Celtic Release Friday Night Supporter Statement

Celtic’s night against Stuttgart was bad enough on the pitch. A 4-1 defeat at Celtic Park left the tie hanging by the flimsiest of threads, and the match was stopped seconds after kick-off when tennis ball-sized objects were thrown onto the surface in protest.

On Friday night, Interim Chairman Brian Wilson moved quickly to address it. His language was sharp, and it is clearly aimed attacking the protestors in a ‘look what we’re having to put up with’ type statement.

“Last night was deeply disappointing for the Club in many respects,” Wilson said via CelticFC.com. “This started with an orchestrated disruption of the game, causing a delay to an important match.”

Wilson also set out his recent outreach, stressing he has met supporter groups and individuals, including the Green Brigade and the Celtic Fans Collective, repeatedly using the phrase “in good faith.”

The statement’s central message is a call for order inside the stadium, and a plea to protect Martin O’Neill and the squad during a run-in that still holds domestic promise.

“When I came into this role, I asked for unity inside the stadium to support the team while trying to resolve other issues,” Wilson said. “I want to see suspensions lifted and differences set aside, but this cannot be unconditional.”

That is where the club’s framing starts to run into the reality of what has actually been offered so far.

Supporter representatives have already outlined that, in meetings this week, much of what Celtic discussed sits in the “review” and “draft proposals” bracket, with a commitment to return within a month on a supporter engagement model, and no clear timeline attached to other flashpoints like the Green Brigade situation and the fan media bans.

So when Wilson says unity “cannot be unconditional”, the obvious question becomes: what, precisely, are the conditions, and who sets them?

The bigger issue is that Thursday’s protest did not erupt in a vacuum. Wilson insists his words are “not intended to deflect from other issues that affect the club and are fully recognised,” but the statement leans heavily on others being the issue.

Celtic’s own process, by the club’s own admissions in recent discussions, has not always looked tight or accountable, particularly around communications and decision-making.

Wilson finished with a promise to keep pushing for an end to what he called “this debilitating and unnecessary atmosphere of conflict.”

Supporters will hear that. They will also measure it against actions. As we have found out first hand, do not judge the Celtic board by what they say, judge them by what they do.

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