The Celtic Trust publish summary of conclusions after well-attended online meeting

By John McGinley

December 6, 2020

The Celtic Trust have published a summary of conclusions from yesterday’s video call involving more than 300 supporters.

The group, which seeks to combine the voting strength of supporter shareholders and to accumulate shares in Celtic which will be held in common by the membership, hosted an online meeting to discuss ongoing issues at the club.

This season has deteriorated badly and the events of the last month were mainly put under the spotlight during the two-hour gathering.

In a statement published on their website, the Trust voiced their frustration not just with the performances of the team but also the way that the club board have communicated with supporters.

They said: “The failure of the Chief Executive or the Chairman to engage with fan organisations or the wider supporter body was condemned.

“It was noted that:

• The use of planted stories with friendly journalists is not an adequate substitute for open and constructive dialogue with those who continue to sustain this Club financially despite being prevented from attending games.
• Having said nothing as the problems on the pitch mounted and then publicly criticising and insulting supporters is unacceptable and divisive.
• The failure of the Board to take responsibility for the denial of any effective route to convey their views other than public protest was also condemned. The erection of barriers around Celtic Park is seen as an open insult to supporters and an escalation of the division and disconnect between the PLC Board and the supporters.”

There’s certainly not much to argue with there from my perspective.

It has been frustrating trying to glean what the decision-makers are thinking with regards to Celtic and manager Neil Lennon from press briefings without direct quotes, or ‘sources close to’ prominent figures like Dermot Desmond.

Chief Executive Peter Lawwell would eventually publish a statement on Tuesday, but only after fan protests at Celtic Park and weeks of complaints from other supporters.

After that, barriers were erected around Celtic Park, further alienating fans.

Celtic Park / (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The Celtic Trust is now looking to meet with officials from the club over the next week.

They’ve also called on Celtic to remove the fencing and communicate how to effectively protest peacefully in a way that is compliant with COVID-19 advice.

This is definitely something to keep an eye on over the coming days.