DERMOT DESMOND STATEMENT: SOMEONE IS LYING TO US. WHO IS IT?
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
In what seems like a very brazen and premeditated attack, within 15 minutes of Celtic officially announcing the resignation of Brendan Rodgers, our largest individual shareholder, not our owner, Dermot Desmond had his own poison pen letter ready to go.
Whether or not any of the litany of allegations, inferences or potentially libelous accusations in Desmond’s statement are true or not, it represents a thoroughly petty, unprofessional and, above all, utterly disgraceful way to treat a recently departed employee, and someone you once called a friend.
Why would he do it?
Rodgers is gone, the board got what they wanted, there was, seemingly, no need for this follow up attack. Or was there?
Dermot Desmond Statement Seems Like a Pre-Emptive Strike
Setting my own anger aside for a second, the only rationale I can think of for Desmond’s poorly timed, and exceptionally poorly worded statement is a very clumsy attempt at damage control.
By resigning, Brendan Rodgers forfeited his right to any remaining salary due to him between now and the end of the season. I would assume therefore that he also is not bound by any kind of gagging order or non-disclosure agreement.
In other words, the gloves are off, and it is now open season on Desmond, Lawwell, Nicholson and all their enablers in the Celtic boardroom. I fully expect one of the big newspapers will quickly secure that “explosive, first sit-down interview” with Brendan Rodgers. Don’t be surprised if that interview happens today and goes live tomorrow.
Dermot Desmond’s statement is an attempt by an exceptionally petty and small man to project power and authority. He is a minority shareholder and he should know his place.
He does not speak for Celtic and it is indicative of the rot currently infesting the corporate side of our club that a minority shareholder is given free reign to slander the manager, mere minutes after his resignation, via the club’s official website.
No manager of any repute would touch a team controlled by someone as arrogant, disrespectful and backstabbing as Dermot Desmond.
Money does not make a man. Desmond is a coward, a sneaky snake of a man, and this statement just proves it.
Even if all of his statement was true, and it demonstrably isn’t, why didn’t Desmond fire Rodgers in the summer, if it was, as he claims, clear that Rodgers was having a “toxic influence” over the club?
Now, I said that parts of the Dermot Desmond Statement are demonstrably false. Let me elaborate on that for a second.
Cast your minds back to the sit-down meeting between the Celtic CEO, CFO and Fan Group Representatives. It is a matter of public record now, that Michael Nicholson, Celtic CEO said, and I quote: “player trading above certain financial values require approval from the Celtic plc Board”.
Contrast this with Desmond’s assertion last night: "In reality, he (Brendan Rodgers) was given final say over all football matters and was consistently backed in the recruitment process."
But your CEO admitted that it is the PLC Board, i.e. Desmond himself and other major shareholders who have the final sign off on transfers. So, which of you is lying? Because both statements cannot be true.
This is just one of a number of inconsistencies in the narrative that Desmond is attempting to put forward with his unsolicited and frankly unwelcome intervention in this already difficult situation.
He may think he’s being clever by “getting ahead of the storm” and putting his side of the story out there before Brendan Rodgers has the chance to do so.
For the record, I don’t think Rodgers is without fault in all this, indeed I said his position as manager was under threat after Sunday’s defeat to Hearts.
However, Brendan Rodgers strikes me as the sort of guy who is smart enough to “keep all the receipts” as it were. I expect him to come out swinging, with anecdotes and evidence that blow Desmond’s bluster right out of the water.
This could all get very ugly and unpleasant, but it’s clearly been festering under the surface for a long time. Forgive the gross analogy, but this is one particularly putrid boil that needs to be publicly lanced before Celtic, Brendan Rodgers and the fans can move forward.
Meanwhile, any manager with an ounce of common sense will sit back and see who is still standing in the Celtic boardroom when the dust settles before even considering coming to manage our club.
Martin O’Neill’s tenure may last a bit longer than he has planned for.
But I think the final word on this should go to Dermot Desmond himself. The final paragraph of his long-winded, venomous statement opens as follows: "Celtic is greater than any one person."
On that, and that alone, Mr. Desmond, we agree. This great football club was winning trophies and playing scintillating football long before you and your cronies showed up, and it will continue to do so long after you all are gone.