Celtic’s treatment of fan media took another concerning turn today, and supporters deserve to understand how we got here.
CeltsAreHere has been part of the club’s fan media rota since Ange Postecoglou arrived. This system gives 10 to 12 fan-led outlets periodic access to press conferences involving the manager and players, sitting alongside the mainstream media. It’s a space where supporter-driven platforms can ask questions that reflect the concerns of the fanbase directly.
That access was championed by former CEO Dom McKay, who actively engaged with fan media from the start. He personally invited outlets like ours to meet both himself and the new manager at the time, setting a positive tone. His wider vision included revamping the club’s communications as a whole, creating an open, transparent environment.
But everything changed after McKay’s abrupt departure. Since Michael Nicholson stepped into the role, there’s been no direct dialogue between CeltsAreHere and anyone at executive level. Not once. The structured rota remained, but access was reduced and became far less predictable. Last-minute invitations became the norm.
This season had seemed like a reset. The club provided early clarity on which games each outlet would cover, which we welcomed, and CeltsAreHere was scheduled for the pre-match press conference ahead of the Hearts game, which so happened to coincide with the appointment of Wilfried Nancy. But no information came.
After chasing confirmation, we received an email just 90 minutes before our expected arrival at Lennoxtown. It stated there would be no fan media access and that the club is now “reviewing” its arrangements. No further explanation was offered.
We’ve always conducted ourselves professionally. We ask serious, relevant questions that matter to the support.
After this summer’s disappointing transfer window, for instance, we asked Brendan Rodgers whether he felt Celtic was “world class in everything we do”—a phrase previously used by Michael Nicholson. Rodgers’ response captured the unease many fans felt at the time and proved why independent scrutiny matters.
CeltsAreHere has been a part of the Celtic conversation for over a decade. We are proud to be an independent voice, representing fans who care deeply about the direction of this club. And we are not alone. The majority of fan media outlets operate with integrity, raising issues mainstream media rarely touches.
That’s why it’s deeply disappointing that, on the day Celtic’s new manager holds his first press conference, fan media will be absent. The timing is telling. It follows a period where multiple platforms, including ours, have engaged in broader discussions and actions about meaningful change at Celtic football club.
To many, this will feel like a targeted move—an effort to sideline the very people who have the courage to question. It looks like a decision rooted in control, not collaboration. And it reinforces what many supporters already believe: change is badly needed at Celtic.
Shutting the door on fan media doesn’t build trust. It breaks it. And supporters deserve better than silence, and pre-recorded sound bites when they ask for answers.
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5 responses
You can’t really blame them for shutting out Fan Media. The fan media criticism of the board has reached a point where they have made it very clear they perceive the Board as their number one enemy, so why would you invite invite your enemy into your house?
Nonsense, fan media has been professional throughout, asking questions, and attempting to hold the board to account. I think you’ll find it’s the board who have acted in a thoroughly unprofessional way, and they who have identified enemies( the fans), and attacked, besmirched, and belittled them accordingly.
So you are saying the fan media have not attacked, besmirched, and belittled members of the board?
Theyt probably don’t want to expose Wilfried Nancy to too much fan negativity from the outset. They caused it of course and now they’re dodging the flak. There’s a simple remedy: spend money on quality players that the team needs and everyone will be happy. If not, then poor old Wilfried will quickly feel the negativity around him. He doesn’t deserve that.
Pigs fighting to guard the trough from the great unwashed, if there’s one thing they do fight for it’s cash, and self remuneration.
No mention of a dead club cheating everyone for years, no mention of referee performances nothing short of disgraceful, no acknowledgment that fans are the life blood of the club, no football strategy communicated, no accountability for their performances, but when it comes to fighting for their share of the swill, they spring into action in an instant, like tinpot dictators.