Celtic step up their hostility to fan media

After his standard UEFA media conference to discuss the match with Roma, Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy had one more duty to go through.

At the insistence of Iain Jamieson, Celtic’s Communications Manager. The newly appointed manager had to sit down and take questions from Scotland’s fast fading newspapers. In October the Record was averaging daily sales of 38.228.

When Jamieson started work at Celtic the Daily Record was shifting 400,000 copies a day. It was a genuine influencer.

Detested by Celtic fans but influential through reach.

A front page comparing Fergus McCann to Saddam Hussein sort of highlighted their editorial policy.

In December 2002 they decided to go with a famous front page of Thugs and Thieves.

There has been countless examples down the years of the Record’s hostility to most things Celtic. Other newspapers have similar agendas.

CELTIC AND THEIR PREFERRED PARTNERS

And still Celtic cater for them despite having their own social media channels, a club website and TV station.

Four years ago Celtic reluctantly put selected fan media outlets on a rota to ask one question at a media conference then get send to the back of the bus.

Occasionally if someone was critical of the Celtic CEO they would be banned from Celtic Park media facilities.

Keith Jackson and Hugh Keevins ‘suffered’. These days both reporters are close to the Celtic Chairman, if he wants to get a message out Keevins and Jackson are very obliging.

Apparently Nancy has had a whirlwind time since joining Celtic last Thursday. So much to do.

Despite time being at a premium Jamieson has made the already under fire Celtic boss available to his friends in newspapers.

CELTIC TURN THE CLOCK BACK

On Friday Nancy had separate sit down sessions with the Daily and Sunday newspapers. The publishers that carry the garbage of Ryan Stevenson and Kris Boyd. Given additional access to Wilfried Nancy.

On Wednesday he sat down with Daily papers. One news line came out, two were missed.

Asked about Kelechi Iheanacho, the Record reports Nancy saying:

He has trained well. After that, he needs minutes. It has been a long time, two months since he really played.

The way we work the players who have not played regularly we try to get them through physical work to get back into the rhythm.

For the moment obviously he is not fit to play a lot of minutes but a few minutes, yes. I have to understand that also in the past they did not rotate much. So I have done my work on that. I believe we have the players to do that but it has to be step by step.

James Forrest was filmed in training yesterday, no update is available on his fitness or availability.

Since Marcelo Saracchi was substituted during the first half of last week’s win over Dundee nothing has been reported on the fitness of the Uruguayan defender.

The fan media ban has been extended to the Celtic Ladies team which is generally followed by two fan outlets and one freelance reporter who covers all of the teams in the SWPL.

NOTE 1: There is virtually no criticism of the multiple failings of Michael Nicholson as Celtic CEO. Any attack, statement or ‘supporters update’ on the Green Brigade is eagerly taken up by their media partners.

NOTE 2: Hopefully the excluded fan media websites realise that they are missing nothing from being taken off Jamieson’s rota. If he wants to re-engage with fan media it has to be on the same terms as broadcasters and newspapers or he is told to ram it.