Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
Sport
Mark McDougall

Celtic fans continue board protest as Ian Bankier becomes latest target in '102 days' criticism

Celtic fans continued to protest against the club's board as they moved to 102 days without a manager.

The club have had nobody at the helm since Neil Lennon left Celtic Park back in February, with John Kennedy in interim charge during that time.

But Celtic have had no official manager and supporters have grown more and more frustrated as they days and weeks have gone.

Ange Postecoglou is expected to be announced as manager later this week after a deal was reportedly agreed - although he refused to answer questions on the matter earlier today.

And after banners aimed at Peter Lawwell and Dermot Desmond in the last two days, the Green Brigade have turned their attention towards Ian Bankier.

A banner was held up outside Celtic Park with 102 on it to mark the time, with Bankier face crossed out with a stop sign throughout it.

Celtic fans have regularly protested against the board this season and it saw crowds gather outside Celtic Park back in November when results were going poorly.

It was something Lennon criticised in an explosive interview with The Times on Saturday, when he said: Speaking to the players the next day they were really disturbed and upset by that.

"Literally upset by it. That was the first cup defeat in 35/36 games. It was the end of an unbelievable cycle of success and for them to be treated that way was bewildering. They should have been lauded for it rather than abused.

"They were getting pelted with missiles. It was very sad. There was a new breed of supporters that I had nothing in common with and who belie the values of the club.

"They are the ones that are giving the club a bad name.

"It was definitely a situation like no other. You're going for the tenth title in a row and that was an obsession for the fans, an unhealthy obsession I felt.

"And we were in the midst of a pandemic where nothing was normal. So you put that together and there were a lot of things that were out of your control as a manager.

"Let me put it this way, it wasn't just the football you were concentrating on, there were a lot of other things going around.

"Whether it be protocols, or the trip to Dubai, or players breaking Covid regulations, there was a lot of anxiety from other people surrounding that. It was a difficult thing to manage. People above me were as strong as they could be..

"I had nothing in common with those supporters and the way they treated Dermot (Desmond) and Peter (Lawwell) as well, shocking."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.