3rd May 2026; Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland: Scottish Premiership Football, Hibernian versus Celtic; Brian Wilson, Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay of Celtic
Celtic’s embarrassing results in European football are being broadcast with passion across North America.
One time Stirling Albion and Montrose full-back Ian Paul Joy delivers podcast style enthusiasm to CBS coverage of the UEFA competitions.
While UK based presenters and pundits keep their cool Joy doesn’t hold back as he watches Celtic decline game by game.
Two seasons ago North American viewers were able to watch Celtic go head to head with Bayern Munich in the Champions League after a memorable 12 point campaign.
Stirring scenes of the atmospheric Celtic Park made Glasgow stand out in the map of European football.
With Rod Stewart likely to be in the crowd there was even a touch of Hollywood to Celtic matches.
But not any more.
Not since Michael Nicholson spent the build up to the January 2025 visit of YB Bern negotiating the transfer of Kyogo Furuhashi.
THE MANAGED DECLINE OF CELTIC
Never before has Nicholson and his boardroom chums celebrated an own goal with the same level of enthusiasm.
Kyogo was sold, another Champions League pay-day was assured and the process to undermine Brendan Rodgers could start from a high level.
Doctor Football Paul Tisdale had even identified Sin Yamada as the replacement striker.
And from that moment Celtic have been in decline.
From a last 16 Champions League Play Off to third bottom of the Europa League.
The 22 year wait to win a UEFA knock-out tie is about to be extended. Almost certainly February 2028 will be the earliest that that embarrassing record can be ended.
With a Scottish mother and having attended school in Bo’ness Joy has more background that any other North American presenter when it comes to Celtic, their potential and their failings outside the petty and insular world of Scottish football.
@CBSSportsGolazo @JOYPAULIAN One point better than Rangers. That’s the only ambition of the Celtic board. And given how this season’s going, that might not end up being the case, either.
— KTA (@keiteay) October 15, 2026
Joy said:
I will just go on a small rant just now and say that Celtic are unrecognisable to me. They’ve lost four of their last five competitive games.
Yes they are top of the Scottish Premiership, well done, it is wonderful but I consistently repeat myself- they are not consistent on the European stage.
If you don’t invest properly in the team for European football you’ll get feckin no-where.
So I’m completely p**sed off, I’m always frustrated when you see these type of results.
Twelve goals conceded in their last three European games. It is unacceptable, it gets me annoyed.
Unfortunately Celtic are very consistent in European football. Consistently bad, consistently outplayed, exposed and shown up.
THE ROLL OF MEDIOCRITY
Last season Celtic lost out to Kairat Almaty, Sporting Braga and Midtjylland. This season’s roll of mediocrity so far consists of LASK Linz and Ferencvaros.
With Joy highlighting the failings of a club that should be as big as any outside of the top five leagues the hope is that Celtic are shamed into doing something.
Just as they reacted recently after some tennis balls appeared on a golf course.
This season’s Europa League campaign has the potential to turn into a full on embarrassment.
LASK showed the template to get goals against Celtic, exposing a midfield short of physicality that leaves defenders vulnerable and exposed.
Joy is likely to find more material over the next six matches with Celta Vigo visiting next week on the back of losing 2-1 at home to Juventus.
Good article again Joe, good to see this highlighted.
What is there to say? It’s the same old shite year after year.Empty promises that fans end up buying into then get shafted. The board are taking the piss knowing that they will cough up.
Something must give or else it’ll get worse….If possible.