Celtic boss Martin O'Neill is right to call out the strange people who turned up to a Q and A event the club put on at Greenock Supporters' Club this week.
O'Neill joined Celtic chiefs Brian Wilson and Michael Nicholson at the event as key club figures attempted to open dialogue with supporters amid rising levels of frustration from supporters over how the club is being run and the lack of communication.
With an AGM due before the end of the year, some club officials attended a Q and A where we can only assume questions were asked and answered over how the club is being run, the lack of clear strategy and the summer's poor recruitment. The minutes were not recorded.
“Some managers would probably want to run a mile from that idea of how angry his fans are," O'Neill said in his press conference when reflecting on the meeting.
“Well, I think when things are going really well at the football club, you can take all the plaudits and all that you want. At the end of the day, there are bad times and I think that you should face up to that.
“Was everything answered by the board and myself to their satisfaction? You’d have to ask the people there at the time what was there.”
O'Neill also confirmed that a group of masked supporters turned up outside the meeting.
“There was no shouting," he added. "It wasn’t like the (abandoned) AGM last year. The shouting had taken place before the meeting, you know? I mean, you are aware that people with balaclavas come up to the thing.
”To me, I think that was the saddest thing. Would I have ever, in any day, ever thought that Celtic fans would be clothed in balaclavas before a meeting?
“Even if they were disapproving of what was happening. I think that’s really disappointing. I do (find it hard to get my head round that kind of stuff). I do, honestly. I do.”
O'Neill is right about strange masked characters
Honestly, it defies belief that grown men - or women - but likely grown men are turning up at a car park in balaclavas to shout this or that.
If those people have their complaints to voice, then fair enough, go ahead. But stand behind your words. It is beyond cowardly for a grown adult to hide behind a mask, and quite frankly, it's a strange thing to do, to put on a mask as an adult and expect anyone to take you seriously.
Balaclavas are an ugly stain on Scottish football currently.
Add us as a preferred source on Google