If you haven’t seen the latest “Supporters’ Update” featuring Interim Chairman, Brian Wilson, I suggest you pour yourself a stiff drink before settling in. It is a masterclass in political manoeuvring.

A symphony of corporate deflection and ultimately, an unwelcome bucket of cold water over the heads of anyone hoping for genuine, systemic change at Celtic Park.

As we approach the business end of the season, with four league games and a cup final looming, the PR machine is in overdrive.

But beneath the talk of “Manager of the Month” awards and “unity,” there is a distinct smell of stale air. Wilson, an experienced politician who understands the manipulation of the masses better than most, has given us a roadmap of where the board intends to go.

Spoiler alert: It’s a circle.

Board Unifies The Fans – We All Want Them Gone!

Wilson was quick to lean on his favourite rhetorical crutch: “Unity is strength and division is weakness.” It’s a phrase he repeats with the frequency of a liturgical prayer. In reality, it’s a morass of meaningless muttering designed to stifle dissent.

In this context, “unity” is simply code for “doing what the board says.” They are prepared to concede nothing except on the most superficial issues, as an aide to deflect from the lack of meaningful action, or change where it actually matters.

By framing any criticism as “divisive,” they attempt to guilt-trip a fan base that is rightly concerned about the stewardship of their club. Real unity is earned through transparency and shared ambition; it isn’t something you demand from supporters while keeping them at arms length.

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Talking to “Everybody” (Except the People Talking)

The Chairman claimed, “We were going to talk to everybody. We’ve done that.”

It’s a bold claim, but it comes with a massive asterisk. By this metric, it appears that fan media are not considered to be supporters. This may be deemed irrelevant by many, but bear in mind these outlets are discussing and considering all matters Celtic with the fans on a full-time, professional basis.

In fact without fan engagement they can’t survive. It’s literally their business. That’s a bottomless treasure chest of invaluable feedback, which the club can only dream of, but yet has chosen to ignore.

To bypass the most engaged, analytical, and vocal section of the support while claiming to have “talked to everybody” isn’t just an oversight—it’s a deliberate strategy to control the narrative.

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Beware – Diversion Ahead

Then we have the announcement of a new “Head of Supporter Engagement.” Wilson promises this will lead to a “much more structured approach to engagement.”

This seems in no way compatible with the fans’ advisory board, which is what the fans’ collective had actually asked for.

Instead of a direct line to the decision-makers, we are being given a middleman. It looks like a layer of obstruction between the fans and the board, and a form of protection, allowing the board to avoid direct contact with the fans, and therefore accountability.

More deflection. No more accountability.

On the Road to Nowhere – Talking Heads

Wilson also signalled the intent to “revive the fans forum,” but with a twist: taking it “out around the country.” While this is dressed up as inclusivity and broad engagement, it primarily serves a much more cynical purpose.

It is an ingenious way to allow fans to vent their spleen at a powerless club functionary, whose job will be to act as the bullet-proof glass between the board and fans.

Another tool to placate the masses without promising or delivering any meaningful change. The new appointee may or may not ever be able to do anything more constructive than produce reports to be ignored by the people who actually hold the purse strings and the power.

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The “Refreshment” That Isn’t

The Chairman touched on the board’s composition, mentioning the departures of Peter Lawwell and Tom Allison. He called it a “refreshment of the board.”

Let’s be clear: This is not a refreshment of the board in any meaningful sense. It is simply replacing two men who were on the board for decades longer than they should have been with more fresh-faced functionaries. If not for ill health, they would likely still be there.

None of the positions affecting the day-to-day operations of the club have been, or likely will be, changed.

• The sponsored silence of the bumbling CEO continues; one can only hope he’s getting “grift aid.”
• The CFO who thinks we can’t compete with the likes of Bodø/Glimt remains in post.
• The Head of Security, who apparently doesn’t understand the word “advisory” (as in the Safety Advisory Group), is still there.

This isn’t a new era; it’s minimalist musical chairs.

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Perfect Politician’s Apology

Perhaps the most grating part of the update was the vague admission that “everyone I hope and expect has learned lessons from some things which influenced this season.”

Yet again, we are faced with the admission of permanently unidentified mistakes and lessons. It is the most egregious of dismissive, utterly meaningless statements.

Admitting nothing specific, for which no one is to blame.

It is the perfect politician’s apology. Wilson makes it sound like he’s saying something conciliatory, indicating deep reflection from the board, whereas the polar opposite is true. If you can’t name the mistake, you haven’t learned the lesson.

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The Ultimate Slap in the Face

Finally, Wilson had the gall to state that “everything else is secondary to what happens on the park.”

For the supporters, this is the final slap in the face. We have watched a season defined by almost unimaginable board-level incompetence.

A disastrous summer transfer window ended with a Champions League qualification failure, a manager resigning, and the principal shareholder using official club channels to slate him on the way out, in the first of a series of scandalous statements.

Then came the January window, a moment where the entire season hung in the balance. Instead of backing our most successful manager ever (by win percentage) the board chose to hang him out to dry. We saw:

• Bringing in nothing except loan players who hadn’t been playing.
• Investing big wages on players who had been out of form for significant periods.
• Bringing in players hampered by injury for significant periods.

None of these earth shatteringly impressive signings even made it into the squad at the weekend!!

There was, yet again, no attempt to buy a fit, in-form striker who could have turned the season around, along with a couple of quality wingers.

It is abundantly clear that at Celtic Park, it is the cash mountain that comes first, not the on pitch performances.

Are You Being Served?

Brian Wilson’s update wasn’t a message of hope; it was a manifesto of maintenance. The board looks to be doubling down on a structure that prioritises financial insulation over sporting dominance.

They offer “engagement” officers and “travelling forums” to keep us distracted, while they continue the same failed recruitment and governance policies.

The “Window Dressing Waffle” is served. The question is: how much longer are the supporters expected to swallow it?