SFA Investigation Exposes Ibrox Truth as Brian Wilson’s Celtic Defence Comes Too Late

Brian Wilson has finally challenged the distorted version of events that followed the disorder at Ibrox.

He criticised masked members of the home support and questioned why Police Scotland overturned earlier safety recommendations. Wilson also described the original Celtic pitch incursion as a non-violent, euphoric response to a dramatic penalty shootout victory.

Those comments are welcome. However, they are far too little and far too late.

Celtic needed to defend its supporters, staff and reputation immediately. Instead, the board remained silent while newspapers, broadcasters and pundits pushed a lazy “both sides” narrative.

Wilson has described that silence as a strategy. That explanation is insulting.

Silence did not protect Celtic. It handed control of the story to people who were determined to distort it.

CELTIC’S SILENCE ALLOWED THE FALSE NARRATIVE TO GROW

Celtic supporters should not have entered the pitch. The club can accept that without pretending both groups behaved in the same way.

Celtic fans spilled onto the field while celebrating a penalty shootout victory at Ibrox. They did not charge towards the Rangers end looking for violence.

Masked Rangers supporters then ran across the pitch towards the Celtic support. Serious concerns emerged about poles, reinforced gloves, flares and other objects.

Flares were thrown towards the Celtic end, where children and families were present. A member of the Celtic coaching staff also faced confrontation.

That was not equal behaviour with equal intent.

One group celebrated. Another section moved towards them looking for confrontation.

Much of the Scottish media stripped away that vital distinction. Reporters repeatedly used phrases such as “both sides” to make the disorder sound equal.

Celtic’s board should have challenged that interpretation at once. Instead, supporters and fan media had to defend the club on their own.

A TOXIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCOTTISH PRESS

The board’s silence looks even worse when we examine its relationship with the traditional Scottish press.

Selected journalists receive access, invitations and briefings. The club welcomed members of the media on a trip to Portugal with Martin O’Neill, while independent Celtic fan media remained locked outside.

That relationship has become toxic.

The press receives access to Celtic and regularly carries stories that benefit the board. Yet when those same outlets attack the club or distort major events, Celtic suddenly loses its voice.

Michael Gannon of the Daily Record reported that Kelechi Iheanacho wanted £47,000 per week.

Many supporters suspect Celtic or someone close to the club briefed that figure. It created a convenient impression that Celtic could not compete financially with a Turkish second-division side.

Later information surrounding Iheanacho’s move cast major doubt on that claim. The reported demand increasingly appeared to be nonsense.

The story protected the board. It shifted blame towards the player and presented Celtic as financially powerless.

Supporters therefore have every right to ask who supplied the figure and who benefited from it.

CELTIC FAN MEDIA IS PUNISHED FOR ASKING QUESTIONS

The club’s treatment of fan media makes this situation even more disgraceful.

Paul John Dykes of A Celtic State of Mind has spoken to Brian Wilson about restoring access. However, the board appears unwilling to hold meaningful talks about allowing fan media back into press conferences.

These outlets care deeply about Celtic. They represent supporters and ask questions that traditional journalists often avoid.

That may be exactly why the board keeps them at a distance.

The message looks obvious. Maintain a comfortable relationship with the club and access remains available. Criticise the board, expose its failures or demand accountability and the door stays closed.

That is not open communication.

It is message control.

CELTIC NEEDED COURAGE, NOT A SILENCE STRATEGY

Last season, Celtic faced constant noise about missing minutes, abandoned matches, corruption, cheating and imagined conspiracies.

Jim White, Ally McCoist, Pat Nevin, Tom English, Kris Boyd, Andy Halliday and others helped create a hostile atmosphere around Celtic’s success.

The board did not need to answer every insult. However, it had a duty to challenge serious distortions involving its supporters and staff.

The Ibrox incident demanded strong leadership.

Celtic should have condemned the pitch incursion while making one point completely clear: celebrating supporters and masked individuals charging towards them did not act with the same intent.

Brian Wilson has finally found his voice.

However, Celtic supporters and fan media defended the club long before he did.

Silence was never a strategy.

It was a failure of leadership, a failure of communication and a failure to defend the people who love the club.

Too little. Too late.