So, it is unsurprising that rumours of investor interest continue to surface. This does not necessarily signal a takeover attempt, it signals the recognition that Celtic could be something more but is not becoming it under its current approach. The question is not whether people are watching, it is whether the board is willing to respond to the reality that the wider football world, even our locality, is changing rapidly.
Dermot Desmond prior to the Celtic vs St Mirren Cinch Premiership match at Celtic Park on May 20, 2023 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
And here we come back to Desmond. If he is unwilling to sell, does that end the conversation? Not necessarily. Control does not always change through ownership transfer. Influence can shift through voting blocs, gradual accumulation of shares among smaller shareholders, boardroom restructuring, strategic partnerships or phased investment. Power in football clubs rarely moves in dramatic, cinematic gestures. It moves slowly, procedurally, through alignment, pressure, and time.
The real debate, then, is not simply whether Celtic should change owners. It is whether Celtic should choose to evolve, or allow circumstances to force evolution upon it.
New investment could bring modernised operations, more ambitious sporting targets, a more dynamic approach to recruitment and a clearer sense of purpose in Europe. It could also, if mishandled, fracture the cultural identity that makes Celtic more than just another football brand. Clubs that hand over control do not often get it back.
This is the heart of the matter. Celtic’s identity and Celtic’s ambition must not be treated as opposing forces. The club does not need to choose between continuity and progress. But progress will not happen automatically. It requires intentional leadership, genuine engagement with supporters, and a willingness to accept that being the biggest club in Scotland should not be seen as the ceiling. There was a time when Celtic looked outward, when Europe was not viewed as a bonus or spectacle, but as belonging. Supporters feel the loss of that mindset. Investors may well see the gap it has left.
We have not come full circle yet. But we may now be walking the same path again, slowly, without openly acknowledging it. The difference now is that supporters understand the stakes. They know what complacency can cost. They know what happens when the boardroom treats the club as its private domain. Celtic’s future will not be decided in a single meeting, a single headline, a single AGM. It will be shaped gradually, by who sets the terms of the conversation, those who want the club merely to endure, or those who believe it can grow while remaining true to itself.
This is perhaps not a crisis, but it feels like a crossroads.
And crossroads demand clarity. Celtic must decide not just what it wants to avoid, but what it wants to become. And the supporters, perhaps more than at any point in the last two decades, must be ready to insist that their voice is not just heard, but respected.
Because the club does not merely belong to those who hold the shares. It belongs to those who make it thrive. And so, the question now turns to the support itself.
Are we still in the era of better the devil you know, reassuring stability in exchange for limited ambition? Or has the moment arrived where Celtic must consider new hands on the wheel, new investment, new energy, new possibility?
Is outside interest a threat? Or is it an opportunity?
Niall J
Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, signed copies by Danny McGrain available from celticstarbooks.com
Don’t miss the chance to purchase the late, great Celtic historian David Potter’s final book. All remaining copies have been signed by the legendary Celtic captain Danny McGrain PLUS you’ll also receive a FREE copy of David Potter’s Willie Fernie biography – Putting on the Style, and you’ll only be charged for postage on one book. Order from Celtic Star Books HERE.
Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star
Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Photo: Celtic Star Books
I wouldn’t believe anything written in that hun rag. Never in all the time I’ve looked at Celtic news items, blogs etc have i seen them with a positive story about us.
Well, 1st time for everything i suppose. I stand corrected. The hun rag was right. I’m flabbergasted