The Celtic Fan Collective is continuing its exposure of the Celtic board ahead of Friday’s AGM.
A widespread campaign of protests has made the voices of the support heard, with patience for the club’s board at a breaking point.
And the Collective is now trying to push fundamental change at the club. Peter Lawwell and others have been the subjects of statements from the group.
Every year, club board members stand for re-election at the meeting at Celtic Park – they usually win re-election without any pressure at all. This year, the Collective is now trying to change that.
And the latest name to be targeted in a statement is the man at the top of the board – Chief Executive Michael Nicholson.
Celtic Fans Collective release statement on Michael Nicholson
Nicholson was appointed CEO in 2021, after the very brief reign of Dom McKay.
He was effectively the Lawwell replacement, and had worked under the former CEO for many years.
READ MORE: Celtic factor which could determine Daizen Maeda exit in January named by Fabrizio Romano
His tenure has seen relations between Celtic and their supporters reach their lowest point in decades , and he has never been able to effectively explain the club’s long-term direction, or back it up with evidence.
The statement goes as follows: Michael Nicholson’s position as CEO is no longer credible.
“His tenure has been defined by weak leadership, poor communication and an inability to articulate any meaningful vision for Celtic.
“At a time when the club needs clarity, confidence and ambition, Nicholson has looked out of his depth. He promised supporters that he wants Celtic to be ‘world class in everything we do’.
“Under his guidance, the club is mediocre in almost all areas.
“A Celtic CEO should be visible, authoritative and capable of engaging openly with supporters. Nicholson’s unwillingness to communicate has left the fanbase feeling ignored, detached and devalued.
“His record on fan issues is appalling. These shortcomings were brutally exposed at the meeting with the Celtic Fans Collective.
“He struggled to answer basic questions, failed to explain the club’s direction and appeared completely overwhelmed by the demands of the role.
“His lack of ambition was underlined further when he stated he believed Celtic’s recent European record is satisfactory.
“Celtic needs a leader who is ambitious, communicative and relentless in pushing the continual improvement of all aspects of the club. Instead, we have a CEO who aims low, accepts mediocrity and is normalising regression at a club that should demand far higher standards than he is delivering.
“Michael – your time at Celtic has expired.”
Poll: Do you have faith in the Celtic board?
Celtic’s AGM on Friday
The Celtic AGM will be a chance for stakeholders to put questions to Nicholson and Lawwell as well as other board members.
Dermot Desmond won’t be present, as is usually the case. This is a clear indication of his approach to his position as majority shareholder.
The team’s manager is usually in attendance, and it isn’t yet clear if Martin O’Neill will be on this occasion, given his interim status.
The AGM has never come around with a backdrop quite like this year’s, so it should be fascinating to keep track of – 67 Hail Hail will have all the big stories.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
