Stephen McGowan has made a point about Celtic’s ‘sack the board’ chants that ought to have been made earlier.
Throughout both of his interim spells, Martin O’Neill has fought against a generally unhappy vibe at Celtic Park this season.
This is, of course, born out of fans completely losing patience with the Parkhead hierarchy, and rightly so. Away fans following the team up and down the country are also heard singing the chant.
And though there may be a nostalgic element to the song given its relevance in the 1990s, it may not be the most suitable form of musical protest for today, as McGowan has identified.
What would your message to Dermot Desmond be now that the transfer window has closed
Stephen McGowan makes important point on Celtic’s Dermot Desmond
McGowan wrote for The Herald: “Celtic are winding the clock back to the 1990s off the pitch as well.
“The distance between supporters and the board of directors feels like a throwback to the days when the tactical nous of Celts for Change ended with Fergus McCann sweeping the old ruling families from office in March ’94.
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“The same tactics cut no ice with the current controlling shareholder Dermot Desmond.
“The Green Brigade, the Celtic Fans Collective and the ‘Not Another Penny’ campaign seem to exert no influence on an Irish billionaire who would rather take his own counsel and shows no sign of going anywhere.
“Desmond was nowhere to be seen when his placemen were taking pelters at the final whistle at Tannadice.
“Living in Dublin has its upside and, in contrast with the Kellys, the Whites and the Grants, the Desmonds can comfortably put some distance between themselves and events in Glasgow.
“Wilson, Nicholson and McKay can’t say the same and all three must now be asking themselves how long they can carry on like this, carrying the can for the owner in absentia.
“Chants of ‘Sack the Board’ overlook the fact that Celtic don’t appear to have a board with any real clout or influence.
“So long as they are drawn from the same narrow pool of educational establishments and put up with being used as human pinatas for a controlling shareholder accountable to no one but himself, they can carry on watching games from the padded seats.
“Until everything changes, nothing changes at all.”
Agree or disagree?
Celtic fans should shift the focus towards Dermot Desmond
Desmond may not often be in attendance at Celtic games, but this shouldn’t mean that he gets to escape being centre of attention.
Despite his infamous words in the statement he released in response to Brendan Rodgers’ resignation, the current malaise at the club is a direct result of the model imposed by the Irish billionaire.
By making the club so profitable over such a long period, Desmond has turned it into a cash cow, capitalising on the lack of a remotely competitive rival in the Scottish Premiership.
Now that there are two, however, a huge portion of the support are deeply unhappy – and Desmond’s ego should be made to feel the brunt of this.
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