The Celtic Fans Collective has revealed new measures they are taking to put pressure on Celtic. The Hoops hierarchy continues to refuse to reinstate fan media arrangements, as well as not backing down on their unjustified ban on the Green Brigade ultras group.
In a statement posted to their X, the Collective said:
""Following the latest disappointing transfer window, the Celtic Fans Collective met last night to discuss the ongoing campaign for positive change at the football club. An overwhelming majority of supporters' club representatives, fan group representatives, and independent supporters voted in favour of a boycott of Saturday evening's club match against Dundee.""
Since the announcement, there have been mixed opinions on whether a boycott is the right decision or if a large portion of fans will even partake.
Looking at Celtic's ticket website, although the match is far from sold out, there have been plenty of seats sold. People in the replies on X have noted that they are going to be ignoring the boycott, and the Collective's decision seems to have come too late, as most people have already bought their tickets. You can understand why they wouldn't want to give up a seat that they paid for.
The Collective have stated that there will be even more protest action in the coming weeks, which could heavily affect the atmosphere at games at such a crucial point in the season.
"Back the team" is the statement of the day
A message you'll often see on social media is to "back the team" from people who aren't fond of protest action. This message is one that you can understand, as with incredibly important matches coming up soon that could define our season, the team needs our support more than ever.
Celtic are still in the fight for multiple trophies, and Martin O'Neill's squad needs people in their seats, cheering on the team for 90 minutes. There is no denying that change is needed at Parkhead, but surely there is a better time.
The message sent to the board from the fans during the match against Falkirk seems like a much better option. Everyone cheering and singing along to a rendition of 'Sack the board' made it clear that a large majority of supporters inside Celtic Park agree that they are in over their heads and need to step aside.
Another point against the protest is that domestic managers like Falkirk's John McGlynn have already spoken about how the lack of noise inside our home ground is helping the away team. They feel more confident, and if even more fans are now choosing not to attend, that means we're essentially handing over our advantage.
Of course, this isn't to say that Collective supporters can't make their own decisions. If they want to boycott games, they have the right to do so, and no one can tell them otherwise. They clearly see this as the way forward, and while it may be, people are also entitled to disagree.
So a final message? The last thing we need is infighting. We can't afford to go head-to-head with each other right now, especially with us having the golden opportunity to reduce the point deficit against Aberdeen.