FALKIRK, SCOTLAND - JANUARY 14: Celtic's Callum McGregor (centre) at full time during a William Hill Premiership match between Falkirk and Celtic at The Falkirk Stadium, on January 14, 2026, in Falkirk, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
The more I look at Scottish football, the more one contradiction keeps staring back at me. The entire system depends on Celtic. Financially. Commercially. Globally.
And yet there’s always tension. Always resistance. Always that underlying irritation at what Celtic represent. This isn’t about playing the victim. It’s about recognising a reality that becomes obvious the moment you step back and look at the bigger picture.
Scottish football needs Celtic. But it has never been comfortable with that truth.
Scottish football runs on passion and tradition. It sells noise, rivalry, history and identity. But commercially, the picture looks very different. When television deals are negotiated, Celtic matter and when sponsors assess value, Celtic matters most.
When the league tries to attract international attention, Celtic is the big selling point.
The global fanbase. The European nights. Big merchandise sales, at least up until this season when the board squandered its goodwill. Even the coefficient points, a triumph Ibrox likes to claim as its own but one that has been shot down repeatedly.
These things don’t come from nowhere. They come from Celtic’s scale. In simple terms, Celtic are the commercial engine of Scottish football, and for a lot of people that creates a problem. Because the league benefits from that power, but it doesn’t always like the club that provides it.
Part of the discomfort comes from what Celtic represent. This isn’t just a successful football team. Celtic carry history, identity and cultural weight. Irish roots. Community origins. A club built on charity and working-class solidarity.
That identity has always made Celtic different. Too big to control. Too influential to ignore and too distinctive to fit neatly into the traditional structures of Scottish football. When James writes that everyone in Scottish football, save for Hibs fans, wants to see us fail this year he is not kidding. Some out of jealousy, some out of darker motives, a handful because they believe there will be some benefit to the game … but it’s nearly a universal view. Those darker motives cannot be ignored either; many in Scottish football actively loathe Celtic because of those origins, those roots, and the community we come from.
At times, it feels as though the wider Scottish football establishment tolerates Celtic rather than embraces them. Whether that perception is fair or not is another debate. But the feeling exists among supporters. And it shapes how decisions, governance issues and controversies are viewed.
The contradiction becomes even clearer in Europe. When Celtic perform well, Scotland’s coefficient improves. Qualification routes open up. The league’s reputation grows. When Celtic struggle, everyone forgets the limitations this league imposes on us. We are expected to go toe to toe with European giants … even as we’re told that it’s our vast wealth and the greater value of our team which means teams here can’t compete.
It’s a strange burden. Essential to the league’s credibility, yet constantly resented for the scale that makes that role possible.
Domestically, the tension takes another form. Every season is framed around stopping Celtic and so every dropped point becomes a headline. Every controversy becomes a national debate. Media cycles orbit around Celtic whether the story is success, failure or crisis. That level of attention creates fatigue.
And sustained success always creates imbalance. Financial strength widens gaps. Visibility becomes saturation. In a football culture built on rivalry and grievance, that saturation irritates people. The same dominance that keeps the commercial engine running is the thing that fuels resentment.
Both realities exist at the same time.
The truth is simple. Scottish football lives in Celtic’s shadow. That shadow reflects the gap in scale, capability and global reach. When one club operates at a different level, it forces everyone else to confront their limits.
People criticise Celtic’s ambition right now, and rightly so. But fourteen league titles out of fifteen prove that we’ve remained dominant even while getting a lot of things wrong. Imagine the scale of that dominance if the club were actually run properly.
This isn’t arrogance. It’s simply reality. Take Celtic’s fanbase, European presence and commercial pull out of the equation and the league immediately becomes smaller, less visible and less valuable.
At the same time, Celtic’s history, cultural identity and competitive power ensure that the wider system will never fully embrace the club. The game depends on us and pushes back against us in equal measure. We sit at the centre of Scottish football, and much of it resents us for it.
You can see the contradiction everywhere.
Governance debates. Revenue arguments. Refereeing controversies. Media narratives built around whether someone can finally “stop” Celtic. The obsession keeps the league alive. But it also reveals something deeper.
That Scottish football depends on Celtic’s scale while bristling at their influence. It markets their history while questioning their power. It benefits from their success while quietly hoping for their decline. That tension never really disappears.
From my perspective, this says less about Celtic and more about Scottish football itself. It needs Celtic’s commercial strength, global visibility and European relevance. But it struggles with the dominance, identity and cultural weight that come with that scale.
Until that contradiction is faced honestly, the same arguments will keep repeating. Commercial dependence. Emotional resistance. Permanent tension.
Celtic sustain the league’s visibility, revenue and international profile. But their size, history and identity mean they will never simply be treated like any other club. They are essential. They are influential, and for those things they are always going to be divisive, and that’s the paradox at the heart of Scottish football.
The game depends on Celtic and it hates the fact that it does.
A brilliant article Paulina and you have hit the nail right on the head. We have always been RESENTED by the rest of the clubs involved in Scottish football, but TOLERATED by them for the all the positives we offer their whole football industry. If we are failing in any way they will gladly scoff and sneer at our predicament, wallowing in our pain and discomfort, it has always been that way, to hell with those uppity fenians, their problems are THEIR problems and we care not a jot.
Recently, and because it is topical, Kasper Schmeichel was booed by the Scotland fans when he played for Denmark against Scotland in the WC qualifier, none of the other Danish players were booed by the same fans, so why then? The only logical answer was because he played for Celtic, their hatred for all things Celtic manifested itself that night and it is the very reason I have never attended a Scotland match after my first game as a teenager when watching them in the 60[s.
The present situation between the Celtic board and the Celtic fans is being lapped up by all of these ‘enemies of Celtic,’ a weakened Celtic suits every one of them and I am including Hibs fans in this, for those fuckers have no time for us either, I have stood among them often enough in the past where we are called ‘Glasgow Bastards’ instead of fenian ones.
The huns sing ‘no one likes us we don’t care’ but that song applies more to us than it ever has to them.
Sorry, I am ranting a wee bit Paulina, but thanks for your article for it is very insightful and totally factual.
I understand that you are not a Scotland fan Johnny and that is your choice. I’ve been to countless Scotland games and what you say is wrong. Wasn’t at the game and obviously wouldnt have taken part in the booing if I was, but Schmeichel was playing for the opposition he was fair game unlike his treatment the other night.
I watched Gazza play v Scotland and never heard an opposition player get booed so much, fair game also…its football not snooker. The Scotland support has always had more Celtic fans than support from Ibrox in my experience, but practically all Scotland fans hate the sectarian bullshit.
Ps. was at the game at Anfield when Kenny scored v Wales and allegedly Anfield has never bounced anything like that since then!
It was truly magical…the Welsh shit themselves!
According to data collated by the Fraser of Allander economic institution in 2018, Celtic contributed £165 million pounds to the Scottish economy. The same institution will release figures sometime this year and with Celtic’s success, Champion League nights etc i would imagine it will be even higher. Yet, we still have a negative picture painted of us due to the parochial prejudice of Scottish society. In fairness, it has gotten better as time has elapsed, but is still smouldering under the surface. Scottish football definitely needs us.
As regards the Scottish International team, I have had friends encourage me to go along to their games, tried to convince me that things have changed since the 60’s when a large portion of their fans wore Rangers scarves, sang the Sash and booed the Celtic players, especially wee Jinkie who they chanted ‘Henderson’ at. They may well have softened their hard line bitterness since then, but mine has stayed the same, I don’t forget these things.
Fk them all, the long and the short and the tall.
Naw, I’m not going to America during the Summer 🙂
Fuck going there under the current administration, Johnny. Wearing a kilt might get you the gaol. I’ve never been to a Scotland game and simply can’t get into the whole kilts, shortbread and alcoholism gig.
What is ironic there Johnny, is that wee Jinky and Willie Henderson were the best of pals off the pitch.
Hail Hail.
Some great points there Pauline. I would agree with your opinion regarding Scottish Government, football authorities, refereeing departments and most of the media being anti Celtic. However I wouldn’t say that all fans of every other Scottish Club fit that criteria.
Jock Stein always preached humility and disliked any sense of entitlement or superiority, so I think he’d be uncomfortable with that part of your article.
I agree that other Club’s fans can be envious of Celtic, but in most cases not jealous. Envy means wanting something someone else has got, jealousy means not wanting them to have it.
In 1994 Scottish Football as a whole was prepared to let Celtic die. They stood idly by hoping that we would go to the wall and, had it not been for ‘the bunnet’ and a few others our club would have been destroyed. Fast forward to 2012 when everything possible was done for the Sons of Satan to stay in Scottish Football, to ease them back into the fold, and as a comparison their total disregard for the uppity fenians can then be seen quite clearly.
That is why the board of Celtic and the fans should be fighting tooth and nail as one to preserve our history and to maintain our dominance in Scottish football.. If only we had a board that cared enough instead of the holograms we now have sitting at the table.
That is nonsense Johnny. There was a concerted effort by clubs looking at the financial aspect of losing half of the “old firm” income but not the fans.
Fans of many clubs made it clear they didnt give a fuck about the “old firm” cash and would not be back if Basket Case FC part 2 got admitted straight into the top tier. The clubs shit themselves and backed down. It was resolute fan action, real solidarity.
Ps Rangers did die… nobody saved them!
I didn’t say that the huns didn’t die, but they were allowed back in the back door to continue their resurrection from the dead. The football authorities seen to that.
And the first part of my story was spot on, for absolutely no one wanted Celtic to survive.
Paranoid bullshit.
Leave the noone likes us we don’t care where it belongs ffs!
What am I, a flypaper for freaks?
100% correct Johnny!
Top quality article Paulina and as Johnny has said, you’ve definitely hit the nail on the head.
Our sustained and continuous success over the past two decades, although fantastic, can never tell our full story.
Achieved, by excellent management and players ON the park, despite the ongoing issues OFF the park, that have brought us to our present state.
Our club and fans have always battled against those that favoured the “establishment club” in its first, now defunct form, and the Phoenix club that follow followed it!
Dodgy SFA officials, biased referees et al are not just a new phenomenon, but have been around to hinder/obstruct us for decades.
As you have articulated so well, if only we had a board of professionals that had this club running like a Rolls Royce, instead of a Reliant Robin, we’d be out of sight.
That is why so many of our fans, especially the older ones, will never take kindly to being called “entitled.”
We’ve seen and experienced the garbage, the cheating and the arrogance from across the city when they were continually using money, they didn’t have, to “put us in our place!”
Now as the Phoenix club, it’s supporters, and all those that crawl out of the woodwork when they think there might be a title to be won, look to try and put us down, we have our own board that are doing that job for them !
It’s disgraceful , and why Celtic fans are standing up for our values( much lamented by others) and against those that are intent on curtailing our success…ably abetted by the incompetents on our board.
Celtic fans’ ethos and core values will always surmount those that try and contain or subdue us, and keeping a strong degree of harmony will help in that.
A very fine article !
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer!” HH
Brilliant article Paula and every single word is the truth, Scottish football couldn’t survive without Celtic and the hatred for us for being the dominant force is off the charts. The sectarian bile we’ve got to face at most grounds is unbelievable, this myth that anti-Irish racism and anti-Catholic bigotry is a West of Scotland thing is utter bollocks I’ve seen it all over the country and anyone who says that’s not the case is lying. That’s like saying the Orange Walk only happens down here too when in fact it’s a national problem and it’s a shameful indictment of this country that those people are still celebrating a 17th century battle that never brought anything meaningful to Scotland except racism and bigotry. Your piece is brilliant pal and you’ve cottoned on quick to the resentment and hatred considering you’re new to the Celtic family, you hit the nail on the head and you’d be a good addition to the Trinity Tims but maybe call it the Trinity Quads.
In my humble opinion a quality article makes you jump on board and add more quality to it in the comments section, and this article certainly hits the mark as do the excellent comments.
Major Scottish cities bar Aberdeen has its Catholic v proddy footy duality so they are not all against us, a little fed up with our ownership of Scottish titles perhaps, but a huge amount would prefer that to be us rather than the far right mob from Ibrox.
Bearing in mind that the Scottish people are nominally left wing but like all countries it has a rabid 10% who are far right and very vocal.
Celtic is the footballing giant in Scotland and the predominantly Protestant Scottish establishment hate that.They want Celtic either dead like Rangers or there to be humiliated al la 1990s era.They care not one iota about our contribution to the Scottish economy whilst simultaneously relying on it.
Our winning makes it all the more sweeter ,it’s good guys v bad guys and no mistake.
I’m my area Celtic are far preferred to Sevco by fans of neither !