Celtic Board loses control as key messenger goes off script

With a 29 second post-match video clip Sky Sports went off message as they showed the anger of Celtic fans to the club board.

There was very valid criticism aimed at Martin O’Neill and the players after a dismal 2-0 defeat away to Dundee United.

It was a lifeless performance, lacking in every area with team selection, tactics and substitutions open to criticism.

Behind it all however is the freeloaders on the Celtic board.

THE CELTIC GRAVY TRAIN

Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay remove £1.5m a year out of Celtic as well as hope, morale and ambition.

Brian Wilson uses Celtic to maintain a public profile while he drives his anger and disgust at the SNP. The party of Government in Scotland.

Tom Allison and Sharon Brown only turn up for home matches. Afternoons on Tayside within ear-shot of those anti-establishment fans has zero appeal.

Mark Hargreaves likes to provide a visual presence at a distance away from the supporters that he is trying to drive out of Celtic.

Head of club media Kevin McQuillan was absent yesterday but usually provides backing at matches while pushing the Pravda line that all is well within the Celtic Family.

Tony Hamilton will travel any distance for a free lunch. Wherever a company suit is present he will be lurking on the edges of camera shot, usually with his buddy Iain ‘Jambo’ Jamieson.

Celtic keep their legacy media partners sweet with a constant flow of content almost as dull as the club’s own outlets.

By feeding Sky Sports, BBC Scotland, STV, Radio Clyde and others sweet criticism of the club is kept on the margins.

Similarly the Daily Record, Sun, Daily Mail, Herald and the dying rump of newspapers are spoon fed space fillers.

ALL ABOARD THE NANCY BANDWAGON

Remember the glowing profiling of Wilfried Nancy in the Record led by Michael Gannon.

None of those legacy outlets will be critical of Nicholson and his free-loading cronies.

You can expect a few shock horror Green Brigade stories to fill the void caused by an international break.

Alongside that there will be a few exciting manager rumours and talk of signings shared around.

All sugar lumps. Giving the impression of a forward thinking club. One with ambitions, a plan, maybe even a strategy.

Nicholson does actually have a plan and strategy. It is to revive the toxic O** F*** business partnership and football rivalry.

The messengers will need well fed over the next two weeks. Lots of blank spaces and air time needs filled. Not with stories of discontent about the Celtic board. Some messengers still push the line of being the best run club in Europe. Try pushing that line on the streets of Bodo or Brugge.

Season Ticket holders will be receiving their Renewal letters around the same time as Nicholson invites the Union Bears and their hangers on into Celtic Park.

Around 80% of fans will renew automatically, confirming that they are huge, devoted Celtic men.

With maybe upto 10,000 fans not about to automatically renew the Celtic board will soon be sharing the myth of the Waiting List alongside their ambitious plans for next season.

If Celtic finish in third place in the SPFL they will be involved in UEFA Conference League qualifiers while the World Cup is still going on.

NOTE: Hearts are Jamieson’s wee team.