TO SEE CELTIC IS OUR DREAM, BUT WHAT ABOUT FANS WHO CAN’T GO?
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
I had some fun earlier today wrestling with the notion of Celtic clinching the title at Ibrox, should we lose our next league game.
We’ve also discussed fact that Celtic deserve a guard of honor, but almost certainly won’t get one at Snake Mountain.
The reality is though, in all probability, Celtic will win the League at Tannadice against Dundee United on April 26th.
We won’t get the three stands we had at St. Johnstone last week, but hopefully plenty of Celtic fans will be there to see the league won.
But I’m not here today to talk about those fans. Instead I want to talk about those of us who aren’t there, who can’t be there.
The game against Dundee United will be on TV, but that’s not always the case.
Every Celtic Game Should be Available to Every Celtic Fan, Wherever They Live
Now, I am writing from an admittedly privileged position. As someone who lives outside the UK and Ireland, I can watch every Celtic game live via Celtic TV, when it works.
The same cant be said for my dad though. He’s retired, a widower and has mobility issues. There are plenty of other people in a similar position to him, I am sure.
Financially, a Celtic season ticket, even if it were available, isn’t an option for someone like my dad.
Even if it were, his mobility problems and the fact he lives alone makes getting to and from Celtic Park very, very difficult.
Then, there’s the stairs he would have to climb to get to his seat. I won’t labor the point, I’m sure you get the picture.
There are tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of fans like me dad, who would love to watch Celtic every week, but for whom getting to Celtic Park isn’t financially or physically feasible.
Many of these fans resort to using the notorious “dodgy firestick”, VPNs or other legally questionable means to access the streams I get for a flat monthly fee.
These are not criminals. These are people who want to watch their football team play, and like the dedicated fans they are, they’ll do whatever they can to make that happen.
These are all people who would gladly pay Celtic a reasonable monthly fee to be able to watch the games at home.
Oh, but Saturday 3pm kick-offs can’t be shown on TV live. Why? Just because…
As I said, there are plenty of fans out there with no interest in any team other than Celtic.
Banning them from watching the team they love is not going to compel them to go and watch Clyde or Hamilton Accies instead.
Fans will do what they have to do to access the content they want. If the providers of that content don’t want to offer fans a fair, legal means to do so, then they will, naturally look at other options.
Celtic, Rangers, indeed any number of clubs across the UK with a significant fanbase are throwing away money on a weekly basis by continuing to follow these antiquated rules, instead of being allowed to show their international broadcasts to a ready and willing domestic audience.
It’s not like we don’t have prior precedent either.
During the Covid pandemic, when lockdowns were in full force and societal tensions were running high, the government couldn’t wait to (temporarily) change the rules.
Never underestimate the power of football as a means to distract the masses during times of political crisis.
Much has been said about society’s “new normal” since the pandemic. Working from home has been normalized in many industries.
And yet, football remains rooted in the past.
Celtic should be allowed to show Celtic TV to anyone who is willing to buy it. These nonsensical geographical restrictions need to end.
Ending these restrictions would also open up a new revenue stream for football clubs of all sizes.
It’s time to re-evaluate how domestic Celtic fans are treated. I can watch every game here in Japan, why can’t my friends and family in Scotland?