Celtic Director Brian Wilson made a public apology at today’s AGM after being criticised from the floor during the Q&A session towards the end of today’s proceedings.
The day started with Celtic releasing a series of videos featuring team mangers Ange Postecoglou and Fran Alonso plus one of Gerry McCulloch interviewing club Chairman Ian Bankier, newly appointed director and interim CEO Michael Nicholson and Finance Director Christopher McKay. Tony Hamilton also looked back on the outstanding work over the past year by the Celtic FC Foundation. You can watch these videos HERE.
It would be a difficult day for the club Chairman and the non executive Director Brian Wilson who would have to face the music for his recent article in The Guardian where he stated that Rangers were demoted as a punishment after going into administrate. The punters over on Follow Follow couldn’t have put it any better themselves.
Yet in some ways the Board got off lightly. For instance they were not questioned about the ridiculous length of time it took them to realise that Neil Lennon’s tenure as Celtic manager had failed, nor where they asked to explain more wasted months waiting for Eddie Howe to make his mind up on their job offer and nothing was said about Dom McKay the CEO who lasted just 72 days in the job.
Bankier in his summary and part apology for last season interview with McCulloch entirely airbrushed Dom McKay from the recent narrative.
Dom McKay never merited a mention from Ian Bankier at today’s Celtic AGM. Photo Jeff Holmes
The Celtic Underground twitter feed is a decent way to catch up with the AGM on a blow by blow basis and we are grateful for their reporting today.
Things got interesting when the Directors were up for re-appointment and both Bankier and Wilson were overwhelmingly rejected by the shareholders in the room. Both will have to rely on the block vote of the larger shareholders to see them through but this was a very public embarrassment for both men.
Then things moved on to discuss Resolution 11 which confusingly the media had reported as essentially being about the now legendary Resolution 12 – but Auldheid himself has dismissed that as being complete and utter nonsense. Auldheid was not in attendance today after a very public and quite bitter fall-out with David Low, the former Chairperson at The Celtic Trust which started with this tweet we have previously reported on. Twitter last night was full of this row.
A club statement in response to Resolution 11 was reported by Celtic Underground: “We are aware this is important. Board’s position remain that correct steps have been taken over the years. Company has engaged with SFA and UEFA and board believe no further steps can be taken to get a positive outcome.”
As far as engaging with fans the club countered by stating that they do this regularly via the fans forum. As in the votes against Bankier and Wilson, most in the room (90% according to Celtic Underground) voted for the resolution, so it was once again referred back for a poll – ie to count the block votes that will re-elect both directors and kill Resolutions 11 and 12.
Celtic refused to discuss the controversial cop Bernard Higgins who has been linked with a senior role at the club.
Jeanette Findlay from The Celtic Trust then spoke for Resolution 12 (not the old one) and what she called “a reasonable proposal to ensure gold standard of corporate governance. Let’s get some new faces and talent on board.” She noted that there is a “gulf between fans and board. This illustrated by impending appointment of Higgins”.
The Board argued against Resolution 12, maybe out of force of habit. Again the shareholders in the room supported the resolution so another poll was called to crush it stone dead.
The entertaining bit, the questions and answers, followed and this year things started with a question about the health and safety of the away support which was referred back to the fans forum.
The North Curve’s message on Higgins
Question two though was real box-office – the rumoured appointment of controversial cop Bernard Higgins. Bankier stated that the board cannot comment on ongoing recruitment process and added that health and safety is a massive issue and involves interacting with Government agencies. The Chairman stated that it is “not about policing fans,” (failing to add to no-one ever said it was about that!).
Next a shareholder talked favourably about the two managers Ange Postecoglou and Fran Alonso then asked a question about away ticket allocation, again being referred to the fans forum.
Next up a question about the way Celtic were treated differently last season by the SFA and the Scottish Government, with games being cancelled and the First Minister talking about yellow cards etc. Bankier’s answer: “We were only employer in Scotland with enforced restrictions.”
Then a question about being a zero carbon club by 2030…back to fans forum with the others.
Next this one on “Corporate governance – what is board’s strategy for last 10 years. We have gone from a UCL qualifier to a team struggling for Europa League qualification. It is a strategy about staying ahead of a zombie club. As a board you should all be ashamed and resign.
“You have stood by and watched a club call themselves what they are not, accumulate trophies they don’t have and said nothing. When will you stand aside and let people who care take over.”
Bankier: “Clearly I am not going to win a round of applause from this room. What’s missing is media want actions done in glare of publicity and we don’t do that” and Chris McKay talked about financial fair play. “As recently as yesterday we were one of ten clubs discussing with UEFA new FFP rules”he said.
Next a question on stadium expansion. Answer: On stadium redevelopment – we’d like to develop further but we have to prioritise resources to pitch and that will remain situation in short-term.” So that’s a no then.
This was followed by a question about the recent European failures and the financial implications. “We cannot leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution” Lists length of time in place of NEDS. Now moving to lack of head of recruitment. No strategy! Questioner then moves onto Brian Wilson and asking about his recent “demotion comment”…
“Mr Wilson wrote a nice obituary to Walter Smith in the Guardian recently. In that obituary among other things he said Rangers were punished by demotion. Would you like to expand on that, Mr Wilson? Because my memory was that no-one was demoted.”
And here is Brian Wilson response…
“The answer to the question is I would like to respond to that because it is something that troubles me. It was an error on my part, I apologised for it. And I corrected it immediately it was drawn to my attention.“
In my mitigation I can say it was an obituary I was writing. I have been writing obituaries for a long time in the Guardian. Nothing to do with Celtic, my Celtic role. I was asked at short notice to write one for Walter Smith.
“No matter who I am writing about my focus is to do a respectful and fair obituary of the man or the woman I am writing about. The audience I am particularly concerned about is those who are most closely bereaved by the loss. I tried to put it in context, summarise in a very limited number of words.
“On this occasion I simply got something wrong, I don’t know why I did but I did. I corrected it, I apologise and all I can say is it was an obituary I was writing, not any type of statement.
“I am very well aware of the legality of the issues you are referring to. I have apologised before, I apologise again, I can say no more on that.”
Then a question about renewing the Old Firm trademark, it’s done to prevent others getting it and exploiting it basically and it’s a low cost exercise. Michael Nicholson explained. “The cost of renewal was low and the purpose of renewal was not to hitch ourselves to a brand but to enable us to control the benefits of it’s use, not for the purposes of using it.”
That was that, until next year when they’ll do it all over again.
