Chris Sutton is a fantastic voice for Celtic, and this board should respect his opinion.

Every Celtic fan knows the truth by now: our media is mostly made up of pro-Ibrox stooges. And amongst those who aren’t? Well, there are a handful who seem to think that having a good relationship with the Celtic board is a job requirement.

Those folk refuse to even entertain the notion that we’re run by people who think they’re far smarter than they actually are. They are the living proof of what Graham Spiers once said: “succulent lamb is served on both sides of the city.”

Within the media, criticism of Celtic almost always comes with an agenda attached. Some are settling old scores—Charlie Nicholas comes to mind—while others seem actively engaged in efforts to destabilise the club.

It’s a rare man, a rare breed, who criticises this club out of love. Who speaks out when the criticism is needed. There are very few of them in the Scottish sports press, and there’s a good reason why: to want Celtic to be the strongest version of itself is not a sentiment that gets you very far in our media.

But among those rare voices, Chris Sutton has long stood out. He defends Celtic to the hilt when necessary, but more importantly, he criticises when the club needs to be held to account. Sutton is becoming one of the most powerful voices on the side of those of us who believe this club is being sold short by the very people charged with keeping it strong.

Like many of us who are critical right now, he’s doing so because he believes we’re on a potentially perilous path—and he doesn’t understand why.

I’ll talk more about that subject later today, because I think it’s one of the most important conversations we can have right now. But I’ll say this: those of us who feel this way often feel isolated. It’s not pleasant to always be the bearer of bad news. It’s not enjoyable to constantly look at your club through a lens of concern. But let’s be clear—our negativity is not about Celtic. It’s about the way it’s being run.

That’s why we value voices like Sutton’s so much. He has credibility. He has cachet. He doesn’t need to criticise Celtic to keep himself in the news. He speaks on all sorts of football matters, and he’s respected on both sides of the border. That’s a rare thing. Sutton is more than just a Celtic ambassador in the media—he’s one of the few figures in Scottish football broadcasting who commands genuine respect in England as well. And that makes his words carry even more weight.

Equally important, and often underestimated, is the way he constantly argues with his colleagues in England about the game up here. He is not only a great Celtic ambassador but a great one for the Scottish game itself, and that makes him even more credible.

Those of us who are frustrated with the club’s direction need people like Sutton speaking up. We need a strong presence in the media articulating our concerns, and for the right reasons. He does that because he gets it. He cares. He sees what Celtic is, and what Celtic could be. That’s why his words resonate.

This is not a guy stirring the pot for personal gain or with one eye on Ibrox. This is a man speaking from a place of deep affection and respect for Celtic. And a smarter, humbler board of directors would be wise to stop and ask themselves: does he maybe have a point?

I know there are people in the Celtic boardroom who view fan media with contempt. But I also know there are others inside the club who do respect what we say, even if they can’t say so publicly. Sutton, though? He’s earned their respect through what he did in the Hoops, and what he continues to do with a microphone in hand.

Unlike Nicholas and others who long ago burned their bridges, Sutton will always be welcome at Celtic Park. Our fans love him, respect him, revere him. On the pitch, he was a hero. Off the pitch, he’s a voice worth listening to.

And that’s precisely why the board ought to pay attention.

Sutton isn’t just a pundit—they should fear his influence. Because here’s the thing: if Sutton ever calls on the fans to take action, I believe many would. His voice has weight. And I don’t think the people running the club have ever felt true, sustained pressure before. Sutton can bring that to bear if he chooses.

These people have sat in those comfy seats for so long they’ve forgotten what adversity feels like. They’re so used to being told how brilliant they are that they’ve become brittle, defensive, and utterly incapable of handling criticism.

But Sutton can’t be dismissed the way they dismiss us. He has the megaphone. He has the platform. And he’s not afraid to use it—to speak for us, to defend us, and to challenge those who are letting us down.

Could he call for a revolution? A real reckoning at Celtic Park? I don’t think the board want to find out the answer to that question.

They can ignore us. But it’s a lot harder to ignore him. If he spoke out and fan media echoed his concerns, if we were in it together, that would be impossible for them to dismiss.

That’s why I welcome Sutton’s contributions to this debate. They are important. They are necessary. Because when he speaks, he gives voice to how many of us feel. He sees Celtic not as a club that should be content with staying one step ahead of the mob across the city, but as a club that should aim far, far higher.

Sutton played in a European final for this club. He scored massive goals in massive games. He played under a forward-thinking manager who believed Celtic could reach new heights—and Sutton knows that’s still possible. He knows what we are, and more importantly, he knows what we could become.

And I love him for that.

I love him for seeing it clearly. I love him for being a believer.

I love him for understanding that our limitations are largely self-imposed. Yes, we’re realists. We know we can’t compete with Europe’s financial giants. We can’t pay £100k or £200k a week. But none of us are asking for that.

What we’re asking for is a club that stops scrambling around the bargain bin, stops acting like a feeder for Manchester City, and starts developing its own talent with vision and intent. Sutton knows what stinks. And unlike so many others in the press, he doesn’t want anything from the people running our club. He just wants them to do right by it.

And for that, I am immensely grateful to him. This is not a time for silence. This is a time for everyone who loves Celtic to speak up. What’s that old line? “A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against its government.”

Well, so too must a football fan be ready to defend his club against its board, if that board no longer shares the ambitions of the supporters. That’s the essence of being a supporter. It’s not about money. It’s about love. It’s about loyalty. It’s about eternal vigilance—being alert to threats, even when they come from within.

Because that’s where the gravest threat to Celtic lies right now—not across the city, not in Europe, not in the press—but within our own walls.

It lies in a boardroom filled with people who’ve been in post too long, who’ve run out of ideas, and who now seem reactive rather than proactive. Content. Lazy. And there are a handful with dangerous ideas about what our future should look like.

Sutton might not grasp every nuance of that—but he sees it clearly enough. He sees where we are.

And he knows we could be more, and I, for one, am bloody glad he’s in our corner.