Celtic Drag Women’s Football into Fan Media Ban

Recently, the club made the decision to ban fan media from attending press conferences and post match media zones in the Europa League, starting tomorrow night for the game against Roma.

This means that many of the outlets that you may get the majority of your news and commentary from, such as The Celtic Star, have been locked out completely from interacting with the manager and the players.

While it was thought by some, myself included, that this ban would only apply to the men’s game, it has been confirmed that it will extend to the women’s game as well, despite the women’s team and women’s football having nothing to do with the current controversies.

This means that the regular content you’re used to seeing from ourselves and The Cynic (press conferences, post-match interviews, detailed match reports) will no longer be available until this ban is lifted. The Celtic fan media simply can’t provide the content that the readers, listeners and viewers want to see if the club refuse to give us access.

For those of us who have been promoting the women’s game and covering it for years, this is extremely disappointing and hurtful news. To be locked out at no fault of our own, just because Celtic decided to throw their toys out of the pram, means that the club are continuing to walk themselves into the flames. This is a dangerous and aggressive path – but it’s a hill they’re willing to fight their own supporters on.

So, why?

Fan media are known to not be shy when it comes to criticising the board when it’s merited. This could very well be the reason why, but why should the media stay silent on issues affecting the biggest football club in the country? Being a journalist requires stating harsh facts, and that’s something the dinosaurs at the top will have to acknowledge one day.

Some of us focus on reporting on the women’s game. While it is impossible to ignore the outside factors, such as the board being the way they are, due to how much it affects the women’s team, we do try to keep our focus largely on increasing visibility and bringing you the latest news about the Celtic FC Women squad.

We’ve been everywhere. At Hampden Park, at Stamford Bridge, even at Ibrox, Broadwood, Airdrie and Hamilton but apparently, that isn’t enough. No media outlets have given more media coverage on Celtic FC Women than The Celtic Star and Cynic Women, whose coverage has been outstanding over a long period of time.

Now are the problem – or at least, that’s how the club seems to be painting the picture.

For now, we will try to provide you with the best coverage as we have done for years, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult when unnecessary obstacles are being put in the way by clueless leaders, dragging the women’s team which should be grateful for any coverage at all really, into their dispute with the the club’s own supporters, the very people to fund the club continually, year after year.

Both The Celtic Star and Cynic Women have been in media conferences with the Celtic FC Women’s Head Coaches where we were the only media who turned up. The show had to go on. What happens the next time the mainstream media don’t show up and there’s no questions to answer.

Right enough, not answering questions is what started this whole mess in the first place.

Jessica Elliott