Kris Boyd’s remarks on Sky Sports after Celtic’s loss to Rangers have not gone down well with a large section of the support.
His critique centred less on performances or managerial calls and more on the way supporters responded.
That reaction has struck a chord because it taps into a broader sense of disillusionment among Celtic fans. Many believe they are being urged to stay silent and tolerate decline while continuing to financially back the club regardless of falling standards.
Celtic supporters are anything but casual followers. They spend heavily week after week, travel in huge numbers, and invest emotionally through both successful periods and difficult spells.
Seen in that context, Boyd’s delivery came across as patronising rather than insightful. It felt more like a reprimand aimed at fans who feel they have earned the right to expect better.
He said: (Sky Sports), “The self-entitlement from this group of fans, just to expect to win, is off the charts.
“What this club has done over a period of time, and you’ve got fans outside singing Sack the Board, it was only sung the song all day, and it was outside the stadium.
“I’ve never heard them as quiet in all my life.
“Celtic have got problems, Walford Nancy is one of them, but there’s a lot more problems at this football club than Walford Nancy.”
Boyd’s portrayal of supporter anger as entitlement overlooks the reality behind the frustration. Wanting competence, ambition and accountability is hardly entitlement when fans effectively finance the entire operation.
Celtic supporters are not asking for perfection or guaranteed silverware. They are responding to repeated shortcomings, questionable recruitment and a growing feeling that standards are eroding without consequence.
The notion that fans should remain silent during a downturn is deeply misguided. Silence does not solve issues, and history shows that pressure often prompts change when comfort does not.
Boyd also chose to focus on crowd volume rather than the substance of the protest. Whether fans sang throughout the match or gathered outside after full-time does nothing to alter the reasons behind their anger.
Criticising supporters for demonstrating outside the stadium misses the very purpose of protest. It is designed to be disruptive, visible and impossible to overlook.
There is further irony in accusing fans of entitlement while they continue to pay increasing prices for a product that is declining in quality. Loyalty does not mean unquestioning acceptance.
Celtic’s difficulties did not emerge overnight. They have accumulated through decisions taken by those in control, not by those in the stands.
Boyd is correct on one point, even if unintentionally. Celtic’s issues extend well beyond the manager, and supporters have been highlighting that for some time.
What many fans find truly embarrassing is not protest or anger, but being told by a pundit that caring too deeply is the issue.
Supporters have every right to respond when they feel the club is heading backwards. Expecting them to watch quietly as standards fall is neither realistic nor fair.
Celtic has always been powered by its support. When fans speak up, it is usually because they believe the club can and should do better.
Boyd’s comments may resonate elsewhere, but they miss the reality on the ground. Celtic fans are not entitled — they are invested, and right now they feel badly let down.