When the long running Eddie Howe to Celtic saga eventually ended after a three month wait for a commitment from the former Bournemouth boss that never materialised, Celtic were perilously close to being up a foul-smelling creek and without the correct implement with which to manoeuvre.
With Champions League qualifiers on the horizon and a squad bereft of confidence, it even looked as if pre-season training may be undertaken, just as the end of the previous campaign had been, by John Kennedy.
Then out the hat popped an Australian rabbit, and it appears the conjurer may have been a former Chief Executive as much maligned as the manager he’d previously appointed – and Celtic were seeking to replace – had been, if not more so.
Peter Lawwell certainly left Celtic under a cloud and for far too many reasons to go through again today, however, it appears when it comes to a legacy Celtic’s former CEO and sometimes de facto Director of Football left behind a force of change as a going away present.
Speaking to Optus Sport and former Australian international goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has pointed to the fact Peter Lawwell was instrumental in his appointment at Celtic, with Lawwell’s close links to the City Group and Postecoglou’s position within the group as manager of Yokohama Marinos the link between the two that helped make the deal happen.
“It’s a long story, but like all these things there are little threads that sort of join along the way that you don’t realise.
“When I was working in Japan I was part of the City [Football] Group, working with Manchester City. And within that group there was an association with the ex-CEO of the club here, Peter Lawwell.
“I think they’d been tracking me for a while and because of my success in Japan. They were probably one of the ones who were paying attention to what I was doing because I was part of the group.
“I think the seed was planted, they’d been following me for a while and things didn’t work out with Eddie Howe coming to Celtic and I got contacted.
“Frank Trimboli is my agent, he’s been looking out for a while, working his backside off to get me an opportunity for the last few years.
“He kept pushing it with Peter Lawwell and they finally got me an opportunity to speak with the people who make the decisions and the rest is history.”
Peter Lawwell was certainly a divisive figure, particularly in his later years as Celtic CEO, and it had been believed Manchester City’s Football Partnerships and Pathways manager Fergal Harkin had been responsible for Celtic targeting Ange Postecoglou, indeed that may well be the case, but it seems Peter Lawwell certainly ensured those at Celtic took an interest in Ange Postecoglou after the protracted chase for Eddie Howe collapsed.
After retiring last season under a great deal of negativity, perhaps then Peter Lawwell managed to leave something and someone incredibly positive behind to address the balance, after all Ange Postecoglou has turned Celtic’s fortunes around entirely where perhaps Eddie Howe may not have been so successful.
Niall J
