Celtic’s cowardly policy backfires with fresh Israeli claims attacking the fans

Celtic’s policy of failing to defend their fans was met with a predictable response today.

On Thursday most Scottish mainstream publishers covered the claims of Israeli international boss Alon Hazan that Celtic fans were anti-Semitic.

Like on almost every issue Michael Nicholson opted for silence, after the club’s Communications Manager was contacted by fan media sites they were told by a club spokesman that Hazan’s claims were completely untrue.

But there was no official comment, nothing on the club website, not even a reference on any of the club’s social media platforms.

Today Eran Zahawi replaced Hazan with a similar attack on Celtic with the Maccabi Tel Aviv captain claiming that the Green Brigade were banned on the say so of Liel Abada!

Liel Abada ‘actions’ caused Celtic to ban Green Brigade claims Israel teammate amid Palestine supporthttps://t.co/rDORJhkZLz pic.twitter.com/cJHwt7tJlJ

— Daily Record Sport (@Record_Sport) November 3, 2023

Yet someone at the club has the ear of a Sun writer after leaking the exact letter they sent the GB.

It’s utterly despicable that you’ll throw people trying to tear us down@CelticSlo @CelticFC

— Mordecai67 (@MordecaiFly) November 3, 2023

It is great copy for newspapers, a pop at Celtic and keeping a theme going although it might be difficult to justify a third day on the story without something really spectacular.

Celtic’s lack of reaction to the Hazan story gave the green light for follow ups.

A robust Communications Department or even a strong PR agency would have ensured that there was no follow up, and probably strangled the Hazan story before it was allowed to surface.

Sadly, Celtic employ neither as they roll out the red carpet to their old school media partners, using them when required to get the message out from ‘club sources’.