Celtic Gossip, an occasional contributor on The Celtic Star, always makes relevant and important points on his social media account. Today he says this:
“While we are rightly concerned with the action on the park, the shambles off it is just as bad. We need to create an inclusive club with a shared vision for the future Celtic FC rebuilt in partnership with the fans. Does anyone believe our board are capable of delivering this?”
Well, his question deserves an answer and plenty fo Celtic fans have given theirs.
“The only way forward is to create 1 fan group that has the power to put pressure on the board. Unfortunately this current board have shown the team on the park isn’t exactly a priority. Shareholders first I’m afraid. Just feel the club is moving in different directions,” was Mark Feely’s response.
Auldheid gave his answer: “Spot on. It’s time to think different. It is a debate that needs to be held to enable small shareholders and non-shareholder supporters alike to arrive at a unity of purpose. It will take time but it can be done if the will is there to act for a greater good.”
“Nothing will change whilst this PLC Board remains in power,” Timposter stressed, a point that was echoed by Reeve Baker who added, “Nothing will change whilst Dermot Desmond remains a major shareholder.”
“The current board and shareholders are clearly not. The problem being, who has the tens of millions to buy them out? Until that happens we can’t do very much,” John Paul Conners noted.
While we are rightly concerned with the action on the park, the shambles off it is just as bad. We need to create an inclusive club with a shared vision for the future @CelticFC rebuilt in partnership with the fans. Does anyone believe our board are capable of delivering this? HH pic.twitter.com/Sji1kjyCHV
— Celtic Gossip (@CelticGossip) September 28, 2021
“I dont subscribe to that school of thought. At last AGM Celtic finally undertook to engage with SFA re abandonment of the charges against Rangers 2011 behaviour. They will be asked at next AGM what progress they made. I expect excuses but point is they did what was requested because they feared the alternative of being exposed. There is a case they may have deliberately lied to shareholders but that is costly to prove. However being able to meet the cost then even if shareholders unsuccessful Celtic Board will not want their shenanigans played out in public,” Auldheid added.
“They need removed now, they have failed constantly over the years by standing still, the League this year should have been a must, no qualifiers in pre-season giving the players time to rest up, straight into the Champions league! No forward vision, they are not interested,” stated John McCabe.
“We all renewed Season Tickets. We even spent 10 fold on merchandise in the Celtic shop,” John Hughes noted.
“No they won’t, Jeanette Findlay and Celtic trust held a demo a few weeks back and many on here slated both parties, but with McKay gone and Lawwell clearly still running the show it will be same stuff different day scenario,” Douglas Hepburn replied.
“How is Lawwell clearly still running the show? Genuine question?” asked Micky Connary. Douglas replied: “The transfer window had his stamp all over it. Imo McKay wasn’t given the free role that the Accountant had also Dermot Desmond doesn’t like being dictated to so pretend Peter Lawwell is gone to sell Season Tickets and bring him back in another role in the near future.”…Micky came back: “Mate, that’s some mindset you’ve developed lol. Peter Lawwell is not involved. Manager and CEO had issues I’m told.”
“We interchange Board and Executive when they are different things. Many of our shortcomings are on the Executive side, but it’s the Board’s job to set direction, standards, to represent ALL shareholders and to hold Executive to account. They are failing miserably in all these regards,” Danny Friel stated.
“No – too much money wasted on poor signings at cheap prices in the hope they find another VVD, Wanyama, Moussa etc. Money on Klimala and Bayo could have been merged together to get another Eddie type in. Taylor and Boli fees would have got us a top notch Left Back etc,” Stephen Pearson added.
“They are not capable they are culpable. If fans ran the club we would take in at least £30mil in season tickets & £40mil with automatic qualification to Champions League. Plus player sales etc. With the currently board can you tell me where the money and ambition is?” was Terry H’s contribution a debate that will rumble on on social media, on the Celtic forums, on supporters buses and in pubs and social clubs as the direction of the club is discussed. Let’s leave this here with the last word going to Declan:
“Still no plausible explanation for why the chief executive left after 7 weeks. ‘Personal reasons’ and an NDA. The board have lost their way and the club is suffering. We are so behind the times now. We need to modernise.
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We keep doing the same thing with the same results. This is the very definition of insanity.
It is quite obvious that Dom McKay was going to be successful and support the manager and give credence to the fans. The board took action. Since that happened, the rot set in. Ange is on his own with an incompetent back room team, with the exception of Mick McManus and our goalkeeping coach who are doing their jobs. However, Kennedy and Strachan are a joke and always have been. They should have been removed as failures along with Lennon. Desmond and the board are just waiting for the correct time to get rid of Ange now and replace him with these two idiots.
It is time for us to take action again and once again demand the removal of this board. This lot are money men and money is their God. They perpetuate the old firm model as this is useful to perpetuate this duality, which is utterly distasteful as it ignores all the other clubs in Scotland.
Fergus rescued us the last time and clearly stated that there should be proper fan representation and the club should not be under the control of one person. Yet that is now what we have.
We can keep supporting Ange and the team, but we should stop providing the cash for bonuses for these individuals, by refusing to purchase merchandise. If the board are not removed, then we should all have the courage to not renew season books for next season and withdraw our support. If we want fan involvement, we need to dictate what happens next and withdrawing our input of cash is the only thing that will be effective.
The time is past to listen to their empty promises, as they will again feed us a tit-bit, then resume business as usual. The board are the very definition of arrogance. The upcoming AGM should provide an opportunity to begin this process.