Celtic supporters plan 'late entry' protest at Kilmarnock after transfer turmoil and board row

A coalition of Celtic supporters' groups announced plans on Thursday for a "late entry" protest at Sunday’s Premiership fixture against Kilmarnock, urging fans to boycott the start of the match at Rugby Park as part of an escalating campaign over the club’s transfer activity and governance.

The move follows months of disquiet among supporters that intensified after Celtic’s elimination from Champions League qualifying by Kairat Almaty and a lengthy club statement last weekend defending its business decisions. The Celtic Supporters Association has issued a vote of no confidence in the board and groups including the Green Brigade, Bhoys Celtic and the Celtic Trust attended a meeting in Glasgow on Wednesday to coordinate next steps.

In a joint statement released after the Glasgow meeting, the signatories said the consultation represented "the second step of acting as a collective fan movement for positive change at our club" and noted that the open letter sent to directors seeking answers about "repeated failures in transfer dealings" had not yet been addressed. The meeting was attended by 85 people in the room and 175 online, and organisers cited a fan survey of 38,832 supporters as informing the consensus reached.

Those in attendance said there was an "overwhelming consensus" to seek the removal of chief executive Michael Nicholson, chief financial officer Chris McKay and chairman Peter Lawwell, to build a strategic, escalatory campaign against the board, to create a democratic and representative fan body, and to coordinate the late-entry protest at Kilmarnock to visualise and vocalise dissatisfaction. A steering group of volunteers is being assembled and organisers said comprehensive minutes would be shared with all signatories.

Supporter anger has been driven by Celtic’s failure to progress to the Champions League group stage after a two-legged play-off with Kairat Almaty. Chants of "sack the board" were directed at the directors during the first leg at Celtic Park, and the team were subsequently eliminated on penalties in Kazakhstan. Fans also questioned the club’s transfer business during the summer window.

Celtic completed signings of Michel-Ange Balikwisha from Antwerp and Sebastian Tounekti from Hammarby, but supporters noted Balikwisha arrived too late to be involved in the Kairat tie. Forward Adam Idah was allowed to move to Swansea City, and the club later signed free agent Kelechi Iheanacho after his release from Sevilla — a move that came after the transfer window had closed. Supporters pointed to the sales of players such as Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kühn in recent windows as evidence of a weakening squad.

The club’s lengthy public statement defending its transfer dealings said some media reports were misleading or inaccurate and cited UEFA financial fair play rules as constraining its ability to spend. That explanation did not satisfy many fans, who viewed the message as inadequate in the face of sustained sporting setbacks.

The Celtic Supporters Association and other signatories said the protest plan was intended to be part of a broader, democratic campaign to press for change at the club. "It is natural that there will be a mix of feeling regarding some actions or inaction. However, the most important consideration at this stage is maintaining, building and utilising broad fan support," the statement added.

Manager Brendan Rodgers is due to face the media for the first time since the window closed. His contract is due to expire next summer. Organisers of the fan movement said they hoped the late-entry protest would draw attention to their demands while broader discussions about governance and representation continue.