The Celtic board are under serious pressure, and for once, it isn’t because of the results on the pitch. Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness has delivered some blunt reality to the Parkhead hierarchy, the fans have realised they hold the ultimate “political weapon.”
With Celtic matchday income and supporter contributions accounting for a staggering 42% of Celtic’s total revenue, the balance of power has shifted.
This board did not:
— Born (C)eltic (@born_celtic) February 21, 2026
Build the stadium 🏟️
Generate 52,000 season ticket holders 🎟️
Create the largest share issue in football history
Kill Rangers 🧟🧟♂️
This board do:
Take large bonuses 💷
Get paid huge salaries🤑
Create division 😡
pic.twitter.com/zsrDHHN6Yp
While the board often treats the Celtic support with contempt as a marketing tool and a cashcow, Wyness warns that the Green Brigade and the wider fanbase now hold all the cards.
Keith Wyness warns the board Celtic fans are ‘understanding their power’
Wyness told the Football Insider podcast, “I think there is definitely a big issue maintaining access, not just the Champions League.
“And believe me, the Scottish coefficient this year is going to make it very hard for Celtic to get into the group stage of the Champions League, even if they win the league this year, and they’ve still got to win the league.
“And that’s, we know it’s a three horse race with Rangers and Hearts, so it’s going to be very difficult for them to maintain that.
“Now also, there is the ongoing dispute with the board and the Celtic fan base. And I think you may see the fan base understanding their power.
“If 42% of the revenue is coming from the fan base, they will utilize that as a political weapon, and you may see more boycotts and different things happening from the Green Brigade and the other groups of Celtic that can agitate them the club.”
Celtic board told by Wyness the fans have ‘the strongest cards’
And as the Celtic fan protest against Stuttgart still hogs the headlines, Wyness says the support are not starting to see how strong they can be.
The former Aberdeen and Everton CEO continued, “We know that there is very bad blood right now between the owners, the board, and the fan base, and that is not great when, as you say, that’s 42% of your revenue, which is a pretty high number, and percentage compared to a lot of other clubs.
“That is not a great thing to have, so that’s got to be reversed in some way. Now we’ll see how that goes.
“But with St Martin O’Neill coming to the rescue, it’s very hard to see how they can they can go forward unless Martin does a miracle and wins the league, keeps the fan base quiet and gets the look right behind.
“The question will then be, if Martin goes at the end of the season, which he talked about, who would come in? Will it be another Wilfried Nancy experiment?
“Who knows, but it’s going to be difficult, but certainly that 42% is a big number of revenue.
“And as I say, European Champions League is looking very, very remote at the moment, with the coefficient, and certainly with the quality for the Celtic squad at the moment.
“And without Martin O’Neill’s experience there for next season, I think it’d be very hard. So the board are in a very difficult place right now, and the fan base moment are starting to get stronger cards to play.”
If the bad blood continues to simmer, that 42% becomes a lever for boycotts that could cripple the club’s balance sheet.
In a season where the Scottish coefficient is collapsing and Champions League riches are looking “remote,” the board cannot afford a civil war.
Martin O’Neill may be the temporary shield keeping the peace, but once hedeparts, the board will be standing on their own without the fans’ backing.
The message is clear: ignore the heartbeat of Parkhead at your own peril.
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