Charlie Nicholas – Unfulfilled genius with no-one to blame but himself

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The Celtic Star

·10 December 2024

Charlie Nicholas – Unfulfilled genius with no-one to blame but himself

It’s rather sad that Charlie Nicholas doesn’t feel welcome at Celtic Park, but as they say, you reap what you sow…

Charlie Nicholas scores in the League Cup Final win over Rangers on 4 December 1982. Photo The Celtic Wiki.

Charlie Nicholas recently talked about how he feels unwelcome at Celtic Park and any visit he pays to Paradise is low key.

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It’s sad really as Charlie served the club well over two spells and was a very talented player. Indeed he is one of the best young players to come through the Celtic youth system in the last fifty years. However he has no one but himself to blame for believing that he is now effectively shunned.

Nicholas was outspoken as a pundit

Charlie carved a decent career for himself as a pundit upon retiring from the game, and was a regular face on Sky Sports flagship soccer Saturday programme, as well as working on the channels coverage of Scottish football.

He also gave his thoughts through a newspaper column and wasn’t shy in sticking the boot in, often towards the club who gave him his chance as a footballer.

04/12/82 League Cup Final. Celtic 2-1 Rangers Celtic’s Charlie Nicholas goal celebration. Photo The Celtic Wiki

He consistently criticised Celtic

It was quite clear to many, including myself, that Charlie had a gripe with the club he professes to love, and he consistently criticised Celtic, whether that was from the boardroom to the playing side of things or the supporters.

No one expects to be giving a free ride from pundits just because they played for or support the club, but Charlie’s criticism went much deeper than that. For some reason or another he seemed to have a personal vendetta against everything to do with the club, hence the reason he feels shunned at Celtic Park today.

As a young player at Celtic Charlie was extra special

Anyone who watched Charlie play for Celtic in his first spell at the club will know that perhaps outside of Kenny Dalglish but alongside Paul McStay, Charlie was extra special. He left for more money, joining Arsenal instead of opting to follow King Kenny to Anfield. That was his big mistake, he could have stayed at Celtic for a little longer then left for a club of his choosing, or he could have gone straight to Anfield where the football was better than at Highbury.

1987: Charlie Nicholas of Arsenal is tackled by Roy Aitken of Celtic during a pre-season Friendly match at Celtic Park. Photo Allsport UK /Allsport

He could have come back to Celtic but instead opted for Aberdeen, Celtic had to wait for a second spell from a player now a shadow of the bright young talent that lit up Scottish football.

An unfulfilled genius

Charlie had all the talent you could dream of, he was living the dream at Celtic and could have done the same at Liverpool. What followed after his 1983 exit may well be the cause of the way Charlie is. An unfulfilled genius with no-one to blame but himself.

Charlie is not a Celtic legend in my eyes and in many of you reading this, he is a former player. As such he would not have any problem going to games at Celtic or indeed any of his former clubs including Aberdeen. That’s another story worth re-telling another day.

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