AN OFFER OF TRUCE TO THE CELTIC BOARD
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- 5 minutes ago
- 6 min read
It’s fair to say that tempers remain extremely fraught amongst the Celtic support this week, in the wake of last week’s disastrous AGM, and the subsequent silence and doubling down from the Celtic Board.
And yet, nobody seems to know what to do. The Celtic Fans Collective met earlier this week, and a number of possible actions were discussed, but nothing is set in stone yet.
Half the Celtic fans I’ve spoken to this week want the entire Celtic Board sacked, and a complete sea change in how the club is managed and how it communicates with fans.
The other half, just seem resigned to the futility of it all. I’ve heard things like “Dermot Desmond will never sell, no matter what we do”. And “Change can only come from the boardroom and turkeys don’t vote for Christmas.”
Indeed, the ridiculous sham of board members being almost unanimously re-elected with close to 100% shareholder support, despite the obvious enmity towards them from a large number of people in attendance on Friday, has only exacerbated these feelings of helplessness amongst the fans.
The Celtic Board Could Easily Defuse This Situation, and Here’s How...
I’ve come in for a bit of criticism from some commenters recently, and I welcome such criticism, so long as it’s respectful.
The main thrust of their argument, which I can understand, is “It’s all very well and good to say the like of Lawwell, Nicholson and Desmond are incompetent and need to be removed, but what then?”
I still believe that the three men mentioned above, for numerous reasons, are not fit for purpose in their current roles at Celtic. However, we’ll set that aside for now.
We have a new manager coming in, in Wilfried Nancy, who promises an exciting, dynamic brand of football. Stylistically distinct from Ange Postecoglou, but with a similar flair and intensity. This should be a time of excitement for Celtic fans. But instead, it’s been replaced with a cold, yet entirely understandable cynicism.
Whether fans are excited by Nancy’s imminent arrival or not, almost everyone seems to agree that it doesn’t matter, because he won’t be allowed the financial and managerial freedom he needs to help Celtic reach their highest potential.
So, what can we do?
Well, no-one will ever achieve a 100% quorum among the Celtic support. We are, after all, an incredibly broad church (or perhaps I should say chapel).
However, I believe there are five simple steps the Celtic Board could take over the next month or so, that would, at least for now, calm things down, and reduce the current tension between club and fans.
So, let’s go through them, and see what the rest of you think.
Step 1: Apologize for the AGM Fiasco, and Give a Firm Date for a Shareholder Q and A Session
The most infuriating thing to come out of Friday’s AGM, whether you agree with the actions of irate shareholders on Friday or not, is the lack of accountability from the Celtic Board. No questions were asked or answered.
A simple answer to this is an apology, a genuine show of contrition, followed by an open, fully transparent, and streamed online Shareholder Q and A. Let people submit questions in advance, and allow the board time to craft answers. However, it is essential that the Celtic Board, respectfully, listens to all queries and allows time for follow up questions in response.
Logistically difficult, for sure, but not impossible if the will is there.
Step 2: A Promise to Engage More Positively with Fans and Fan Media
Celtic’s media arm is woefully underutilized, I think we can all agree on that. However, between Celtic TV, the club YouTube Channel, and the various social media accounts, Celtic’s leadership have the means to disseminate a message to hundreds of thousands of fans at the touch of a button, yet we seldom if ever do so. Unless, of course, Adidas have something to sell us.
Whether it’s a five-minute monthly sit-down with the CEO, occasional guest appearances on leading fan media channels (imagine if Peter Lawwell or Dermot Desmond appeared on This is ACSOM!) or a host of other similar initiatives, there are numerous ways the club can improve fan engagement.
And on that note:
Step 3: Fan Forums Should Be Regular Events, Open to All
I’ve never been to a Celtic fans forum. Indeed, had a friend of mine not filled me in on the details of Paul Tisdale’s presentation to such a forum last season, I would probably still be unaware that they even exist.
Apparently, these forums happen fairly regularly, however, the application process to attend them is hidden away in a rather difficult to find part of the club website. I also believe it’s quite difficult for anyone to attend who isn’t a season ticket holder, though if I am wrong on that then please, set me straight.
These fan forums should be held at designated times throughout the year. Perhaps we could have a series of them focusing on different elements of the club. Get the youth team management in for one, the Celtic Women’s team for the next, and so on. It’s not rocket science, and it strikes at the heart of the biggest problem most fans have this current board: the total lack of communication and transparency.
Oh, and carrying on from Step 2: These forums should be made available to watch in full via the website and Celtic’s YouTube channel to all fans, in the immediate aftermath.
Imagine how much more favorable the average fan’s view of Paul Tisdale would be if we had all seen that presentation last season, and we actually knew what his vision is for Celtic.
Step 4: A Clear Commitment to a Separation of Powers
This is perhaps the most contentious of my suggestions here today, but it’s also probably the singularly most important issue. There needs to be a clear separation between those who manage the business side of Celtic, and those who manage the footballing side. No more background interference from non-footballing executives.
Everyone has their role to play, but you wouldn’t ask Henrik Larsson to give a lecture on particle physics, nor would you ever expect to see the late Stephen Hawking playing upfront for Celtic.
Peter Lawwell isn’t a football man, neither are Michael Nicholson or Dermot Desmond. Let them manage the business, but leave the football to the football people.
Step 5: Sit Down with Fan Groups for an Honest and Balanced Exchange of Views, and Form a Plan to Move Forward Together
It’s a common cliché, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Football without the fans is nothing. However, it is also true that modern football clubs cannot function effectively when those in the stands and those in the boardroom are pulling in opposite directions.
This will require concessions from all sides to work. Ultras probably have to accept that pyro simply isn’t allowed in the stadium under current rules. But in return, the club need to stop their confrontational approach to policing of fans, particularly ultras.
Events such as the recent manhandling of a young Celtic fan by a steward show the need for an open, transparent and consistent complaints process for when fans feel they are being mistreated. Likewise, fans also need to clearly know what is acceptable and what isn’t. But this needs to be communicated in a responsible and respectful way.
It’s time for fan groups and Celtic executives alike to stop talking past each other and start taking with each other. However, until the Celtic Board start treating fans as equals, this process cannot begin.
This isn’t a cure-all for all of Celtic’s current ills. But it would certainly go a long way to improving the current situation and maybe, just maybe, both sides can come out of this feeling a bit better about each other. We don’t need to be best friends; we don’t even need to like each other. But for the good of Celtic, we need to find a way to work together.
