Brian Wilson wrote an obituary for Walter Smith in the Guardian.
Apparently, the veteran Celtic director believes that Rangers (Est 1872) were “punished with demotion” in 2012.
Yeah, a Celtic director…
For context, this is what he wrote yesterday.
However, by this time, the club was caught up in a bewildering series of intrigues and takeovers as well as having been punished with demotion, in 2012, for having gone into administration. Smith was a man of great probity and not even his loyalty to Rangers or to his friend Ally McCoist, who had taken on the role of manager, could persuade him to stay in an Ibrox environment he did not recognise.
You can read the entire obit here.
Perhaps the Celtic director didn’t see this in 2012.
Full disclosure I once met Brian Wilson.
It was 2014, and he was, perhaps appropriately, at the back of the bus as it pulled out of Glasgow airport.
It was in the run-up to the Scottish Independence Referendum, and I wanted his take on it.
I was in Fair Caledonia, covering the event for an Irish publication.
Your humble correspondent sat down in the seat in front of him and then turned around as the vehicle was moving.
I showed him my NUJ Press Card and introduced myself.
If memory serves me correctly, this was after the YouGov poll put the Yes side marginally ahead on 51/49.
This had caused a stir at the time and had spread a panic through the political elite in London.
I recall telling him on the airport bus that 51/49 was within the margin of error, and the poll of polls was putting the No side comfortable ahead.
The Celtic director was on the stump to campaign against Scottish independence and, of course, his side won.
Unsurprisingly he is no friend of the SNP.
This was Brian Wilson’s take on the events of last May in George Square when the Ibrox klanbase were on the rampage.
I think it is fair to say that the Celtic director believes in the Old Firm.
Wilson was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to charity and business in Scotland.
I do hope that this member of the Brit establishment presents himself at the Celtic AGM for questions from the shareholders.
However, the spike in Covid infections might allow the club to stage a remote event and avoid being in close proximity to real fans.
To say that this Celtic board is out of step with the fans is to indulge in Olympic standard understatement.
Exhibit A.
This report, if true, shows a shocking disconnect between the fans and the people running the club.
As the events of 2012 unfolded ( all available on the site archive), it was clear to me that the Celtic board believed in the Old Firm business model more than anything else.
More than sporting integrity.
More than their own fans who had paid into a rigged competition throughout the EBT decade.
The “faithful through and through” is clearly a one-way process.
For the avoidance of doubt, Mr Wilson is not an outlier in the Parkhead boardroom.
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Brian Wilson has been a giant in promoting Celtic over the years. He is from the Western Isles and has been instrumental in the resurrection of Harris’s Tweed. He lives in the West End of Glasgow and I had a pint with him many years ago in the Lismore.
A bit more respect please for true Celtic men.
Brian Wilson eh?
Jesus wept.
I’ve long suspected that there are Tory loving unionists on our board, given the way Lawell frequently side stepped the Res12 and 5 way agreement questions.
May Walter Smith rest in peace and I fully endorse everyone connected to Scottish football who knew, worked with and enjoyed time in his company, his passing is monumental and my thoughts and condolences are with his family.
As a Celtic supporter, season ticket holder, faithful every season since 1984! I’m 52 now! I am absolutely disgusted with said directors comments regarding the club we all witnessed die via liquidation as HMRC rejected their pennies in the pound repayment proposal.
The Rangers we grew up contesting died in 2012, I watched it happen. They are dead.
A consortium led by Charles Green bought the organs of the deceased club and transplanted them into their Frankenstein experiment called Sevco 5088 and much to their surprise, the league, the media and sadly our board bought it.
Pity our board didn’t ask us.
We would have given them the short shrift that they deserved.
Brian Wilson, your Celtic supporters are fighting a daily battle with sevconians as we refute the survival and continuation myths and lies.
We are on the front line in pubs and workplaces defending Celtic honour and integrity against hun lies and cheating.
Fair play for honouring Walters passing but shame on you always for betraying the very ones who fill your stadium and subscribe worldwide.
Resign now.
Sorry Phil! My response turned into an open letter to Wilson! Not intended but you get my feelings!
Btw, I live in Glasgow and I’m so grateful for all the work you do that our journalists won’t.
Kind regards
Brian Wilson has written an obituary to Walter Smith. Nothing more should be read into his warm tribute. Walter was an outstanding human being from a working class background.
Brian Wilson is an arsehole that’s only interested in being part of the Scottish Conservative establishment, another stain on the good fabric of Celtic who knows that we’re all daft enough to keep him in position by putting our money into the club.
Rangers suffered a points deduction for administration and finished second in the league (which they would have anyway so no real punishment for administration at all). They then died and Sevco were forced into the league structure in their place, ahead of more worthy candidates. Wilson knows this as does everybody in the Celtic boardroom – they just choose not to believe it.
Nearly as bad as the other clown describing coming runners-up in the Scottish Premiership as the No.1 highlight of the season just finished.
Phil just how many times have I posted the ” old firm ” are called the bigot twins by fans of other teams? You yourself say many times follow the money, and look back to when Sevco were in the Championship, Celtic’s gate money dropped while all other teams increased.
The collusion between the Glasgow clubs is legendary. They can’t live without each other as the bigotry brings in gate and merchandise money.
I really am amazed when you post such comments as everyone in Scottish football knows the two go hand in hand. Just why do you think the Celtic board refuse to endorse the 5 way agreement investigations?
We all know the board want to maintain the ‘Old Firm’ cash cow and Wilson’s comments in the obituary testify to this.
Phil is calling his (Wilson’s) ignorance and hypocrisy out for what it is and he’s right to do so.
If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem and the Celtic board are a big part of the problem.
I’ve sick repeating myself but until we (the fans) stop buying season tickets at season book renewal time – nothing will change.
The ONLY thing this board care about is money.
The ONLY thing that can effect change is a boycott.
Quite sad that so many Celtic people are buying into this lie…. As if the media and Sevco deniers aren’t enough… we have our own ranks helping promote the myth.
In fact .. I’ve not seen or heard of a single person point out that the apparently saintly Walter Smith (indirect EBT beneficiary) did NOT manage the club currently operating out of Ibrox. It seems honesty gets put aside when mass media cross cultural grief kicks in.
It’s an outrage that Wilson has bought into the survival myth when he replaces the word liquidation for administration and demotion for starting where a new club should start. It’s all about the “Old Firm” for the Celtic Board. HH
Sevco should have started in the Lowland League or equivalent as they did not have the three years audited accounts that are required for entry into the professional leagues.
They should have spent three years earning their way into League 2 instead of being shoehorned in three years early.
At every AGM where he comes up for reappointment it’s a GTF from me. He and the rest of our BoD are part of the problem. Unfortunately my vote and opinion is not heard nor heeded.
Walter Smith was a decent man going off those who knew him on a personal level may he rest in eternal peace.
🙏🏼✝️🙏🏼
However what cannot be ignored is the fact he Managed Rangers at a time when it was financially doped by David Murray who at this time ( before the EBT era) operating a chequebook policy both at Ibrox and at MIM which was being facilitated by his friends at the Bank.
Both business ended up in Liquidation as a result of the years of circulation of Debt from MIM-BOS-RFC
As per usual there is a tendency in the media whitewash the historical facts in order to sugarcoat the achievements of the sadly departed.
May Walter rest in peace and may the likes of Wilson give us peace.
Just another reason to add to the list why this board need ousted
Phil I managed to read his obituary to Walter Smith which according to sevco supporters was riddled with inaccuracies. I left my own take on their 2012 demise which left them in no uncertain terms my feelings of the death of said club. His feelings on Independence I couldn’t read as they want a subscription I’m not willing to pay but nonetheless this relic of a man from another era is part of the disconnect that our support feels from the board. He’s a dinosaur and it’s time for him and his elderly cohorts on the board to be put out to pasture. They’re all about bottom line and don’t show any sign of ambition. I’m not saying to go gung-ho spending wise but unless we try and make inroads in Europe we’re going to get some severe drubbings like we’ve already had by the likes of Barcelona and PSG in recent seasons. Our support plough millions in to the club and as you’ve rightly said on your forum many times we’re being short changed. The governing bodies in Scotland are severely holding the game back too but unless all 40 chairmen have an appetite for the fight then nothing will change. God bless mate keep up the good work.
It was right he should write an obituary for Walter Smith. But in my view he should be removed from the Celtic Board for his comments about administration and demotion. You are right he demonstrates how out of touch our Board is and emphasises yet again what a terrible job he and the Celtic Board have done in the last couple of years. To let the position of strength we had be reversed is unforgiveable in my view and is the legacy also of Peter Lawell. It could and should have been so different. As I have said before and been criticised the Board at Ibrox have done a much better job of controlling the narrative on this, putting up their own money and building a winning team last season.
I don’t know which lie I hate most:
1. Rangers got demoted.
2. The Queen does so much for the country.
3. Lee Oswald shot JFK.
I completely agree that Brian Wilson’s comments are completely unacceptable from a Celtic director and he should resign immediately.
What a prick!
Men who run Football run it for their own financial benefit shocker…
Welcome to the Capitalist Dream 👍🏼
Think of it as a bit like Brussels only nowhere near as big or as lucrative 😉
Lavazza time… ☕️
Surprise surprise a Labour politician of the right shade is lying. Does it come naturally, are they tutored in it or is he just thick?
Shocking,absolute weasel.Sadly he is not alone on our,no not our just the board.
To think this clown wrote our Centenary History
Book. A disgrace he is anywhere near our club