“Peter Lawwell has personally assured me…”

Since Peter Lawwell returned to Celtic as non-executive Chairman, following his 17 years as CEO, the club appears, from the outside looking in granted, to have reverted to type after Dominic McKay’s short stint as CEO.

Michael Nicholson’s internal appointment to replace McKay has seen a return to familiar operating patterns. We’ve covered that before on The Celtic Star so now we’ll focus instead on Hugh Keevins’ recent comments on Clyde Superscoreboard — and what they tell us, or don’t tell us, about Lawwell’s role in transfers.

Here’s what Hugh Keevins had to say –

‘Let’s be honest about Peter Lawwell first of all. Peter Lawwell has personally assured me that he has nothing whatsoever to do with transfers – nothing at all. He may be the Chairman of the club, but he has told me, and in no uncertain terms, that he has nothing to do with transfers. So, you are looking at Michael Nicholson who is the CEO and all of those in the recruitment department.’

🪵 “Liam Scales should be a JOINER!”

🍀 “Peter Lawwell has personally assured me that he has NOTHING whatsoever to do with transfers…”

📞 Hugh Keevins & Peter in Paisley debate Celtic’s transfer policy pic.twitter.com/Ry2itmjulC

— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) August 8, 2025

Keevins claims Lawwell ‘personally assured’ him that he has ‘nothing whatsoever to do with transfers.’ He repeated that Lawwell told him, in no uncertain terms, that the recruitment process is handled entirely by CEO Michael Nicholson and the recruitment department.

If we accept Keevins’ version of events as accurate, it still raises questions. The first may sound petty to some, but it matters. If Lawwell wants fans to know he’s not involved in transfers, why do we have to hear it through Hugh Keevins? Celtic have an in-house media team, Celtic TV, and a host of ways to address supporters directly. Is the issue that communication leads to transparency, transparency leads to accountability, and accountability can lead to scrutiny, even criticism?

If it bothers Lawwell that he’s being perceived as involved, why not have Nicholson, Paul Tisdale, and Chris McKay explain how transfers actually work? What’s to fear in being open about the process? It would do far more to reassure supporters than a private phone call to a journalist with a mixed reputation at best among the fanbase.

There’s also the Mandy Rice-Davies factor — ‘he would say that, wouldn’t he?’ Even if his stance is accurate, Celtic are a PLC, and the idea of a non-exec Chairman influencing transfers would be a bad look. It would undermine the CEO, particularly when that CEO was appointed without the experience of his predecessor and arguably could invite scrutiny from some shareholders too.

And then there’s the question of indirect influence. Under Dom McKay, Celtic’s transfer approach shifted. It became swift, decisive, and effective, with influence across two windows. Since Nicholson’s appointment, the style has arguably reverted to the familiar Lawwell-era model. Add in the controversial appointment of Mark Lawwell as Head of First Team Scouting and Recruitment, before Tisdale took up the renamed position as Head of Football Operations, and the echoes of the past grow louder.

During Lawwell’s 17 years as CEO, countless senior appointments would have gone through him. Those people, in turn, would have operated under his direction and within his ‘standard operating procedures.’ It’s not unreasonable to think Nicholson might lean heavily on Lawwell as he learned the ropes, or that the habits of the Lawwell years continue to shape how Celtic operates.

Keevins may be correct — Lawwell might not be picking up the phone to agents or negotiating fees. But when McKay’s tenure is such a clear outlier, is it really a leap to assume that the club has fallen back into similar patterns? Nicholson may have the authority, but does he have full autonomy? In the absence of direct communication we can but speculate.

If Celtic want to stop fans from drawing the ‘wrong’ conclusions, there’s a simple solution to that. We could act like a modern football club. Engage with supporters. Be open about processes. Accept that transparency invites accountability, and accountability sometimes brings both scrutiny and criticism.

That would be far more convincing than hearing second-hand denials from a pundit.

After all, what do Celtic have to fear from telling their own story?

Niall J

Conor Spence attended the Celtic fan media conference at Celtic Park on Thursday to represent The Celtic Star and to speak to Celtic legend James Forrest. Here’s the video…

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