BBC Scotland were locked out of returning manager Brendan Rodgers’ media conference and unveiling yesterday afternoon at Celtic Park. The national broadcaster was left outside the tent on this occasion as both mainstream and fan media outlets were in attendance to quiz the new boss on his homecoming, including The Celtic Star (the excellent Celtic fan media conference video below).

There is no reason surfaced or evidenced yet as to why this particular lock-out occurred and what the thinking of the Celtic heirarchy was to take such actions. However, one can probably guess as to why the senior figures at Parkhead did not want Tom English’s employers in attendance today.

The Celtic Star had asked Tom English if Brendan Rodgers’ previous Celtic record is somehow devalued – as he argued this week – because theRangers were weak in 2016-19 then the same should surely have appleid when Walter Smith returned to the old Rangers for a second time as manager in 2007, given he was in charge at Ibrox and faced a particularly weak Celtic side. Of course he didn’t want to answer that one.

Celtic Football Club have always endured a very difficult relationship with the mainstream media in this country and the national broadcaster specifically has a very unusual, slanted, and some might argue partisan coverage of all things relating to the football club that was started by Irish-Catholic immigrants over a century ago now.

With English himself being particularly vocal in his lambasting of Rodgers’ return to Paradise for the second time and others in his profession also suggesting he was a failure the last time out, one might not need to delve very deep to consider why such an event transpired this afternoon in Glasgow.

No doubt if they had been allowed entry, they would have tried to stoke the fires of division and relentlessly attacked from the position of the Green Brigade’s banner and the like.

The BBC released the following statement on the incident:

“We’re sorry that Celtic did not allow us to access today’s media event. We are in discussions with the club in an effort to resolve the situation.

“BBC Scotland has asked Celtic for comment on the decision to deny the BBC access to the media conference and is awaiting a response.”

Has the Celtic Board finally grown a set? We’ll find out in due course…

Paul Gillespie

HUGE SAVINGS IN THE CELTIC STAR’S SUMMER SALE! 

The Celtic Star’s book promotion has been so successful, with hundreds of books at great prices being posted to Celtic fans all over the world, that we’ve decided to continue with the sale until the end of July. We’ve reduced all six books currently available from their usual retail price of £20 and prices are as low as £6 (see below).

All books are high quality hardback, with some signed by the author. And it’s also worth noting that you only pay postage on one book, so it’s free for the second, third and so on. ORDER HERE or click on The Celtic Star image above…this is how it feels to be Celtic!