The Celtic Fans Collective are holding a fan demonstration on The Celtic Way at 2pm this afternoon.

The protest reportedly seeks to put pressure on Michael Nicholson, Chris McKay and Brian Wilson to leave their positions at the club. It comes in the wake of Peter Lawwell’s departure from Celtic after approximately 20 years in executive positions. A statement from Celtic Fans Collective was posted on social media this Friday, which described change at boardroom level as “inevitable and necessary”; this believed to be the case due to the club “failing to progress in line with its resources, potential, and expressed expectations and ambitions of the support.”

The statement went on to lambast the recent false allegations against a Celtic fan, who has been accused of brandishing a weapon at the recent clash with Dundee United at Tannadice. That the images circulated in newspaper outlets clearly show no such weapon being present has astonishingly been overlooked by the media. Meanwhile, the numerous police officers within yards of the alleged offender also took no action at the time! This rebuttal was mentioned in the context of “some” being “eager to portray the campaign for change as a baying mob.” Furthermore, the statement questioned the nature of Peter Lawwell’s departure, describing the notion that fans pursued a threatening campaign against him and the rest of the board as “baseless” and “unfounded”. Instead, the Collective reiterated their commitment to peaceful and principled campaigning to hold the board to account.

There is no denying that Celtic Football Club is in turmoil on and off the pitch at present. There is a chasm between the fans and the board, which many feel will widen without change within the hierarchy. As such the call has been put out for fans to gather on The Celtic Way at 2pm, ahead of this afternoon’s match with Aberdeen. In addition to this action, the second protest in as many home domestic fixtures, there has also been a reminder to persist with the Not Another Penny campaign, “particularly in the run up to Christmas.”

The statement concludes with a rallying cry, pointing out that Celtic fans have forced change against great odds in the past.

The full statement can be seen below: