It doesn’t take much for Celtic’s critics to emerge but when you are on the payroll of an SPFL Premiership club you really ought to know better than to sneer as the hoops get beaten in the Champions League.
As he revelled in Bayern Munich’s win over Celtic Motherwell’l u-20 coach Stephen Craigan may feel a little sheepish if he is in conversation with his chief executive Alan Burrows this week.
Craigan may not like it but the £360,000 that Motherwell received from UEFA last month for Celtic playing in last season’s Champions League is an absolute godsend for the Lanarkshire side. And there will be £400,000 heading to Fir Park again next September.
More than a few Scottish Premiership players not feeling any sympathy for Celtic at all tonight!
— Stephen Craigan (@stephencraigan) October 18, 2017
What a pointless thing to say!!! SPFL clubs benefitted financially from Celtic in the CL…. you should be supporting Scottish teams.. https://t.co/42KO0gG6vS
— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) October 18, 2017
That money will more than cover Craigan’s salary and go a long way towards funding the club’s youth programmes.
Burrows is on record as saying how vital and welcome that money is- a figure greater than any transfer fee that his club has received in recent years.
BT Sport loves the publicity that social media provides from it’s pundits but as he enjoys Celtic losing in Munich Craigan may also want to consider the monthly cheque he receives from Motherwell- part funded by the team he enjoys being defeated.
Celtic don’t seek support or sympathy from other Scottish clubs but when your employer gets close to 10% of their turnover from the efforts it’s best to keep some thoughts private.