Peter Martin calls out Celtic board and Dermot Desmond after 2025 AGM fiasco

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Something has got to give at Celtic.

When Brendan Rodgers left last month, Dermot Desmond dared to suggest that he had created a ‘toxic atmosphere’ at Celtic.

Yet on Friday, Celtic’s AGM was cancelled, as the board made even bigger fools of themselves in front of the paying supporters.

Unfortunately, ahead of Celtic’s game against St Mirren on Saturday evening, that’s the main talking point and it will probably overshadow the match.

For a minute, forget about what those with Celtic glasses on think about the current matters on hand; even those from the outside understand the time is up for the men in suits.

• READ MORE: James McFadden says what he’s hearing about Celtic’s managerial situation is ‘strange’

Peter Martin calls out Celtic board after AGM fiasco

Peter Martin fired shots at Celtic board members, including how you get ‘banned’ if you dare criticise them.

Given the fiasco of the last 24 hours, Martin told PLZ Soccer that one avenue Desmond could go down is by making somebody a ‘sacrificial lamb’ to try and shut down the outside noise.

“I can only give you my opinion, and I have been absolutely consistent with this board,” said Martin. “I think the board as a collective. I think it stems from Desmond, because he calls the shots, but Peter (Lawwell) is his general.

“Michael Nicholson is just, for me, he follows the party line in this whole triangle of power.

“But I think Dermot Desmond does call the shots. If anybody criticises them. They are either banned or they try to control them. They don’t take criticism too easily, if at all.

“Yes, they are a well-run club. But I maintain that they will not push them out. Dermot Desmond will dig his heels in, and they will ride the storm out.

“If anything, the only thing I can see happening, that maybe there will be some kind of blood-letting.

“Some kind of sacrificial lamb. Someone might just say, ‘I have had enough. I am going to step out of the fray here. Hopefully, one of us going here is enough to save the others and let them go.'”

Ross Desmond called out after European claim

Another individual who embarrassed himself during the short-lived AGM was Ross Desmond, the son of Dermot, who once again didn’t bother to show up.

There were some wacky claims made by Desmond, and it’s not only the Celtic Park faithful who are shutting down what he had to say.

“I think some people on the board have served their time, and it’s time to go,” added Martin. “Their attitude. The way they try to control people, I think, has irked a lot of Celtic fans.

“I stand by what I said. I don’t care what he said on the board in Ross Desmond there. Since 2003 onwards, the majority of people who have gone to put their money into seeing Celtic have watched a lack of ambition in Europe.

“I know a lot of Celtic fans who have spoken to me. None of them are saying, ‘spend £10-15 million on a player.’ They just aren’t saying that.

“They are saying there needs to be a better recruitment process. They would also like to see, when you have such an impressive performance under Brendan Rodgers at the Allianz Arena, there was a chance to move on.”