Celtic fans postpone Braga protest as board act after Brendan Rodgers calls for truce
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Fans stand down as board issue invite to showdown meetingCeltic fans have postponed plans to carry out a 29-minute silent protest against the club’s board at the start of Thursday’s Europa League match at home to Braga.The Parkhead hierarchy have come under heavy fire from large sections of a fanbase who feel their perceived failure to back manager Brendan Rodgers in the summer transfer window contributed to a Champions League exit at the hands of Kairat Almaty in late August.There was a 12-minute protest at last Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Hibs and another one lasting 29 minutes was planned for the visit of Braga before being upped to 32 minutes for Sunday’s William Hill Premiership match against Motherwell.However, the Celtic Fan Collective - a new umbrella supporters' organisation formed in the wake of recent anger - have cancelled their protests after the club's board agreed to a meeting.Celtic fans hold a banner reading "Your Silence is Deafening" aimed at the board the goalless draw with Hibernian. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group) | SNS GroupA statement on Wednesday night read: “This evening, Celtic fan organisations received an invitation from Celtic FC to attend a meeting with the club on Monday 6th October to discuss ongoing concerns about the running of the club.“In conjunction with the Celtic Fans Collective, supporter organisations have accepted this invitation.
Celtic FC’s representatives will include Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay.“We welcome the club’s decision to meet and engage directly on the issues raised. It highlights the strength and influence of a united Celtic support.“The Celtic Fans Collective will continue its campaign irrespective of the outcome of this meeting, with the clear aim of securing meaningful, positive change for the betterment of Celtic Football Club and its supporters.”Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers during a training session at the Lennoxtown ahead of the Europa League match against Braga.
(Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS GroupSpeaking earlier on Wednesday, Brendan Rodgers had expressed hope that a truce would soon break out between Celtic fans and the board.“I think our focus is pretty much on the performance on the pitch, that is the only thing that we can control,” Rodgers said on the eve of the Braga match.“I really hope that the stadium is full because that’s what Celtic is about for me. I understand frustrations, but I hope that we still have a full stadium here backing the team.“I think that obviously Celtic Park is renowned for its atmosphere and what it can do to the opponents.“But I suppose my message, probably for the longer term, is that hopefully both parties can sit down and respect the differences and find a solution so that we can all pull together again because that’s what’s always key here for Celtic.“Until that happens, I need to manage the team to maximise what we can get out of the team.”