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Celtic chairman Brian Wilson has launched a fierce defence of the club following widespread criticism that emerged in the aftermath of the title-winning season.
Wilson hit back at those who accused Celtic players and supporters of wrongdoing during the dramatic final stages of the campaign, describing the criticism as agenda-driven.
The SPFL fined Celtic £7,500 for a pitch invasion that occurred at the end of the title-deciding match against Hearts at Celtic Park.
League chiefs also warned the club they would lose 1,000 seats for a home game if supporters repeat the behaviour before 30 June 2028.
Celtic faced significant backlash after Hearts players were escorted off the pitch and directly onto the team bus following the chaotic scenes at full time.
Wilson insisted that accusations suggesting Gorgie players were assaulted have since been thoroughly dismissed and discredited by any available evidence.
Wilson said: “We took a conscious decision in the immediate aftermath of the season, and the Hearts game in particular, not to join in exchanges of words with anyone.”
He continued: “We were celebrating winning a Double and we were not going to get bogged down in what actually was an absurd series of debates about issues which didn’t really exist, and one by one they’ve been chalked off.”
Wilson also said: “And at the end of the day, what matters is we won a Double. We won it in great style. And none of these issues that were turned into great mountains of artificial controversy held any water whatsoever.”
The Celtic chairman was equally dismissive of media figures and rivals he felt prolonged the controversy well beyond what the facts supported.
Wilson stated: “It was all rubbish and yet people who should have known better, or people with axes to grind who couldn’t quite conceal them, made this into a running narrative until it ran out of steam.”
Celtic were also separately punished for a pyrotechnic incident and pitch invasion involving away supporters during the match at Fir Park against Motherwell.
For that game, the SPFL imposed a £2,500 fine and a suspended reduction of 100 away tickets, with at least five Celtic supporters required to attend a pyrotechnic awareness course.
Motherwell were also sanctioned for their supporters’ involvement, receiving a £2,500 fine and a suspended closure of Block E in the East Stand at Fir Park.
At least five Motherwell supporters were also directed to attend the SPFL Trust’s recognised pyrotechnic awareness course as part of the punishment handed down by league officials.
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