Father Slams Celtic Players for Ignoring Young Fans Waiting Outside Hotel
A father has expressed his disappointment after his two young sons were largely ignored by Celtic players during a 40 minute wait outside the team hotel before the match against Dundee United.
Kieran McGuire, 40, from Leven in Fife, took his sons Reian, 11, and Brayln, 6, to the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews on March 22 hoping to meet their heroes and secure autographs, photographs or even a simple handshake. The boys stood with their club shirts ready, eager for any interaction that would make them feel noticed.
Only captain Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney acknowledged the youngsters with a wave as the squad boarded the bus for Tannadice. Security staff had previously warned the family that players might not approach them, advising them to move away from the buses to the other side of the entrance.
“My oldest son in particular was really upset with the event and felt so disappointed he didn’t get as little as a wave or a high five from most of the team,” McGuire said. His TikTok video of the incident, captioned “Kids standing for 40 minutes in the freezing cold and Celtic players cannot even acknowledge them,” has attracted significant attention.
Scottish Premiership clubs operate protocols designed to limit signed merchandise that subsequently appears on resale platforms such as eBay. However, the perceived coldness of the interaction has sparked criticism from supporters and the wider football community, with some fans suggesting the club should invite the boys to a match to make amends.
The incident occurred on the same day Celtic suffered their eighth league defeat of the season, losing 2-0 at Dundee United, intensifying scrutiny of the club both on and off the pitch.