Football clubs often talk about “matchday experience” with the earnest tone of a marketing executive unveiling a new product line. Yet for Celtic fans on Friday night against Falkirk, the experience wasn’t shaped by the goals on the pitch, but by the cold line of stewards standing in their path.
This wasn’t a subtle tightening of the screws; it was a clumsy, heavy-handed show of authority. A phalanx of yellow jackets ordered supporters to stop, show their tickets again, and in some cases “go round” – whatever that was supposed to mean. For those caught up in the farce, it felt less like entering a football ground and more like stumbling into airport security at peak holiday season.
The justification, we’re told, is to combat “fan migration” – the slow drift of ticket-holders edging towards the north curve, eager to join the vibrant standing section without actually having the golden ticket to do so. The instinct to police that migration isn’t without merit. It’s a long-standing issue, one the club has wanted to clamp down on for years. But Friday night’s execution was nothing short of shambolic.
No signage. No explanation. No coherent briefing for stewards who looked as uncertain as the fans they were blocking. One supporter recounted how his wife had possession of his season ticket and upon going to the toilet then trying to re-enter the same section he was refused until he produced a ticket. Imagine paying hundreds of pounds for a seat and being treated like a trespasser at your own ground.
It’s the optics as much as the action. Celtic Park – for decades a place where supporters felt at home – suddenly resembled a fortress where fans were penned and prodded like cattle.
It’s the optics as much as the action. Celtic Park – for decades a place where supporters felt at home – suddenly resembled a fortress where fans were penned and prodded like cattle. On Friday night the crowd was sparse; the atmosphere was gentle. Against Kairat Almaty on Wednesday, it will be different. A full house, a Champions League playoff, nerves jangling and tempers frayed. If Celtic repeat Friday’s experiment in front of 60,000, the results could be combustible.
Supporter liaison officer John Paul Taylor has already acknowledged the backlash, promising to feed the feedback into the club’s planning. That’s commendable. But the bigger question is whether anyone upstairs will actually listen. Celtic supporters have never been shy about voicing their frustrations with the boardroom. This latest episode risks widening the gulf of mistrust between the terraces and those in charge.
There is a balance to be struck between safety and freedom of movement, between managing fan migration and making supporters feel respected. On Friday, Celtic got it badly wrong. Wednesday offers a chance to put it right. If not, the roar that greets the Champions League anthem may be accompanied by boos aimed not at UEFA or the opposition, but at the club itself.
Because in football, as in life, you can’t talk about passion and belonging on one hand while treating your most loyal fans as a problem to be contained on the other.
