Celtic’s furious phone call to Peter Martin over Wilfried Nancy tweet sheds light on Parkhead ban

The claim circulated by Peter Martin suggesting Celtic were considering sacking Wilfried Nancy did not sit well with the club at all.

Celtic insiders quickly dismissed the suggestion, and it appears the club’s PR department moved swiftly to challenge the journalist directly.

The PLZ Soccer presenter had reported that Celtic were in “discussions” with Nancy following the damaging defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice, a result he implied could prove decisive for the Frenchman’s future. Despite the club’s denial, Martin stood by his information — a stance that seemingly struck a nerve at Parkhead.

Martin later revealed that he received a call from Celtic’s PR team, during which he believes the real reason behind his long-standing ban from Parkhead resurfaced.

Speaking on PLZ Soccer, Martin explained:
“I did get a call from Celtic to say it didn’t happen, which is fair enough. But it was said to me rather sarcastically, ‘I know how much you like to get your facts right.’ I can take that on the chin. The irony is, the last time I had a conversation with that same PR person, it was about getting my facts right on Brendan Rodgers — and that’s why I was barred.

“Our company was banned because of a column we wrote about Brendan Rodgers. And with hindsight, given everything that happened afterwards, we were completely vindicated. Yet again yesterday, one of the PR staff had another go at me.”

Martin’s strained relationship with Celtic has its roots in his outspoken criticism of Brendan Rodgers during the manager’s time at the club. Back in October, Martin addressed Rodgers’ now-infamous “Honda Civic” comments, suggesting they were a thinly veiled complaint about not being fully backed in the transfer market — and possibly even a message to potential Premier League suitors.

While those remarks are not directly responsible for Martin’s ban, they highlight the friction between the journalist and the club. Ultimately, Martin maintains he is simply reporting what he believes to be true, even if it is not what Celtic want to hear — something that has clearly not gone down well behind the scenes.