The Celtic board have probably never seen as much pressure as they have done in 2025 than in any other period in the most recent history of the club.
Not since the dark days of the 90s has Celtic faced such fan turmoil as supporters take to the streets to demonstrate against the likes of Dermot Desmond, Michael Nicholson, Peter Lawwell and others in the Parkhead boardroom.
Such is the ill-feeling, the Celtic Fans Collective was formed as 400 supporters groups, fan media and Ultras got together to force change at the club.
And as Peter Lawwell announced his Celtic exit, 67 Hail Hail has decided to look back at five huge mistakes the Parkhead board made in 2025.
- READ MORE: The Celtic Fans Collective’s full brutal statement on Peter Lawwell and the Parkhead board
Celtic’s shambolic transfer business
The catalyst, but not the sole reason, for Celtic fan unrest is how the board handled this year’s transfer windows.
Celtic selling Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kuhn and not replacing them with players of similar quality has led to fans watching performances that have led to Champions League exits and losing two major cup finals.
The summer transfer window was shambolic as Celtic failed to sign a proper striker with Kelechi Iheanacho being drafted in on a free after the window closed.
Players like Hayato Inamura, Shin Yamada and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey were clearly not wanted by Brendan Rodgers and even Wilfried Nancy’s start at Celtic has been hamstrung due to the poor business the Celtic board have conducted.
Dermot Desmond’s attack on ex-Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers
In one of the most unprofessional acts ever seen by fans by a Celtic shareholder, Desmond’s attack on Rodgers was one of the most embarrassing things to happen in 2025.
Branding Rodgers as ‘divisive, misleading, and self-serving’, the lack of awareness and humility shown in that statement caused outrage amongst the Celtic support.
And quite why a shareholder was allowed by Nicholson and Lawwell to take a personal gripe on the Celtic’s official website still baffles many fans to this day.
The Celtic board’s hostility towards fans
The Celtic board’s disdain towards fans has never been more evident at any time in the club’s history than it has been in 2025.
Ross Desmond’s attack on Celtic supporters was the most ill-advised statement ever to have been delivered in Celtic’s history.
Not only did he ostracise himself from supporters, Desmond’s standing with Celtic shareholders will also never recover.
The board’s blanket Celtic Park ban of the Green Brigade is another huge error. With no end in sight to the lockout, the Parkhead executive used footage that explains nothing about an alleged altercation between a few fans, stewards and police prior to the 4-0 Falkirk win.
Who should Celtic appoint as their new chairman?
If any wrongdoing has been done then that should be punishable and will be condemned, but as no one has been found guilty as yet, the punishment that stands seems grossly unfair.
And a ban on Celtic fan media attending press conferences? Not a peep from them.
Celtic’s delay in appointing Wilfried Nancy and how he was unveiled to the press
Wilfried Nancy’s start at Celtic has been hamstrung from day one. A delay in his appointment meant that Martin O’Neill had to remain in situ as interim boss.
The only information Celtic fans got about Nancy’s potential arrival was from O’Neill as not one Celtic board member delivered a single update on the delay appointing the new boss.
Heading into games against Hearts, Roma and St Mirren, Nancy’s delay meant that he was woefully underprepared to negotiate the toughest three fixtures of Celtic’s season so far.
And let’s not forget one big thing. As Nancy took in his first Celtic press conference, he had to do so alone. Not one person from the board was in attendance at his unveiling at Parkhead which is yet another embarrassing stain on CEO Michael Nicholson’s record at the club.
The ill-fated Celtic AGM
The Celtic AGM was allowed to descend into a farce by chairman, Peter Lawwell.
His sneering at Celtic supporters and shareholders was preceded by the infamous Ross Desmond statement as Lawwell lost control of the annual meeting.
Celtic fans branded Lawwell a ‘coward’ after he grasped the opportunity to close the AGM early to avoid facing questions from a support and shareholding who are deeply unhappy at his and the board’s handling of club affairs.
Now resigned from Celtic, Lawwell’s two spells at Celtic will be remembered mostly by an angry fan base on how he handled the COVID season as CEO, and the fan unrest as the chairman leaves the club for the last time at the end of 2025.
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