It was good to see Brendan and the Bhoys get back to winning ways on Sunday at Rugby Park. Rain and a plastic pitch do not add to the match day experience but a last minute penalty goal to win the game certainly added to the occasion for all the Celtic fans inside the stadium and all those watching around the globe.

There has been so much noise off the field during the international break after two disastrous transfer windows and a call from Celtic fans to sack the board. A leak from inside the club to a tabloid newspaper about the Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers trying to manufacture an early exit for himself only added fuel to the fire and has back fired big time on those currently running Celtic. Celtic fans are 100% behind the Celtic manager and the Celtic players.

Brendan’s press conference on Friday seemed to take for ever to be released by Celtic but the cat was out of the bag when Sky Sports and other media outlets released parts of the Press Conference on their channels and websites after Brendan Rodgers called for the person who leaked the misinformation to the tabloid to remove themselves from Celtic or words to that effect.

The Press conference was the main talking point within the Celtic support ahead of last Sunday’s game at Kilmarnock which also saw 75% of Celtic’s away support on the day only enter the stand at the end after the 12 minute protest outside before joining the other 25% of fans inside to back the team loudly and continue the call to sack the board.

Those running Kilmarnock also need to take a good look at themselves. Sky Sports who showed the game could not be happy with the amount of empty seats in all three stands occupied by the home support.

They would be far better moving all their fans into one stand and selling out the ground to Celtic fans who are desperate to follow Celtic home and away.

It makes financial sense for Kilmarnock they get a full house (ticket money), they sell more pies etc and they may even attract more sponsorship, Sky get the product they need to promote the Scottish game and more Celtic fans get to go and watch their team.

It is also a boost for the local economy  with bars, restaurants getting an extra twist on match day. Bus companies get more bookings so over all it’s a win for everyone no matter what the outcome is on the pitch.

Andrew Milne is Editor of More than 90 Minutes & Host of the Celtic Soul Podcast 

With so much unrest within the Celtic support after the Celtic boards poor handling of the past two transfer windows. It was the Celtic captain, Callum McGregor who faced the media earlier today ahead of the trip to Rugby Park to face Kilmarnock in the SPFL on Sunday.

It was a difficult one for him after the international break. He was pressed on the new players, the strength of the squad and of the fans frustration. He spoke about what he and the players can control and what the players need to deliver and also addressed the fans frustration and mentioned the hard earned cash we spend.

His hands are tied with what he can say but he understands the fans frustrations and he handled the press conference very well. The Celtic players will get all the fans backing on Sunday.

I listened with interest on Wednesday to the speakers from different supporters clubs and representatives from associations and fan media. There were different views expressed but the outcome was unity between all the fan groupings.

I still believe the best way forward is the Celtic Trust and the voting of small shareholders together. The aim is to get 5% of shares so that fans then have the power to call an EGM.

Some Celtic fans will be inside Rugby Park for kick off while I expect the majority to stay outside until the 12^thminute. When all the fans come together on the 12th minute I expect the roof to raised off the stadium by Celtic fans and back the team.

The most important thing on Sunday is a win for the bhoys and another 3 points in the bag. Brendan Rodgers will have had time to work with the players who were not on international duty. We have drawn a blank in our last 3 games so all eyes will be on those leading the line for the Celtic.

Defensively we have been solid all season and I expect that to continue on Sunday and we will all be hoping to see some goals which we have missed. Rangers fan John Beaton is the referee so we won’t be relying on any favours from him.

Celtic go into the weekend fixtures top of the table with 3 wins and 1 draw while Kilmarnock sit mid table in the SPFL after 4 draws.

Kick off is 3pm and the game will be shown on Sky Sports and streamed outside Ireland and the UK on Celtic TV.

Andrew Milne is Editor of More than 90 Minutes & Host of the Celtic Soul Podcast 

 

On Wednesday evening, a consultation meeting was held with the signatories of the recent Open Letter to Celtic FC. The Open Letter has still to be addressed by Celtic FC despite it representing tens of thousands of Celtic fans.

The consultation meeting reflected the second step of acting as a collective fan movement for positive change at our club and was attended by 85 in the room and 175 online. Comprehensive minutes will soon be shared with all signatories.

At the meeting, there was an overwhelming consensus on survey of 38,822 Celtic fans in advance of the meeting: to build on the recent ‘no confidence’ votes on the Celtic FC board, seeking the removal of Michael Nicholson, CEO; Chris McKay, CFO; Peter Lawwell, Chairman.

• to build a strategic, escalatory campaign against the Celtic board.
• to build a democratic and representative fan body
• to coordinate a ‘late entry’ protest at Kilmarnock v Celtic to further visualise and vocalise fan discontent.

At Sunday’s match v Kilmarnock, Celtic’s 12th man will enter the stand on the 12th minute to remind the Celtic FC board that it exists.

This bold visual and vocal protest follows the recent Open Letter signed by 420 signatories which the board has failed to respond to; and a consultation meeting with these signatories.

As a collective of fans, we wish no detriment to the team but believe necessary steps must be taken to demonstrate our discontent and remind the board that “football is nothing without fans.”

Once we enter the stand, the team will receive vociferous backing.

The international break was another disappointment for those of us who follow the Ireland international team. Ireland’s games against Hungary and Armenia were played out with a back drop of Celtic fans around the globe coming together under one Umbrella to call for the resignation of the current Celtic board after a disastrous transfer window.

The Celtic boards refusal to back Brendan Rodgers and the teams failure to qualify for the Champions League has back fired on the current Celtic board in a big way. Celtic fans have had enough. Season book prices have increased while quality players have been sold with no meaningful plan in place to replace them.

The final straw for many Celtic fans was an unsigned press release which appeared on the Celtic FC website at 08:42pm on Saturday night. Strange time for a press release for anything. I can’t imagine Adidas launching a new jersey at the same time and we as Celtic fans are bombarded with offers to buy merchandise every other day.

https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/september/06/celtic-football-club-statement/

The timing and the content of the press release showed a certain level of contempt for the Celtic support and tonight at 7pm Celtic fans will gather in Glasgow (1 person from each group /club/ outlet will attend due to limited space and the same will apply to fans logging onto the meeting to see what is the next course of action.)

Whatever course of action is decided on Brendan Rodgers and the Celtic players deserve our backing on Sunday when we travel to Rugby Park to take on Kilmarnock.

Please fill in the fan consensus survey

https://forms.gle/F2hwGqkiiQCeTbDc7

Andrew Milne is Editor of More than 90 Minutes Celtic Fanzine and host of the Celtic Soul Podcast

 

 

Click image to read the Match day zine.

We were back in Glasgow on Saturday to see Brendan Rodgers shuffle the pack around for the game against newly promoted Livingston. Celtic dominating the game and were deserved winners with a comfortable 3-0 win.

The Celtic manager with one eye on the win or bust Champions League Play Off in Kazakhstan against Kairat on Tuesday, he rested some key players including Kieran Tierney. Hayato Inamura made Celtic competitive debut while Dane Murray made his second start after starting in the League Cup win over Falkirk.

Luke McCowan started the game but limped off injured. Arne Engels was back in the starting 11 and Paulo Bernardo came in for a rare start in the middle. We also got a chance to see Shin Yamada leading the line for Celtic. He looked lively and had a goal ruled off side before making way for Johnny Kenny.

Injuries have also weakened the squad with Adam Idah, Alistair Johnston and Auston Trusty all ruled out for the game.

There were banners in the North Curve section aimed at the Celtic board refusal to back the manager in the transfer window ahead of the the crucial CL games.

There were also chants of “Sack the Board” but they were not as loud as on Wednesday night. Maybe the three second half goals relaxed the atmosphere although there were plenty of empty seats scattered throughout the stadium.

One section of the ground that was full was the Kano Kids section in the middle of the Lisbon Lions Stand behind the goals. The charity welcomed the 20,000^th kid to Celtic Park. It was also a great day for the Parish with Liam Scales captaining Celtic and Johnny Kenny coming off the bench to score Celtic’s third goal.

Benjamin Nygren picked up a deserved man of match award and chipped in with 2 goals. Celtic are now top of the table on 9 points with 3 wins and 3 cleans sheets in the SPFL.

Onwards to Tuesday.

Andrew Milne is Editor of More than 90 Minutes & Host of the Celtic Soul Podcast

Celtic recently signed Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, an underage central defender from Man. City until the end of this season. It appears that Simpson-Pusey is a great defender and that this is a very effective signing for the central defence.

While this is a “statement” signing, my thoughts turn to the young players in the Academy such as Dane Murray, Colby Donovan and Mitchell Frame. I think that these players are ready to take their rightful place in the first team and I think that there is huge frustration at the position in which they find themselves. They get a chance to play in some meaningless friendly (Murray played in the League Cup v Falkirk), they impress but instead of progressing on to the first team they discover that Celtic have signed yet another defender. This is unsatisfactory from their perspective.

The Celtic Academy has lost a huge amount of graduate players in recent times [Cummings, Anderson, Kelly etc] as a result of the fact that a clear pathway to the first team has not been provided to them. This is not right. There is little point in having an academy in the first place in circumstances where Celtic are unwilling to provide opportunities to those who are good enough to take their place in the first team.

Clearly, Dane Murray is good enough to take his place in the back line. Similarly, Mitchell Frame is good enough to act as Kieran Tierney’s understudy. However, from what I’m reading on the internet BR is still looking out for another left back when there is absolutely no need for one.

In any event, it now seems that the back line is more than adequate for the work ahead with Johnston and Ralston on the right, your choice of CCV, Simpson-Pusey, Scales, Trusty, Dane Murray etc. In the centre and Tierney, Inamura and Frame on the left.

As it happens, the need is greater in other areas of the pitch. Take midfield for example, where we have Engels, Hatete, Cal-Mac and now Nygren [a very capable player by all accounts]. However, amongst that group there is lacking a kind of enforcer such as Neil Lennon or Vic Wanyama, a player who breaks up opposition possession. If there is no such player available in the Academy, Celtic should go out and sign one without delay.

This is a lot more important than the back line or even the signing of a new winger, as Frank McAvennie has correctly pointed out. This shortfall has been identified by McAvennie and he is on the money. This urgently needs to be attended to as soon as possible.

Not withstanding what I have stated above, it is also clear that resources on the wing are being stretched following the departure of Kuhn to Como. Tilio does not appeal to BR and he will be on his way shortly. That leaves just Forrest and Yang on the right. To be honest I am not unduly worried as long as nobody gets injured. Yang is improving as a player all the time and Forrest is still only 33, meaning that he still has a year or two left at the highest level. In addition, it appears that Jota will return in the new year. Having said all that, if Celtic can sign a winger on a short term loan it would probably amount to good business.

I now turn to the lone striker position. Here we have Idah, Kenny, Yamada and Osmond. I think it’s probably fair to say that nobody in this quartet is going to unduly frighten PSG or Real Madrid. I know little or nothing about Yamada or Osmond but I am praying that they are better than I think they are.

As regards Idah, he lacks consistency in his game. It is clear that Celtic were tricked into paying over the odds for this player. Norwich City knew that Celtic wanted to sign Idah and that Idah himself wanted a move to Celtic Park and they held out for the full asking price of almost €10M, which I believe is more that twice his real valuation.

Kenny is a good centre forward but is probably not quite at the standard that would trouble top continental defences. In this context, I think that Celtic should allow some of these players to go out on loan and sign a new centre forward.

Time will tell!

Tim Molloy is a life-long Celtic supporter, an Irish language enthusiast and a law graduate of London University

On Wednesday night Celtic could only manage a 0-0 draw in the Champions League qualifier against Kairat. It was a frustrating night inside Celtic Park. The morning after the media headlines were SACK THE BOARD after continued calls from frustrated Celtic fans during the second half and at full time.

The boos at full time were not directed at Brendan Rodgers or the players but towards the board members sitting in the main stand.

Celtic were very poor in the first half and a bit better in the second half. The Kairat plan worked for them on the night. They parked the bus and time wasting in the second half to stop Celtic getting into a Rhythm. They got the draw they wanted to take back to Kazakhstan for the second leg next Tuesday.

The atmosphere was flat inside Celtic Park although both sets of Celtic Ultras did their best to get the atmosphere going but the stadium never responded on a frustrating night.

Chants of “Sack the Board “could be heard on the 67^th minute when it is usually “In the heat of Lisbon”. After 10 minutes of added on time the frustration spilled over and it was not only from the Ultra groups. The chants continued and could be heard from all around the stadium and those sitting in front of the board turned around and vented their anger.

Failing to back Brendan Rodgers with quality signings is not popular. The Celtic manager has continuously had to talk about the lack of quality signing over the summer. It is about time those running the club gave us an explanation of WHY? we have not replaced key players when we have a treasure chest of wealth accumulating interest in the bank.

I got flash backs to when Maribor knocks us out of  the CL qualifiers when Ronnie Delia was in charge. He got the sack for failing in Europe and for failing to win a treble yet the board stayed.

This is the same board who were in charge when we failed to do the 10IAR. Neil Lennon got the sack and all that changed in the board room was they moved the chairs around after Dom McKay’s brief spell as CEO.

As fans we can do no more we have bought shares, merchandise and season tickets. We have given all we can give and all we want is to see the team progress on an annual basis.

Some fans continue to back the board coming up with excuses for them about players not prepared to come to Celtic Park, those comments just won’t wash.

In the Jock Stein lounge after the game the vast majority of fans were vocal in their disapproval of the performance, the board and even the appointment of Shaun Maloney as player pathway manager. Someone who has no experience in youth development while former Youth supremo Willie McStay is already in the building as a chief scout. The fear for some I spoke to was that Shaun is being groomed to take over from Brendan Rodgers.

I didn’t see anything in the visitors performance Wednesday night to suggest that Celtic cannot go there and get a result. So lets hope that Celtic’s name is in the hat when the draw is made but we all know if we don’t get some fire power we will continue to struggle in the final third.

Andrew Milne is Editor of More than 90 Minutes and host of the Celtic Soul Podcast