GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 17: Celtic Chairman Peter Lawwell, Majority Shareholder Dermot Desmond, and Chief Executive Officer Michael Nicholson (L-R) during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and St Mirren at Celtic Park, on May 17, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Alan Harvey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
It has been an editorial that has been brewing away for some time- close to an all out attack on the Celtic support.
Over 20 years ago Celtic Quick News was one of the first blogs around, evolving from the Message Boards of the day.
Every day a strong Celtic editorial would appear, often completely contrary to legacy media outlets which still delivered huge numbers. The replies and comments flooded in.
There was a freshness and independence about CQN, they were invited to record Celtic media conferences but never asked any questions.
Subtly CQN changed direction, it evolved from a fan website into one that just pushed the views of the club unquestionably.
Like every club Celtic were far from flawless, there were problems in multiple areas.
Constructive criticism ought to be welcomed, a useful two way vehicle but CQN became as blinkered as the legacy publishers that they once challenged, calling out lazy journalism.
Over more than a decade the blinkered editorials have been Pravda like.
Celtic were never to blame, all was wonderful inside the club. Apparently Celtic were admired across Europe with a model than every club outside the top five leagues aspired to emulate.
Fans saw through CQN, it became a parody of itself.
There was a deep deep dislike of Brendan Rodgers since his June 2023 return that regularly resurfaces.
He was slaughtered for not building a last 16 Champions League team around Odin Thiago Holm and Kwon Hyeok-kyu. Marco Tilio was a wing wizard, incredibly neglected by a manager bearing grudges.
IS THE CELTIC SUPPORT TOXIC?
Since October last year the dislike of Rodgers has become obsessive.
On Tuesday night as Celtic issued their 2026 Annual Report CQN let it all go.
Interim Chairman Wilson blamed Rodgers for creating instability. Paul 67 took it further. It seems that the toxic Celtic support have scared off nice Celtic minded executives from joining the board or becoming Chairman.
It’s the fan’s fault Celtic can’t get a chairman. @CQN pic.twitter.com/S0cE6zEHEQ
— 20 Minute Tims (@20MinuteTims) September 22, 2026
Not so long ago the Celtic support was the best in the world. CQN shared numerous heart-warming tales.
As the support was taken for granted dissent started to grow.
Some fans questioned why such a brilliantly run club hadn’t won a UEFA knock out match since 2004. Why they continually failed to qualify for the Champions League against unseeded opponents.
Dissent was scorned, not the Celtic way.
Over the last five years the Celtic CEO has given three media interviews. His only solo interviews were last December when he twice spoke about his admiration for Wilfried Nancy.
Since winning 12 points in the 2024/25 Champions League Celtic have twice failed in the qualifiers.
The value of the playing squad has been decimated yet the CEO and the Board are immune from criticism.
The problems are all caused by entitled demanding fans.
It seems way too far fetched that no-one of any corporate standing will want associated with such a dysfunctional PLC.
Disgusting article. Every single word of it.
Despicable smear on the Celtic fans whilst he continues to defend the people setting our reputation on fire. And if Rodgers didn’t shag his missus he definitely ran over his cat. This level of loathing is just not normal.
— TheCelticBlog (@CelticBlog2018) September 22, 2026
Constructive change is not possible because the largest shareholder prevents the board and executive team from engaging in it. Dermot Desmond has made the role toxic.
— Paul (@ptmcd92) September 22, 2026
He’s probably raging he hasn’t been offered a position but unfortunately for him we have our full quota of brown-nosers
— Celtic-Mad (@celtic_mad) September 22, 2026
‘What Celtic fan would want to put themselves forward for this’
Who says it has to be a Celtic fan for the position available? That’s narrowing your pool straight away and keeping the status quo of the old pals act because they are too scared someone outside will see through it— Gino Ginelli (@MarinoGiorgetti) September 22, 2026
All the fans ask for is people who genuinely want the club to succeed, you don’t need to deplete the cash reserves but what you have to do is identify with the manager how to make the squad better every season. If this had been ongoing for the last decade we would be CL regulars
— David campbell (@Davidc2508) September 22, 2026
What they’re failing to say is that the full work space within @CelticFC is toxic because the hierarchy within those walls of parkhead are incompetent to even run a day to day operation! Staff leaving at the first chance they get because offices & equipment are from the 90s!
— ALC ?? (@ALC19867) September 22, 2026
What a load of nonsense. The fans are the ones demanding change, it’s the Board that won’t do anything.
Why do any Board appointees need to be Celtic fans? We just need people with vision and an appetite for getting things done.
Dom McKay anyone? (I know he was a Celtic fan btw)— Jimbo (@jimbexperience) September 22, 2026
Well maybe if board members and the chairman had the best interests of the club at heart, and fans could see the effort to make it so there wouldn’t be a problem, I site dom McKay as said example, someone who wanted the best for the club and bagged by the board.
— aint no disco man!!!!????????? (@costumeofaman) September 22, 2026
They were Lawwell’s mouthpiece, they are not independent journalists. They helped Lawwell in his efforts to diminish Brendan Rodgers.
Embarrassing nonsense from MON re team unable to change to his tactics blaming Rodgers. Those tactics had us playing well in Europe, we now have a failing manager with no tactics.
It’s a bit convenient when Celtic announce an annual loss of over £4 million sovs from last season that ‘Church mouse ‘ Nicholson decides to release a statement from the board backing the manager ? As soon as the numbers are declared and they are dismal ….the CEO decides it’s perfect timing to let the fans know that everyone on the board has Martin O’Neill’s back ..no problem ! Notice how nothing was mentioned of that nature back in the Summer when there was a CL place to be won and the club desperately needed strengthened. An ‘after the horse has bolted ‘ type of statement ! Charlatans …….
There has long been a suspicion that Passkeeper Paul 67, is in the actual
pay of the board, so his absurdly Trumpian pronouncements may not be entirely objective, and his own self interest affects everything he says.
CQN is now a cult, but what is of interest is that the cult members appear fewer and fewer, albeit their level of vitriol and superiority towards other Celtic supporters has intensified, in direct ratio with their failure to see what is blindingly obvious to everyone else.