Charlie Nicholas has joined the calls for fan representation on the Celtic board.
Davie Provan was the first to react to the AGM last week, in which Dermot Desmond again failed to show up whilst Ian Bankier dodged key supporter issues and put in a dismal performance as Celtic chairman.
Provan believed that getting a fan representative on the Celtic board was now an essential step forward for the football club [Go Radio Football Show]. It’s certainly something the supporters would get behind too.
However, speaking via his Scottish Daily Express column today [print edition, 23/11, page 53], Nicholas said: “Celtic’s hierarchy has to open the door and give the fans a voice on the board. I feel like I have been debating and fighting with the people in power at Celtic most of my life, since I was a player, all the way through. I saw the ill-feeling at the Annual General Meeting the other week and I have been back at a game recently. I have witnessed the verve and emotion in the stadium.
“The issue is that too much power has been given away to too many individuals who have been able to hide behind different aspects of things at the top of Celtic. They got away with it for years because they were winning things and also Rangers weren’t in the top-flight. It was always nice and smooth and they would get away with an easy ride.
“Until there is a representative on the board then things aren’t really going to change for this current owner and his merry men. I genuinely think those in power could heal quite a few things here if they were to open things up and to give the fans an input.
“I do believe Celtic would do themselves a lot of good if they could build bonds with their fans. The more you keep pushing them away, the louder they will become. The fans have earned the right to have representation. This is the time to modernise the club and to really move things forward.”
Celtic showing no indication they’re getting ready to modernise the board
It’s great calling for fan representation and having high-profile pundits calling for it too. But it doesn’t really affect all that much given the process involved in order to actually get one onto the board.
For a start, they’ll need to be voted on. Good luck getting the members of the board to allow that to happen. After all, all it takes is for Dermot Desmond to reject the idea and it’s pie in the sky stuff.
You see, we’ve to believe that the members of the board are Celtic fans you see. There’s apparently already fan representation at boardroom level. Bankier and Desmond of course make 2 of them.
The problem is that charade is fading fast. Last season was the final straw when the board decided to do as much damage to the club’s season as possible in order to keep Neil Lennon in his post for as long as they could get away with.
But if they truly are Celtic supporters, why are they so against greater fan representation? Surely they have nothing to hide by bringing one on board? After all, they’ll all be working in the best interests of the club whilst they could put this particular issue to bed. No?
The more they reject the notion, the more worrying it looks to the Celtic support. Nicholas and Provan certainly aren’t alone in their demands, but don’t expect it to lead anywhere.
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