Fuming Celtic fans make board demand outside Parkhead amid toxic post-derby scenes as Hoops hero makes confession
There were toxic scenes outside Celtic Park as fans demanded a face-to-face showdown with the Hoops hierarchy after the 3-1 defeat to Rangers
Thousands of furious Celtic fans gathered outside Parkhead in protest against the club’s board following their 3-1 Old Firm derby loss to Rangers.
Things went from bad to worse for beleaguered boss Wilfried Nancy in today’s showpiece encounter in Glasgow’s east end as the visitors staged a stirring second half comeback to pile even more pressure on the under-fire Frenchman.
Chants of ‘The Celtic board has got to go’ rang out from the Hoops faithful as supporters made their feelings clear towards Dermot Desmond and Co post-match following a crushing defeat to their bitter rivals.
Celtic fan fury spills over as protest held outside stadium
Police Scotland had to form a barrier to ensure the protests didn’t get out of hand as the ill feeling aimed towards the club’s directors box inside the stadium began to spill over.
Banned ultras group, the ‘Green Brigade’, who are currently locked out of attending home games, launched a fresh attack on the Celtic hierarchy before the New Year showdown, branding senior figures as ”incompetent” and claiming they have “wilfully damaged” their club.
And their ongoing war with board members over key issues both on and off the pitch continued as they doubled down on who was responsible for their latest defeat before the full-time whistle had sounded.
A social media post on X read: “If you are concerned about the trajectory of Celtic then get to the front doors of Celtic Park after the game and make yourself heard. Sack the Board.”
And it was evident that fans in attendance got the message as they answered the call by demanding change at boardroom level amid rising toxicity along with X-rated chants aimed towards head coach Nancy.
Where the Old Firm derby was won and lost
Celtic hero Jackie McNamara reckons the derby was won and lost at half-time.
Reacting to Nancy’s post-match comments on Sky Sports, he stated: “What he's saying there is small margins, yes, they had chances there and as he said at half-time it could easily have been four for Celtic, but it wasn't. It's the other end, it's adjusting to changes that the opposition make.
“For me, Danny Rohl won the game at half-time for Rangers by decisions he made. He said I'm going to push the Celtic wing-backs away, I'll push them up there. And Celtic never changed anything, even when it went to 2-1 or 3-1, they didn't change their shape. So they've got three centre-halves and their two wing-backs are coming back and it effectively becomes a five against three when you're chasing the game.
“How are you going to get your... In the first half, Yang was Celtic's best player in that final third, but then you're seeing him there losing part of the goal in the back post area. He's not a defensive player, you want to see him higher up. So go and change the shape, go to a four and match up with Rangers again.
“That's the difference sometimes between winning and losing the game. It's seen how the game... Not every game is mapped out the way you want it. It's making little changes to make sure your team... And that's how Rangers have won the game today.
McNamara went on: “We've all got beliefs, formations and everything else and you want to stick to it. But it's not about our beliefs, it's about winning. I feel for a guy, it's a big pressure job. Nobody wants to see anybody lose their job or under pressure, but it is the nature of it.
“Coming in here, he's come in on the back of Martin (O’Neill), who'd won seven out of eight, including one bad performance in Europe against a good side. The performances weren't always great, but the results were. Coming in there, it's just about continuing that and finding a way to win. And that's the difference now.”