Keith Jackson has hit out again at ‘entitled’ Celtic fans, a favoured phrase from the Record reporter used when taking instructions from a Celtic insider.
That phrase was first used in December 2020 when angry fans turned up at Celtic Park to protest after a home League Cup defeat to St Johnstone during lockdown.
Celtic’s hierarchy immediately went into deflection mode. Rather than assess a fourth successive home defeat for the first time since the fifties the focus was turned on the entitled fans with their favourite reporter from the Daily Record chosen to lead the attack.
After that Ross County defeat and the reaction Jackson wrote:
Our source said: “Dermot Desmond is simply not the kind of man who will be dictated to by a hate mob – if anything what went on after the game on Sunday has strengthened his resolve to give Neil another chance to turn things around.
“It’s obviously been a terrible run of results for the manager but last Friday, despite the Europa League defeat against Sparta Prague, Dermot was absolutely unequivocal in his support for Neil. Yes, the defeat to Ross County was a bad one but the reaction to it was even more unacceptable as far as Dermot is concerned.
“Neil knows he can’t go on losing games indefinitely but he will also not be thrown to the wolves just because of the demands of a bunch of fans with an enormous sense of entitlement.”
Entitled is a favoured phrase from Jackson, one of Peter Lawwell’s favoured reporters, when it comes to attacking the Celtic support for expecting the best from their side.
The protests after losing to Ross County led to a managerial review led by Lawwell that concluded that Lennon was the best candidate for the job. Before the end of February, and ironically after another defeat to Ross County Lennon resigned.
Celtic supporters expect progress, they expect season on season improvement. They have been told that their money is reinvested in the team, at the end of June there was £72m sitting in the bank account, the bulk of that is still there, after outgoings in the first half of the season Champions League participation and ticket money has been banked.
Saturday’s performance was horrendous compared to what fans were watching a year ago, it followed a pattern of grim home performances highlighted by the matches against St Johnstone, Motherwell, Hearts and Livingston already this season.
Fans are on average paying out £600 for Season Tickets, many thousands travelled from Ireland, England and outposts of Scotland on Saturday to watch players that wouldn’t have got near a starting place under Ange Postecoglou.
Those fans that stuck around to the final whistle held their breath in the closing minutes as Ross County, beaten 3-0 at home by Partick Thistle a week ago twice came close to equalising. It didn’t come as a surprise after they hit the bar in the first half.
Taking aim again at Celtic fans, in the Record Jackson wrote:
And there’s the problem right there. Winning games of football no longer seems to be quite enough to satisfy the appetite of a support which has gorged itself on victories and silverware ever since Rodgers first appeared on the scene seven and half years ago.
They bristle at being labelled as ‘entitled’ when that’s precisely what all of this dominance and success has made of them. When you really think about it, it’s perfectly natural. Celtic’s support has been spoiled rotten over the years to such an extent they cannot bring themselves to contemplate anything other than a continuation of this monopoly.
And the very idea that Rangers might get in the way of it, brings on a sense of hysteria. That’s why they were running riot in the car park when Steven Gerrard led the Ibrox club to a first title in a decade back in 2021. So the sight of Philippe Clement closing in to just two points in Paisley on Saturday lunchtime was enough to heighten the stakes even before a ball had been kicked against Ross County.
There was no riots in the Celtic car park during lockdown. If Jackson google searches, something that he opted not to do in 2011 when presented with news of a man with untold riches from Motherwell, he will find George Square leap out at him if he types in Glasgow, riots, football fans.
The Daily Record remains one of Celtic’s preferred media partners, given special access to players and Brendan Rodgers on a weekly basis. In December circulation of the Record was down to 54.379 per day.
In June 2020 Lawwell gave is last ever newspaper interview as CEO to his pal Keith at the Daily Record. Neither Lawwell, the Chairman or Head of Scouting and Recruitment is mentioned in today’s attack on the Celtic support.
Unlike the Celtic fans, Desmond, Lawwell and the rest of the freeloaders on the board don’t put one brown penny into Celtic. They only take.
Unfortunately for them the fans know when they’re watching the team under perform.
Not the greatest support many claim us to be, wouldn’t want to be in the trenches with some of them.
Lol so you like getting ripped off and the piss took out of you.
Lol long may it continue with the fans until the penny drrops with them, though they might need some help, Sam Dingle and some other village idiots before they realise what is going on at their club..
What a silly statement,would you rather be in the trenches with board members, supporters pay around £600 for ST, follow the club all over Europe,turn up fill stadium every game,I have followed Celtic for 71 years, and proud to be a Celtic fan and mix with our support.As the song goes Over and Over,would be happy and proud to stand with them
You do realise that Michael McCreery is an anagram of “Hun Fanny”, Charlie?
There was a time when muppets like KJ trying to gaslight us might have been effective. Not now.
As the paying customers who bankroll the operation both long-term (shareholder) and short-term (season ticket purchaser) I feel that we DO have some degree of entitlement – not to win, but for the money we put in to be spent well and effectively, not to watch in horror as the twisted tribute act to a toxic rival is allowed to assume their identity and rejoin the adult table. Winning ought to be a natural byproduct of that. Losing if we have spent well, been coached well and played well does not offend me – it’s sport, after all, and we can usually cope when it happens in the Champions League.
The anger comes when the money we generate for the betterment of our club is allowed to sit in escrow accounts for unknown purposes and for nepotism, cronyism and above all utter complacency to reign supreme in our boardroom, the occupants of which then feel entitled (there’s that word again!) to draw very healthy salary packages for presiding over managed decline or stagnation, all the while sending out “let them eat cake” messaging through despised hacks who certainly don’t have our clubs interests at heart……
Entitled? Like for example making your son head of recruitment due to his vast experience of errrr being your son, so that he can carry out your wishes re recruitment of players, when your actual job shouldn’t allow you anywhere near that role?
Yep. There’s entitlement and then there’s PRIVILEGE a la Lawwell.
I’ve just won gazillions on the lottery and am going to make Desmond an offer he can’t refuse for Celtic.
Then I’m going to make my granny head of recruitment, my teenage daughter manager and I’l have a hands off role as Chairman of the Board.
What could possibly go wrong?
As usual , the daily Record and it’s chief sports scoop has misrepresented our fans’ reputation . Inaction Jackson calls it ‘ entitlement ‘ ,but if you pay fortunes into the club every year ,you would be quite within your rights to demand success . It’s human nature to assume that when your football team is winning , your club is thriving financially and your main opponents are a basket case where it’s finances are appallingly dire ,that expectations will be soaring high . Entitlement can be attributed to unelected Royal families ,not for football fans whose legitimate and honest money input gives us a right of serious hope and confidence in our club … hhhiiicccuupp ! Bbbuuuurrppppp !
Feck Keech and his opinions…Ignore the barsteward.