Charlie Nicholas is a Celtic enigma.
Seriously. He is. Rarely speaks about the club in a positive fashion and wonders why he is, I need to say this politely, much maligned by the Celtic supporters.
But it is his latest comments today that really opened my eyes to the man.
A self confessed, but difficult to prove, Celtic supporter, Nicholas left the Hoops in the Eighties for the bright lights of London and never looked back.
Which is why his next two claims are so hard to believe.
Speaking in his column in The Express, Nicholas says the Celtic fans must be given a voice on the board in order to bridge the gap of distrust between the two.
Very commendable, but then he over eggs it by what he claims next, ” Celtic’s hierarchy has to open the door and give the fans a voice on the board,” he wrote in The Express.
“I feel like I have been debating and fighting with the people in power at Celtic most of my life, since I was a player, all the way through.
“I saw the ill-feeling at the Annual General Meeting the other week and I have been back at a game recently.
“I have witnessed the verve and emotion in the stadium.
“The fans and the team are the soul and the heartbeat of the club.”
‘Debating and fighting with the people in power at Celtic most of my life.’
Yes you read that right. When Charlie?
When did you last turn up and protest at Celtic Park against anything the board have done?
When did you last stand in the terraces with the real fans in the freezing cold and demand change within the Parkhead corridors?
Where were you when Celtic almost went under until Fergus McCann stepped in. You left the club in 1983 mate.
Writing a weekly column in England and criticising the club from afar does not count.
Even as I write on my blog and condemn the board, I would never have the balls to claim I ‘fight with the people in power‘.
Absolute nonsense.
And as for his second claim that he recently attended a match in the stadium, sitting in the comfy chairs in hospitality doesn’t count as witnessing the emotion in the stand.
You saw it, but you never felt it. Probably because you weren’t there.
Whilst I agree with the point you raise CN did look back and rejoined Celtic in 1990.
Hi Tyson. Thanks for reading. Yeah, you’re spot on there but he’s painting himself as some form of militant Celtic fan that has led a crusade against the board over the decades. It’s simply not true. HH