Leeann Dempster has said that she predicts that incoming Celtic Chief Executive Dominic McKay will face a ‘rude awakening’ as he swaps Murrayfield for Celtic Park in the summer. The transition of power is underway as Peter Lawwell plans his exit out of the Parkhead hot seat after seventeen years leading the club.
Dempster, who recently moved from Hibernian to Queen’s Park, predicts that the challenges facing McKay cannot be understated. The SRU executive will be arriving in place of Lawwell following success with PRO-14 and Scottish Rugby. Speaking to BBC Scotland’s Off the Ball, Dempster says that McKay is the ‘obvious choice’ for the role but he will need to be prepared for the task at hand.
“I know Dom quite well. To me, he was one of the obvious choices.
“He’s done a tremendous job at the SRU. Football and rugby are very different and I think the big step change will be that Celtic are in a good position, but if they don’t achieve the league this year a big reset will be required.
“He’s going to have a lot to work to do whether that be behind the scenes in terms of staff and things, but also just kind of getting to know the Celtic supporters.
“It will be a rude awakening, let’s not pretend.
“There will be a boot on the throat right from the start. That’s just what happens, you’re at one of the biggest clubs in the UK and there’s a massive expectation.
“But I think Dom can rise to that and I spoke to him on a number of occasions.”
McKay will inherit an enormous amount of issues as he takes over at the club this year. Supporters feel as if they are being ignored by the club as they were promised so much but so little has been delivered. Although, McKay – a Celtic supporter – will be tasked with having to pick a manager worthy of uniting the support and modernising the footballing department ahead of another period of success.
McKay is a communications man, he will likely step into the role with great enthusiasm even if he has no previous in the footballing industry. His rebuild needs to hit the ground running and hopefully he, Lawwell and Dermot Desmond are plotting an ambitious recruitment drive for managerial candidates.