Martin O’Neill has blasted the growing rift between Celtic supporters and the club’s board, calling the current situation “not Celtic at all.” The Irish manager’s remarks come after the Green Brigade, a prominent ultras faction, announced a boycott of Scottish Cup fixtures and home European matches in protest against the club’s leadership. The group’s statement accused Dermot Desmond, the club’s largest shareholder, of fostering a “dark cloud” over Celtic and said the disconnect between the board and the fan base had never felt greater.
The boycott follows a protest that took place during the Alfred Dunhill Links golf tournament in St Andrews, where supporters staged a demonstration against Desmond. Celtic’s response was swift, threatening an “indefinite ban” on anyone “established to be involved in planning, facilitating or participating” in the incident. The club also announced that it would no longer recognise the Celtic Fans Collective – a coalition that includes the Green Brigade – as a representative body. In a statement, the Green Brigade described the club’s latest move as “another attack on supporters” and accused the board of showing “utter disdain” for the fan community. The group insisted that its members had no involvement in the St Andrews protest, which had involved the throwing of tennis balls.
O’Neill, who took charge of the club last year, expressed frustration at the repeated cycle of anti‑board sentiment. “I came into this situation this time last year and it seems to be going back to that again,” he said, echoing his disagreement with the actions taken at St Andrews. He also criticised the club’s recent decision to ban Rangers ultras for wearing balaclavas in a Scottish Cup match, saying, “We derided Rangers ultras in the last season’s Scottish Cup game for wearing balaclavas and then suddenly we’re doing it ourselves. This is not Celtic at all.” The manager described the boycott as “a really sad situation” but noted that the club had faced similar challenges last season.
Reflecting on his time at Celtic, O’Neill recalled memorable moments such as the 2003 UEFA Cup final in Seville, where 80,000 fans filled the stadium without incident, and the final match of the season when supporters stormed the pitch after the whistle. “Those are phenomenal memories which I’ll never forget,” he said. He added that when the club was united toward the end of the season, he felt “we were unbeatable.” The club’s decision to break ties with the fan collective and the ensuing boycott signal a tense period ahead, with the board and supporters still at odds over the direction of the club and the role of its largest shareholder.