Celtic was right to put the fans first over Premier Sports cheap and nasty deal.

On this website, we often complain about how clubs – including our own – don’t really care about fans, and how TV deals show a deep disregard for supporters.

That’s why it was gratifying to read Stephen McGowan’s piece in the Daily Mail about Celtic turning down the chance to participate in a Premier Sports deal which would have seen a number of our home fixtures moved to unacceptable times and dates.

There are several aspects to this story, which I’ll address in different pieces. For now, what matters most is that Celtic has acted in the interests of the supporters. The club is tired of games being moved from their regular time slots to inconvenient ones that make it harder for fans to attend. They’re not willing to see the supporters treated this way.

McGowan’s article, like others in the media, tries to suggest that this decision is why no one will be able to watch the top-of-the-table clash between Celtic and Aberdeen at the weekend. I’m not sure who leaked that story, but I’m glad they did.

The media can moan all they like, but the fact is, most Celtic season ticket holders and regular attendees will thank the club for putting them first.

It’s been clear for weeks that this would be a major fixture. Sky could have chosen to show it, but they decided to air the Kilmarnock vs. Ibrox game instead. There’s no reason they couldn’t have picked another match or aired both – but they didn’t. That’s not Celtic’s fault. If this game mattered so much to the TV companies, Premier Sports could have picked up the Kilmarnock game and they could have worked it out. But they weren’t interested in doing that.

Celtic has taken a stance on behalf of their supporters, particularly their season ticket holders, and is trying to restore some sanity to a fixture list constantly disrupted by TV scheduling. It’s unfortunate that fewer people will be able to watch the match, but that’s not on Celtic. The club has prioritised ensuring that as many season ticket holders as possible can attend.

They’ve even left money on the table to make it happen.

That’s a principled act. It’s putting fans first, and I won’t criticise the club for doing so. In fact, I applaud them. Saturday 3:00 PM kick-offs are becoming a rarity, and this one deserves to stay at the traditional time.

For fans who can’t attend, there are other ways to watch the game – though not ones I can officially recommend here. Sky’s disregard for Scottish football is the real reason this match isn’t being shown. They rejected the extra games package that Premier Sports picked up, and our so-called “great leaders” sold that package so cheaply that Celtic decided it wasn’t worth the adverse effects.

If there had been more money on the table, Celtic might have weighed the impact on fans against the potential benefits to the club. If the deal had allowed us to sign another decent player or upgrade our infrastructure, they might have considered it. But for such a small sum – a mere £100,000 for two games – they won’t ask fans to make sacrifices.

And you know what? That’s how it should be.

It’s a sign that something has shifted behind the scenes.

Someone at the board level has finally found their backbone, and they’re expressing their displeasure in a way that gets the message across.

So, well done Celtic. You turned down a paltry sum of money rather than disregard the views and needs of the fans. If anyone doubts what the consequences of taking the money would have been, just look at the embarrassing turnout for the Ibrox club’s match against St. Johnstone the other night – a Sunday 8:00 PM kick-off for the same measly fee.

It’s a perfect example of what could have happened at Celtic Park. While things are generally better at our club, and fans are enjoying the football, there’s no guarantee that our attendance wouldn’t have dropped enough to cancel out any financial gain.

From a cost-benefit perspective, this decision was a no-brainer.

But there’s another angle here that Scottish football should take note of, and I’ll be writing about that next. This is a game changer. In fact, it’s confirmation that the game has already changed – something this site has been aware of and warned about for some time now.

There are bigger consequences to Celtic leaving money on the table than people might realise, and they really do have the power to make a lasting impact.