Celtic valuation flags up £66m windfall for Celtic families

A very interesting article in The Times (London not Glasgow) today concerning Celtic’s principal shareholder Dermot Desmond, his current argument with the Celtic support and the possibility that he might feel that the time in right to do what he previously said would never do, sell his stake in Celtic.

Celtic Fans Collective Protest at Easter Road. Sunday 30 November 2025. Hibs v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

The numbers laid out break down to these. The Irish billionaire has invested around £30m in Celtic, receiving around £7.6m in dividends and his stake in the club could be worth an incredible £99m and perhaps that could increase dramatically as the interest in acquiring European football clubs, particularly from American investors, has never been so great.

Dermot Desmond could cash in at the top of the market and blame his change of heart regarding never selling his stake in the club on the Celtic supporters amid the current tensions which exploded at the recent Celtic AGM when Dermot Desmond’s son Ross was allowed to read out a statement on behalf of his father attacking the Celtic support.

Ross Desmond at Celtic AGM. 21 November 2025. Screenshot social media

Dad Desmond warned via his son that the club would not be “railroaded by those whose only vocation in life is to be anti-establishment”, or “bullied by aggressive, irrational factions” amid a climate at the club where the Celtic Fans Collective – an organisation comprising of all the leading supporters Associations and hundreds of individual Celtic supporters clubs – have been organising effective campaigns against the Celtic Board.

There’s also ongoing controversy between one of the Celtic ultra groups, The Green Brigade and the Celtic Board which has resulted in claims and counterclaims and some supporters having been arrested with at least one front door being kicked in by police in an early morning raid. The supporter was arrested, held for around an hour and then charged with breach of the peace.

Celtic Park. Celtic v Livingston, 23 August 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

The article in The Times notes: ‘The club’s fortunes have improved dramatically. Its total revenues of £16 million in 1996 grew to more than £100 million in 2018, just before the pandemic. Last year it turned over £143.5 million and the club was sitting on accumulated profits of £92.1 million and cash of £77 million.’

The Times speaks to Stephen Morrow, professor in international sports management at Edinburgh Business School who is critical of Celtic PLC corporate governance in terms of the length of services that the Board members have accumulated over the decades.

“When you look at the directors who are on the board of Celtic, four of those have been on the board for more than 20 years, which includes the current chairman, Peter Lawwell, who was previously chief executive,” he said. “And you’ve got another two who have been there for more than ten years.”

“In no sense can that be called good practice in terms of corporate governance.”

On Dermot Desmond’s position Morrow adds: “He has 35 per cent, or thereabouts, so he is the most significant shareholder, but he has become effectively a majority shareholder because of the way in which the shares are distributed.”

This is a reference to around 20% of Celtic shareholders who have been lost in the process of time after investing money many didn’t have supporting Fergus McCann’s plans via share issues in the mid-1990s.

Here’s a thought to finish on. If Dermot Desmond’s 30% stake is worth £99m then those Celtic supporters who bought shares, or their families for the ones who have passed on, have collectively around 20% – that’s worth an incredible £66m.

So the message to every Celtic supporter should be to check through the family files, ask older family members if shares were purchased in the 90s and get in touch with The Celtic Trust who will be able to provide further advice on sourcing these incredibly valuable shares and also giving you a say in the way Celtic is going to be run going forward.

This Sunday The Celtic Fans Collective will be marching from St Mary’s RC Church in Calton, the place where Celtic were founded to Celtic Park, our holy ground and on the way the supporters will pass stalls organised by The Green Brigade in their Christmas food bank collection – to help put food on the tables of hungry children.

The exact reason why Celtic Football Club was formed.

Big read: Dermot Desmond is embroiled in a public spat with Celtic fans again.

Would he ever sell his stake? What would he get for it?

And if he doesn’t, can relations with the fans improve? https://t.co/hucFfGpKp2

— Barry J Whyte (@whytebarry) November 30, 2025