Celtic CEO Nicholson bottles out of media conference

Michael Nicholson is set to escape questioning for the second time in a fortnight.

On November 21 Peter Lawwell cut short the 2025 Celtic AGM for fear of putting the club CEO through his annual public appearance during a brief Q and A session.

There has been no mention from the club of rescheduling the AGM. When the Chairman is shouting ’Behave’ at shareholders you know he isn’t fit for purpose.

Last night, an hour before playing Dundee, Celtic announced the appointment of Wilfried Nancy as manager. Typically the club couldn’t spell the Frenchman’s name correctly in their statement to the London Stock Market.

NICHOLSON PREFERS A SOCIAL MEDIA INTRODUCTION

Rather than hold a media conference today Celtic have concentrated on a favoured deflection exercise. Sharing lots of short video clips of the new manager. By 6pm the day after being appointed there is no scheduled media conference to introduce the new manager.

Those circumstances in June 2023 presented Nicholson to the public/media for the only time in four years of draining a salary as supposed CEO.

Alongside Lawwell and Brendan Rodgers we were given the iconic Nicholson soundbite. Asked about the ambitions of Celtic the club CEO explained that ‘they aimed to be world class in everything that they do’.

Communications is down towards the bottom of that list. Alongside transparency and accountability.

NICHOLSON’S NOTORIOUS POST-IT

Nicholson has a Post-it note on his office whiteboard to remind him of the need to improve communications.

During his auto-cue interview with Gerry McCulloch to fill time at the AGM the Celtic CEO revealed his cunning plan. A new app is on the way, Celtic TV is getting a makeover and plans are underway for a membership scheme.

That should keep the Collective at bay after failing to deliver a right-winger, centre-forward and Champions League football.

It took Celtic 15 months to reveal the answers to a Fans Survey, prompted only by the formation of the Collective. The club hasn’t staged a Fan Forum since May. World class in everything we do, he claims.

Even in the short video clip released by the club Nicholson gives off the personality and charisma of an Amazon delivery box. Wholly uncomfortable with any human interaction.

By the tone of today’s closely controlled content Celtic appear to be getting on with business as usual. Leaving supporters in the dark. At 5.45pm tonight the club released their in-house interview with Celtic TV. Nicholson was nowhere to be seen as McCulloch went through a careful run of soft questions.

Friday looks like business as usual.

NICHOLSON’S EVASION

Matchday preparations at Lennoxtown. Photographers given 15 minutes of access, Sky Sports get an interview with the manager then the broadcaster media conference. Communications Manager Iain Jamieson will want to create an exclusive slot for his newspaper friends. Embargoed until 10.30 pm on Friday.

With Nicholson slinking back to his office at Celtic Park for another day of who knows what.

Nancy has clearly been identified by Paul Tisdale and approved by Dermot Desmond. Now the Frenchman has to strike up a day to day relationship with the elusive Nicholson.

There are four weeks to go until the January transfer window opens.

All through the summer Celtic needed at least one right winger and one striker.

TRANSFER FAILINGS

Tisdale delivered Shin Yamada, Hayato Inamura and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey. Then after losing to Kairat Almaty two left wingers were signed.

Rodgers had no trust in any of those players. Nor had O’Neill.

Now Celtic have placed their trust in Tisdale to deliver a manager as well as building a Champions League squad.

So far the former Exeter City manager has run Mark Lawwell close in self harming transfers.

With a badly imbalanced squad racked by injuries Nancy has his work cut out trying to follow on from O’Neill.

Faced with Hearts on Sunday the new manager will be without Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Marcelo Saracchi, James Forrest, Kelechi Iheanacho, Callum Osmand and Jota.

It would be a shock if no hamstring injuries are suffered in the demanding eight day programme against Hearts, Roma and St Mirren.

For support and backing Nancy has a CEO that thinks saying ‘penalty to Rangers’ passes as fan communication.

If Nancy has any doubt about the backing he has from the club he should check out the conduct of his £850,000 a year CEO.