Celtic chairman urges fans to back team

• Celtic’s interim chairman Brian Wilson has called for supporters to unite behind the squad, with some fan groups urging a boycott of Saturday’s Scottish Cup tie against Dundee.
• Wilson acknowledged frustration around the transfer window and fan engagement, but said backing the team in the short term matters most.
• He said the club has reached out to every supporters’ group and hopes to hold meetings “within the next week or so”.

Celtic interim chairman Brian Wilson has appealed for “unity behind the team” as some supporters plan to boycott Saturday’s Scottish Cup match against Dundee at Parkhead.

Supporters’ groups have urged fellow fans not to attend the last 16 tie as protests continue against the club’s board, with sections of the support unhappy after what they saw as another disappointing transfer window.

Wilson said he understood concerns would not disappear overnight, but stressed he wanted the focus kept on the pitch.

“I don’t expect suddenly all the issues to go away,” he told Celtic TV. “What I’ve asked for, and what I think the great majority of Celtic supporters want to see, is unity behind the team.

“Let’s sort out these other issues and in no way am I dismissing them or marginalising them. Short term, it’s imperative to support the team.

“It’s up to each individual to decide whether a boycott inside the stadium or outside the stadium helps that. That’s for people to judge.”

Wilson has recently stepped into the interim role after Peter Lawwell stood down as chairman at the end of December, citing “abuse and threats”.

Wilson said he accepted “there hasn’t been as much engagement [with the fans] as I would’ve liked” in the past month, adding the transfer window had taken priority.

Celtic’s winter window followed a turbulent period that included the early January dismissals of manager Wilfried Nancy and head of football operations Paul Tisdale.

The club brought in five players before the deadline, all on loan, and rejected a bid of up to £25m from Nottingham Forest for midfielder Arne Engels. Talks are also ongoing over a move for former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Wilson said Celtic has “reached out to every supporters’ group” and he hopes meetings can happen “within the next week or so”.

“Let’s see if we can go forward,” he added. “There’s no reluctance on my part to engage and I hope that can be put into practice soon.

“We’re not going to agree on everything, but we can talk about [the issues]. But don’t let it distract from what’s going on inside the stadium, that’s all I’m asking for.”