Things are rarely quiet at Celtic Park, but this season, the noise has been something else.
A desperately poor summer transfer window, coupled with a shock failure to qualify for the Champions League, led to a wave of Celtic fan protests.
Brendan Rodgers appeared to sympathise with fans’ frustrations a bit too much, so before too long, he was gone and replaced by Martin O’Neill.
Dialogue between fans and board has led the club nowhere, and an explosive statement by Dermot Desmond’s son at the last AGM has potentially led tensions to a point of no return.
But could this really make Desmond rethink his seemingly-untouchable position? Alan Brazil has maintained that this is a possibility.
Alan Brazil doubles down on rumour of Dermot Desmond leaving Celtic
Despite never owning Celtic, Desmond has had full control over the club’s decision-making throughout the 21st century.
But with some fans losing patience at the club’s safety-first model of self-sustainability, his popularity has reached an all-time low.
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Brazil revealed last week that Desmond could leave Celtic, from what the radio host had ‘gathered’.
This hasn’t been indicated anywhere else, so fans have understandably approached the rumour with caution.
But on Wednesday morning’s talkSPORT, he doubled down on the rumour in a discussion with Ally McCoist.
McCoist said: “I’d have given it to Martin until the end of the season.
“I think he’s whet his appetite.”
Brazil agreed: “Oh, big style. I don’t understand. Let him finish the season!”
McCoist said: “Yeah, I’d certainly give him a cup final.”
Brazil then returned to his Desmond theory, saying: “I think Dermot could be off.
“Dermot could be off. I do. I think he’s had enough of all the squabbling going on.”
He discussed the rumour in more detail last week, saying that Desmond would consider a departure ‘if the right price comes’.
Again: Desmond isn’t Celtic’s owner, but still the most influential figure at the club. If he were to leave, seismic change could occur.
Do you think Dermot Desmond would really consider selling his Celtic shares?
Celtic fans’ stand-off with the board
The foundation, and subsequent action, of the Celtic Fans Collective has represented the biggest mobilisation of Celtic fans since the mid-1990s.
Numerous in-stadium protests have taken place, seeing fans remain in the concourse during the game and raise anti-board banners, as well as staging silent protests.
CEO Michael Nicholson agreed to meet with the collective, and the meeting was just as unproductive as you can imagine, with Nicholson showing little appetite to address the issues seen as fundamental by the Collective.
But Desmond’s statement at the AGM was a new low, and has coincided with another banning of the stadium’s main supporter section, the Green Brigade. It’s difficult to see a way back to normality from here.
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