The Celtic Fans Collective have slammed Dermot Desmond, Peter Lawwell and Michael Nicholson for their shambolic handling of the 2025 AGM.
Dermot Desmond was once again absent for the annual meeting at Celtic Park and, instead, chose to send his son Ross, to represent him in front of fans and shareholders.
The son of the Irish billionaire then proceeded to read out a bizarre statement where Ross Desmond attacked the Celtic supporters, labelling them ‘bullies’ and ‘shameful’ in scenes never witnessed before from any Parkhead board member.
Those comments left Celtic fans at the AGM absolutely fuming and now, the Celtic Fans Collective have responded with their own blistering attack on Desmond and the Parkhead board.
Celtic Fans Collective slam Parkhead board for ‘attacking the fanbase’
The Collective have been extremely vocal in demanding change in the Parkhead boardroom, and after watching the Celtic AGM omnishambles, the supporters’ group launched their own blistering attack on the Hoops executives.
The statement on X read, “Yesterday’s AGM at Celtic Park confirmed what many of us already knew. The current board holds the Celtic support in open contempt and is now flagrantly attacking the fanbase to avoid facing basic accountability.
“As board members entered the meeting, they were roundly booed by the hall as Celtic fans and shareholders showed them the red card to send a clear message about the level of dissatisfaction and anger with their leadership.
“Major shareholder Dermot Desmond, for all his tough posturing, once again demonstrated that he is too cowardly to face supporters.
“He chose to send his pampered heir Ross, who had no right to address shareholders from the stage, and who has likely never paid into a Celtic match in his life, to profoundly insult and intentionally provoke supporters and shareholders with a speech that may come to be viewed as a historical low point of fan relations in the modern history of the club.
“Peter Lawwell’s chairing of the meeting was equally deplorable. He demeaned and dismissed supporters throughout, and in some instances, openly mocked those in attendance with sneering classist remarks, ultimately revealing what he truly thinks about Celtic supporters.
“As this unfolded, Chief Executive Michael Nicholson sat mute, which was befitting of his approach to his job over the last 4 years.”
Celtic Fans Collective ‘reject entirely’ Peter Lawwell’s AGM blame game
As Peter Lawwell blamed the Celtic fans and shareholders for the abrupt end to the meeting, the Collective utterly rejected that notion.
The statement continued, “It is our view that the Celtic PLC were determined to avoid being held to account in any way as part of the standard Q+A section of the meeting.
“However, given that we met with representatives of the board for two hours on the 6th of October and did not receive substantial answers to the key questions supporters had then, it is unlikely that this would have told us anything new regardless.
“In the aftermath, a flurry of statements were released in the usual 6pm Friday timeslot, laying blame for their shambolic handling of the AGM on ‘disruption’ caused by the Green Brigade and Celtic Trust.
“We have two key points we would like to reiterate on this:
- 1. We reject entirely the characterisation that fans and ordinary shareholders ‘disrupted’ this meeting. The Celtic Fans Collective sought to move a perfectly reasonable motion to move to next business, which the Chair refused to recognise, leading to understandable and audible dissatisfaction on the meeting floor. After the adjournment that had pathetically been called by the Chair, fans and shareholders understandably reacted to the provocation of the Desmond’s reprehensible tirade against supporters.
- 2. The suggestion that any of this related solely to the Green Brigade or Celtic Trust is false, and so too is the claim that only around 40 attendees were angered by the board’s handling of the meeting. The Celtic Fans Collective represents hundreds of fan groups, supporters buses, fan media and podcasts, organisations and ultras groups.
“Moreover, the majority of match going supporters now see through the transparent attempts to divide our movement by laying blame at the door of specific elements, most notably, the Green Brigade!
The Celtic Fans Collective ‘stands’ with the Green Brigade against Dermot Desmond
Celtic’s ban of the Green Brigade has also angered the Collective as they said that they will stand by the Ultras against Dermot Desmond’s attempt to ‘vilify’ the supporters’ group.
The Collective said, “There has been a concerted effort to target and vilify the Green Brigade as Dermot Desmond has been lashing out at the most vocal elements of the fanbase that have dared stand up to him.
“We are clear that an attack on one, is an attack on all, and we will stand beside the Green Brigade, and any other supporter group, to oppose the current board and force the personnel and structural change that is urgently required.
“Yesterday showed beyond doubt that the Desmond’s hold the Celtic support and the values of our club in contempt. They are willing to target anyone who challenges them, while calling others bullies in the same breath.
“We will not bow however as we believe that having a Celtic Football Club that we can be proud to support, that reflects our social values and sporting ambition, is worth fighting for.
“Moreover, the Celtic support and what we stand for will long outlast these detached millionaire and billionaire custodians.
“Football is nothing without the fans.”
As the fallout of the Celtic AGM continues, the Collective have made their stance to Desmond, Lawwell, Nicholson and the rest of the Parkhead board.
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