A week on from Paul McStay stepping in as the face of the Season Ticket Alliance, the idea is starting to move beyond just talk. It’s now out there among supporters, and attention is turning to whether it actually gathers support.
McStay’s involvement has changed how it’s viewed. Up until now, it was closely tied to Willie Haughey and his proposal. Bringing in a former captain gives it more weight, especially with supporters who remember what he meant to the club.
The idea itself is straightforward. It’s aimed at season ticket holders who are there every week but don’t own shares. That gap has been there for a long time, and this is an attempt to give those supporters a way to be heard.
There are still questions around how it works in practice. It all comes down to numbers. If enough fans sign up, it starts to carry weight. If not, it stays as an idea without much impact.
McStay said: (The Go Radio Football Show), “I am delighted to be involved, and it’s an honour. When Willie asked me and explained what the initiative was about, I thought it was excellent.
“I believe that the 54,000 season ticket holders that go along each week put a lot of money into the club and support it financially, and more importantly vocally at the games. But, there are a lot of those season ticket holders that are not shareholders, so they find it very difficult to voice their opinion at times.
“So, I think this a great vehicle for them to sign up and be part of something that allows them to give their opinions, and be part of a group that can put their opinions forward to the club.
“The strength of the organisation will come from the number of season ticket holders that sign up and commit to it, and Willie will then help finance the purchase of shares.
“The more shares you have, obviously as people know, the more power there is to your voice. I think as a club the fans are the foundation of it.
“When I am asked to be involved with the club as a former player, to support the Foundation (club charity) or in general I am there, because as a player it was an honour to play there. But this one is different, this is taking me back to my routes as a young Celtic fan.
“Even back then when you got your first Celtic strip you became an ambassador then, so anybody involved with the club becomes an ambassador.
“This was just something I felt I could support with all my heart and I believe it’s the right thing to give some of the fan’s a voice and an opinion to the club.”
That idea of giving supporters a voice is what it all comes back to. Fans already shape the atmosphere inside the ground, but this is about trying to take that further.
The difficult part is turning that into real influence. Owning shares is one thing, but how that feeds into decisions at board level is still unclear.
Timing matters as well. Celtic are in the middle of a busy run of games, and results will shape the mood around the club.
What happens next depends on how many supporters get involved. If the numbers are there, it carries weight. If not, it risks fading despite the early interest.
