Sports Journalist criticises ‘incredibly myopic’ Celtic fan media ban

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·20 dicembre 2025

Sports Journalist criticises ‘incredibly myopic’ Celtic fan media ban

Football writer Alison McConnell covers among other things the women’s game for The Herald. Unlike her male colleagues in the mainstream media she has always had a good relationship with Celtic fan media writers who like her have worked hard over the past five or six years to help develop the women’s game in Scotland.

Elena Sadiku at Ibrox. theRangers v Celtic FC Women, 14 November 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

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While Alison’s remit is wider, covering all the teams in the SWPL1 but in particular the three Glasgow and two Edinburgh sides that make up the top five. Some fan media outlets flit in and out of the women’s game when it suits them while others such as Cynic Women – Claire provides continual coverage also an excellent podcast and does NOT cover the mens game – and The Celtic Star have continually back the development of Celtic FC Women and women’s football. There are around 800 articles on Celtic FC Women published on The Celtic Star which you can see here.

A few weeks ago in perhaps their pettiest decision yet in the current controversy, The Celtic Board extended their fan media ban to the women’s game therefore denying Claire from Cynic Women and Jessica from The Celtic Star the opportunity to provide much needed media coverage for the women’s team.

Jenny Smith celebrates after scoring the opening goal at Ibrox. theRangers v Celtic FC Women, 14 November 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

Last week Celtic FC Women beat Aberdeen at their rented home ground at Hamilton. The crowd was down to around 50 to 60. There was a Sack the Board banner at the game protesting against the fan media ban on the two outlets that provide ongoing coverage of the women’s game.

While the mainstream media has revelled in the Celtic fan media ban – they never wanted us there at the media conferences and there was always tensions in the air – it’s clear that Alison McConnell does not see it that way as she has seen close up the commitment and the coverage that The Celtic Star and Cynic Women have provided over the years to promote Celtic FC Women.

Elena Sadiku, CELTIC FC Women v Glasgow City. SWPL1, Sunday 19 October 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

Shamefully Celtic too are well aware of this yet still extended the ban to women’s fan media – who have had nothing at all to do with protests.

Here’s what Alison has written in The Herald today about this ban and this starts with some excellent commentary on the current Celtic FC Women manager Elena Sadiku, and the fall in standards since Fran Alonso was encouraged to leave the club in December 2023.

Celtic FC Women. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

Alison McConnell writing in The Herald today…

“Celtic have struggled to win a game over any direct title rivals for well over a year – they have beaten Hearts who are currently second in the table – but there are question marks over their inability to turn up when the heat is on. Not since they beat Glasgow City 16 months ago have they taken a scalp from any of the ‘big three.’ It has cost them in more ways than one.

“At Ibrox last month when Elena Sadiku’s side should have been out of sight at half-time yet ended up losing to Leanne Crichton’s Rangers, there was more than just a dropping of points.

“That defeat led to a ramping up of the criticism towards Sadiku, criticism that had intensified at the back end of last season as Celtic closed the campaign miles off of the pace of title winners Hibs and without a trophy. The criticism has resulted in a ban for a couple of independent outlets, one of whom has perennially covered Celtic women’s games and press conference across a number of seasons. The optics of such a scenario do not look good.

Elena Sadiku speaks to her players after a Glasgow Derby defeat. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

“Asked about the situation this week at the usual pre-match press conference, Sadiku would only stress a need for unity, hard work and players focusing on the things that they can control. All well and good on that front but whoever is making the calls on limiting access to established platforms who have routinely helped promote the women’s team is, at best, incredibly myopic.

“Criticism, scrutiny and accountability is and has to be part of the football landscape. Pats on the back when all is going well cannot be the only environment when media coverage is welcome.”

Green Brigade and The Celtic Board . Dundee Utd v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. Tannadice, 17 December 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Well said Alison. The Celtic Star’s coverage of the women’s team has always been about building it up for the future. Our efforts could instead have been put into more articles on the men’s team – which would unquestionably have attracted bigger audiences – and would have received less criticism from those who would often say ‘no-one is interested in women’s football.

Yet at the Women’s Scottish Cup Final against theRangers in 2023 the North Stand at Hampden was packed with theRangers fans having a third and Celtic two thirds – the only difference being the level of coverage and support given to the women’s team in the fan media led by The Celtic Star and Cynic Women. How many were at the women’s game last week? Dear oh dear…

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