A Long-Term Strategy – “Our football strategy is to dominate domestically and compete consistently in Europe. Key pillars include modernising recruitment, a clear pathway from academy to first team, and an agreed playing model across all age groups. We will publish a detailed plan before the January transfer window.”
Investment in Key Positions – “Last summer’s window fell short of our supporters’ standards, we recognise it and we intend to learn from it. While we brought in several players, we did not deliver the specific targets Brendan identified early enough. To prevent a repeat, we are restructuring recruitment so that priority positions are addressed early, with a dedicated ring-fenced budget.”
Recruitment Accountability – “Responsibility for transfers has been spread across too many hands. From this season, an experienced Director of Football, appointed before Christmas, will have final say on football recruitment and will report directly to the CEO. Performance metrics for signings will be shared with shareholders and supporters.”
Modernising for Europe – “European competition requires a modern structure, and we intend to invest significantly in this area. We are expanding analytics, adding specialist recruitment staff, and investing in sports science and logistical planning to ensure squads are ready for early qualifiers. The new Director of Football will coordinate all of this, will employ his own team in due course, and moving forward will communicate with the supporters via press conferences with the mainstream media and supporter groups on a regular basis, with the view to welcoming scrutiny and offering ongoing transparency.”
Supporter Survey Results – “The survey results will be published in full on our website, feedback will be welcomed, encouraged, collated and discussed at the AGM in November. Key themes, such as match-day experience, ticketing, communication etc, will inform a Supporter Engagement Plan formulated with the input of our fans, and we will implement in 2026.”
Fairhurst Inquiry – “We have received the Fairhurst Inquiry report and are reviewing it with legal counsel. It will be published, with necessary redactions to protect privacy, by the end of next month. We will also work with supporter groups and Police Scotland to ensure match-day policing is proportionate and respectful moving forward.”
UPDATE – It has just been published in full on the Celtic FC website, see HERE.
Fan Collaboration & the Celtic Fans Collective – “I want to acknowledge the Celtic Fans Collective for their constructive role in raising these questions. Rather than a one-off supporter forum, I will meet directly with representatives from the Collective to discuss these issues in detail and agree on ongoing dialogue. This group reflects a broad cross-section of our support, and engaging with them is the best way to ensure all voices are heard.”
