflecting blame onto UEFA regulations and social media while ignoring failures in replacing key players like Adam Idah and Kyogo Furuhashi. They criticised the board’s “self-preservation” mindset and called for unified fan action to demand change.

Celtic supporters, Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock

Meanwhile The Celtic Blog Editor James Forrest praised the CSA’s no-confidence vote as a historic step, noting the delegates’ orderly and focused debate. He criticised the board’s evasiveness in the meeting, particularly their vague promises about a new fan app and failure to publish a fan survey or the Fairhurst Enquiry results.

Celtic fans in the stands Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock

In the mainstream media Sky Sports highlighted the statement’s failure to deliver a simple apology, noting it simply fuelled fan anger rather than resolving it. The Daily Record described the situation as a “civil war” at Celtic Park, with the CSA’s vote ramping up pressure on the board. They also pointed to the Green Brigade’s vow for further action if concerns remained unaddressed.

The statement came amid a tumultuous week marked by a failed transfer window, a Champions League exit to Kairat Almaty, and reports of a club insider briefing against manager Brendan Rodgers in The Sun newspaper. These events crystallised fan frustration into a unified movement, with the CSA, ARCSC, and AICSC aligning with the North Curve’s campaign.

Brendan Rodgers manager of Celtic Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock

The statement’s timing—late on a Saturday during an international break—and its corporate tone were seen as attempts to minimise scrutiny, but instead, they triggered a “nuclear” reaction, with fans and groups demanding accountability, transparency, and a shift in the club’s direction.

The unprecedented votes of no confidence from multiple supporter groups signal a historic rupture between the board and fans. The North Curve’s planned meeting on 10 September, which will be attended by The Celtic Star, suggests the unrest could escalate, potentially through protests or public campaigns. Meanwhile, Rodgers’ public frustrations and his contract’s final year add further pressure, with some speculating he might walk away if the board doesn’t back him. That is not the view of The Celtic Star as we understand that the only way Brendan Rodgers will leave the club before the end of his three-year contract is if he is sacked.

Celtic FC statement was intended to address fan concerns but instead deepened the rift with supporters. Described as patronising, evasive, and lacking accountability, it failed to answer the open letter’s seven questions and deflected blame onto external factors. The CSA, ARCSC, and AICSC responded with votes of no confidence, supported by fan media and a vocal fanbase on X, marking a rare moment of unity among Celtic supporters.

The Celtic Board. Celtic Champions 2025. Dundee United v Celtic, 26 April 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star).

The Celtic board now faces a critical juncture, with growing calls for structural changes and meaningful engagement to restore trust. So far all they’ve had from the club is silence but Brendan Rodgers will speak to the media on Friday afternoon ahead of the match against Kilmarnock this weekend.