The Celtic Board this evening have released a statement backing Neil Lennon as the club’s manager in the face of ongoing supporter discontent.

The Celtic Board acknowledged that there now is considerable unrest among the support and deny – as we told you last week – that that anyone from the club had described the support as being ‘entitled’ – however as we explained this appeared to be an editorial add-on after someone whispered into the Hack from the Daily Record’s ear.

Earlier today we supported an idea to place our flags on the fencing outside Celtic Park and while this was gaining momentum thereafter the club responded by removing the fencing as dusk this evening.

That was followed by the following statement as the Celtic Board talks directly to the Celtic support and not via their tried and tested but hugely discredited tactic of speaking to the Hacks. Speaking directly to the support and removing the fences are both baby steps in the right direction.

The Celtic Fans media should now be engaged and treated with more respect that has been the case over a long period of time – unless of course your blog or podcast is completely compliant. Those days are gone.

They are also saying that the situation will be reviewed in the New Year so Neil Lennon will be the manager for the Scottish Cup Final and also will take the team to Ibrox on 2 January for the must win Glasgow Derby. Basically every game in a must win from now on if Neil Lennon and and the Celtic Board are going to turn this around.

Here’s what the Celtic Board  has had to say…

BOARD STATEMENT

In light of the ongoing speculation regarding the position of our football manager, Neil Lennon, the Board of Celtic Football Club wishes to make clear its continuing support for Neil and his backroom team.

The Board recognises and understands the importance of winning the league championship this season and that, as Neil himself has made clear, recent performances and results have been disappointing. The Board is committed to delivering success for Celtic supporters.

The Board has carefully considered the current circumstances and the challenges that we are faced with, not least the pressure on the management and players to deliver the tenth championship in a row that is so important to us all. Equally important is to continue to operate according to our Club’s values. The Board has come to the conclusion that our collective objective is best served by continuing to support Neil and his team as they seek solutions for those challenges.

Neil has the support of the players and staff at the Club. He understands the pressure and the environment. As his outstanding record as a manager, captain and player demonstrates, he knows what it takes to be successful at Celtic and he has delivered success with many of the current squad of players, who understand his method and approach.

Whilst it has been suggested that it is time for a change, at this stage in the season the Board believes that Neil and his management team are best placed to turn the team’s performances around and lead us on to success. The Board continues to work closely with Neil and his team to support them as they seek to do so and progress will be reviewed in the new year.

The Board wishes to take this opportunity to thank all Celtic supporters for their support during this challenging year. The response of the support to the challenges that we all face together has been magnificent. It is therefore important to make clear that the Board has never, as it has been inaccurately reported, referred to any Celtic supporter as ‘entitled’.

The Board recognises the range of views expressed by our supporters and the strength of those opinions. Whilst there may not always be agreement, there is certainly a common goal – the success of Celtic Football Club – and we will continue to work together to seek to achieve that success.

The Board of Celtic Football Club wishes to make clear its continuing support for Neil Lennon and his backroom team.

Full Board statement ⬇️

— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 7, 2020