It’s the one day in the Celtic calendar that can get many fans excited outside of a Glasgow Derby or cup finals.
The Celtic 2024 AGM took place this morning as shareholders and fans got together to quiz the Hoops board on the pressing issues surrounding the club.
67 Hail Hail discussed yesterday how there were six burning issues Celtic fans may want to be answered by Peter Lawwell and the board and today, the Hoops hierarchy delivered. Almost. [as cited by the Daily Record]
Celtic’s January transfer budget
Whilst Celtic still holds massive cash reserves of £77.2m, there wasn’t a direct question about how much the club could plan to spend in January.
However, Peter Lawwell did pledge to the Celtic fans that the board will do everything the can to continue to bring domestic success and European progression to the club.
Chris McKay also said that whilst Celtic’s cash reserves can be used to strengthen the first team, they must also be a back-up plan should the Hoops fail to make the Champions League in the future.
The Celtic End ‘not a club initiative’
The Green Brigade have long campaigned for Celtic to create a larger safe-standing section like The North Curve where the fans can show their support for the team
The Celtic End initiative was rejected by the club and it was a question raised at today’s AGM.
Michael Nicholson recognised the point being brought up in the fan survey and said that Celtic need to ‘look through the practicalities’ due to the demand from the fans.
Celtic fans and pyro
Celtic have been fined by UEFA on numerous occasions due to fan use of pyro at European games over the last few seasons.
A Celtic fan asked the AGM what they plan to do to stop the fines and those fans who consistently break the rules from getting away tickets.
Lawwell said the fines are ‘unacceptable’ and the club have tried and failed to look at the ticket allocations to stop this.
Nicholson admits the system Celtic have on distributing away briefs is not perfect but did concede that the pyro issue is not just a Celtic one, it’s an overall football problem.
Celtic Park ticket exchange scheme and away allocations
SPFL clubs cutting Celtic’s away ticket allocation wasn’t directly addressed by the AGM mainly because the question wasn’t asked.
And as for a ticket exchange system, that was another issue that wasn’t spoken about at the meeting.
Champions League ticket prices are frozen and whilst Nicholson did say the board talked about ticket prices there was no answer on whether Celtic would reduce them given the club’s healthy financial state.
Main Stand redevelopment and expand Celtic Park
Celtic’s season ticket waiting list is an issue for fans who are desperate to see their heroes week in, week out. But as the demand grows, stadium expansion is an area that could be used to address this.
However, Michael Nicholson said it is something the Celtic board have ‘thought long and hard about’ and did admit that if the club was in the Premier League, it would make that decision easier.
The mysterious 2024 Celtic Fan Survey
The Celtic Fan Survey closed in July this year and, as yet, there has been nothing said about the results.
Nicholson referred to the survey after addressing The Celtic End debate however, there is still little known about it.
The Celtic Trust asked if the club are looking to improve fan engagement at any point and Nicholson said ‘supporter engagement is a shared ambition’.
However, the CEO admitted that he hasn’t had the the chance to look through the Fan Survey even though it’s almost six months since it was completed. Bizarre.
These were the issues 67 Hail Hail looked to be addressed and, in truth, it is disappointing that the Fan Survey still remains on the backburner as does the demand for The Celtic End.
Whilst the club is in good health on and off the park it is clear that there is still work to do by Celtic to help improve specific issues that the fans still care about.
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