Celtic have been in talks with Go Ahead Eagles for Jakob Breum for a number of weeks now.
Celtic’s pursuit of Breum has cooled of late, as the Parkhead club continue their frugal approach to transfers this summer.
The Dutch club have been open and honest about their dealings with Celtic after Go Ahead told the Glasgow giants that they will not budge from their valuation of Breum.
And that’s not the only thing Go Ahead are being open about after they announced a brilliant fan initiative the Celtic board could learn from.
Go Ahead Eagles launch new fan initiative Celtic supporters will love
On Tuesday, Go Ahead Eagles collaborated with the municipality of Deventer [council], the Public Prosecution Service, the police, and the Go Ahead Eagles Supporters’ Affairs department to improve fan experience for home fixtures.
An agreement was signed by all parties to ensure that the matchday experience for fans is safe, hospitable and as accessible as possible.
A statement from the club said the agreement was ‘unique’ and that Go Ahead were delighted to get the fans involved and that it was ‘important’ to include them as partners to improve the matchday experience for the club and supporters.
But that is not all, what the Go Ahead board are doing over and above the agreement is extremely impressive.
Go Ahead Eagles’ general manager is miles ahead of the Celtic board when it comes to fan engagement
The Celtic board’s radio silence and communication with fans is the biggest bugbear of the Parkhead support.
And after the Celtic board decided to hit fans with a three-game suspended ban this month, the parallels on what Go Ahead are doing with their support are stark when you listen to what their general manager Jan Willem van Dop said on the club website.
Van Dop told the Go Ahead supporters, “It’s crucial that a club is approachable for supporters.
“During matches, I could sit in the best seat in the stadium, but I prefer to be among the supporters.
“Engaging in conversation, seeking to understand each other. Moreover, I know from experience that it’s not easy to have a mayor who thinks along with you and acts as well as ours.
“We can be very proud of that. That’s why I have great confidence in the implementation of this agreement.”
Imagine the likes of Michael Nicholson or Peter Lawwell sitting in the stands with regular Celtic supporters talking to them on how to take the club forward.
Imagine the Celtic board collaborating with Police Scotland, Glasgow City Council and fan representatives to improve the matchday experience for all parties concerned.
How incredible would that be to have such forward-thinking at the club? Over to you, Celtic.
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