Radio silence from Celtic is putting the wrong people under pressure

By Euan Davidson

May 4, 2021

It was all fine and well when Celtic announced they’d be joining the social media silence this weekend past.

Whether it was an effective measure in attempting to curtail online abuse towards players and staff is your own perspective. However, it was a worthy, valid move to make. Especially with a Glasgow Derby on, the temptation could’ve been to suggest a different weekend.

Anyway; that stuff is all good. It’s a positive move from the club. What isn’t, though, is taking well after the allotted break to announce anything, literally anything, to supporters demanding answers.

Far, far too often this season, we’ve either been bombarded or left alone. When there are opportunities to make a buck from supporters, or some kind of financial incentive is available, Celtic take it. However, when there’s some accountability needed, or some hope for supporters that there’s a plan, it’s been utter radio silence.

The last direct communiqué to supporters from before the social media break was typical stuff about how the players and manager would like to win a game of football.

Inevitably, they didn’t win at the weekend. And so, as the managerial circus rolls further and further on, supporters are left to vent at JP Taylor, Celtic’s hard-working, long-suffering SLO. That, if you ask us, just isn’t fair.

Celtic supporters: not asking for too much, surely? / (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

Celtic are leaving their employees with too much to do

Because, honestly, what’s a club’s media and support liaison staff meant to do when things are they way they are? It’s far easier and more satisfying to engage with fans when results are good and the board are communicating. Without clear messaging from the top, though, the people entrusted with keeping fans informed are just going to be subject to the righteous anger of supporters.

It goes back again to the idea of accountability. We’ve seen nothing of the sort, apart from Scott Brown, who didn’t have to be so forthcoming (and fair play to him for doing so). The last we heard from Dermot Desmond, it was cartoonish. The likes of Peter Lawwell and Desmond aren’t hearing the supporters day in, day out though. It’s easy for them to ignore the world.

For the folk working in the Celtic shops, or the social media team, or with the CSCs? Not so much. It’s a daily occurrence for them, to have to either defend the club when it’s not their responsibility, or take flak when our club’s malaise is not their fault.

In the interest of avoiding another protest, the Celtic board really ought to tell us what the plan is, here. It doesn’t have to be a novel; just something to indicate that they’re talking to managers, or that they understand that results aren’t good enough. Nothing more about “well, who could’ve seen this coming?” [Celtic FC], or the unprecedented times we’re having.

It’s not good enough for a club our size. Some direct communication, at long last, would ease the pressure on people who love the club and want to do right by it.

None of us want to be angry at the club for anger’s sake. Nobody, I’m sure, who writes about Celtic wants to talk the club down in any way shape or form. Just like the messengers from within the club, we want to be on the forefront, singing the club’s name to whoever will listen.

It’s just that it goes both ways.

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