But the challenge has been fragmentation. The Trust has its niche, the ARCSC another. The Green Brigade’s North Curve is powerful in direct action and has now proven it can garner and gather support. Bloggers, podcasts, and fan media amplify voices, but often scatter energy in different directions. The Irish supporters group (AICSC) and the Celtic Supporters Association stepped up brilliantly to the plate at the weekend and the momentum among a united support seems at the moment to be unstoppable. Collectively we know the road we want to go on but what has to be decided is the way we get there.
This brings us back to an idea first raised in 2021
This brings us back to an idea first raised in 2021 by Auldheid, a prominent Celtic supporter and a driving force behind the hard-fought Resolution 12. Persistence beats Resistance was the campaign message for that and it certainly ruffled plenty of feathers at Celtic, the Scottish FA and indeed at UEFA.
His, alongside others, work exposed how Rangers had secured European licences improperly for at least three years, with the complicity of the SFA, and revealed Celtic’s unwillingness to pursue the matter. He also highlighted the folly of Celtic accepting the Five Way Agreement and played a key role in demonstrating that Peter Lawwell had misled the AGM when he claimed never to have seen it.
Without his efforts, much of this would have remained buried, and the wider Celtic support would have been none the wiser. In short, he has first-hand experience of how Celtic operate, and, crucially, how to challenge them successfully. His idea, formed from those experiences, was a professional, properly funded Celtic Membership Scheme.
Celtic supporters shows their support at full-time following the team’s victory in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Semi Final match between St Johnstone and Celtic at Hampden Park on April 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
The concept was simple but powerful.
- A one-member-one-vote structure, accessible to all Celtic supporters, not just shareholders. Monthly subscriptions — as little as £5. More if affordable, less or nothing for the unwaged.
- Funds used not just for share purchases, but to employ professionals: legal experts, administrators, IT staff, media analysts, and a small management team to oversee operations.
- A centralised business portal allowing members worldwide to communicate, debate, and contribute their expertise, skills and contacts from their own diverse fields.
- The ability to hold the PLC to account legally, financially, and in the court of public opinion.
Celtic supporters during the Premier Sports Cup Final victory over theRangers at Hampden on 15 December 2024. Photo AJ for The Celtic Star
With let’s say 20,000 members subscribing – and it could become much more – the scheme could become a global force. It could unite disparate groups — the Trust, the North Curve, ARCSC, the CSA, AICSC, The Green Brigade, Bhoys Celtic and most of the fan media and more, alongside ordinary fans who have never felt represented — into a collective too large to be ignored.
It could also attract figureheads, whether business leaders like Duncan Smillie or David Low, now seemingly disillusioned with, and having walked back from, The Celtic Trust, or philanthropists like Willie Haughey. Many will have their own views on others who could help raise the profile of such a scheme.
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It’s an interesting suggestion worth exploring.
I’m a shareholder and season ticket holder, first Celtic game was in 1969 and I’ve seen it all (well most of it). God protect us from “silent protests”, late arrivals, early leavings, match boycotts and all that nonsense. It’s hun-like behaviour, it feeds the media and it rebounds on the players and team performance.
We had a bad transfer window, and we’re pissed off with the management. All fair enough.
But we remain top of the league, we have a large well paid squad and we’re in Europe … does anyone really think all the radio pundits and the Daily Record genuinely give a stuff about Celtic? I’ve seen fans quoting Gordon Dalzell, Neil McCann and many more talking about BR, or Celtic, as if they care… are we mad ??
Above all else we’re in danger of letting theRangers off the hook
Bang on
I been a celtic saporter all my life and I love to help sacking another board thats not ready to back the team how are we ment to improve if they don’t back the team so how do I join & donate to the coz hail hail god bless Glasgow celtic 🙏 💚🤍🧡💚🤍🧡🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Having given up my season ticket a few years ago, due to these very issues, I am so glad to see the fans unite and start to wake up to the mis -management of our club. All I can say to M above is, ‘if you think that is good, you should try imagining that supercharged by what a board who knew what they are doing re football, could have achieved’.
As to the various means of protest, they affect the team a lot less than this board has, this demoralised squad and manager is not down to the supporters, but blame rests squarely with the board. Surely if a cause is worth while, it can withstand a little pain for the enormous potential gains?, and I don’t see the team being to fussed if a support arrives 30 seconds late and then backs them to the hilt, maybe even amplifying the effect of the support. So I think some people need to get a little braver, token protests are hardly like 50k giving up their season book, think a bit of perspective is needed, or do you think some stern looks will win the day?.
I can only speak for myself, but I would more than gladly pay £5 or whatever to back such a momentous movement, which has already given me such hope, after years of frustration.