The worst possible Celtic nightmare for Dermot Desmond has just become a reality.
A manager completely out his depth, appointed by a Head of Football Operations who somehow managed to charm the principal shareholder into trusting him.
And not just trust him to make the small decisions at the club that Michael Nicholson still needs permission for.
No, Paul Tisdale has been handed full control over the first team, including hiring a manager and recruiting players.
The results of the Tisdale Takeover are there for all to see.
When this current farce comes to an end is anyone’s guess.
DESMOND DUPED BY TISSERS
Because firing Tisdale and the manager he appointed would involve Dermot Desmond conceding he has made a massive error.
And it will make him look entirely foolish.
As Celtic fans we have discovered to our cost that if there is one thing the thin skinned Irish principle shareholder does not like to do, it is admit he has made a mistake.
And what a horrendous mistake it was.
Somewhere between Kyogo leaving last January and the summer transfer window, the Tisdale takeover was completed.
Brendan Rodgers was offered Shin Yamada to replace Kyogo last January – but he wasn’t convinced the 24-year-old Japanese striker was of the required standard.
At that stage Rodgers was still able to veto such a move.
Fast forward to the summer of 2025 and who should arrive for a Brendan Rodgers training session but the one and only Shin Yamada.
TISDALE TAKEOVER
By that stage Tisdale was calling the shots. And Rodgers was left to deal with the players he was given.
To their credit Rodgers and John Kennedy soldiered on and made a good start to the season under the circumstances.
Rodgers was determined to see out the three years that he hoped would restore his reputation with the support.
Kennedy, as a diehard Celtic fan and well respected coach went along with Rodgers.
But the writing was on the wall from the summer.
The big question is just how on earth Tisdale managed to charm Desmond to the point that he trusted Tisdale more than Rodgers and Kennedy to build a winning Celtic team.
When Rodgers and Kennedy finally gave up, Desmond went on the attack.
He was horrified that a manager who had won every title he had competed for with Celtic would dare to question the wisdom of Tisdale being allowed to call the shots.
THE EXETER CITY NETWORK
Tisdale then hired Wilfried Nancy to implement his footballing vision and we can all see the results. Based on a mutual friend that was Exeter’s youth coach 15 years ago. The outstanding candidate according to spokesman Nicholson.
It truly is astonishing that a club like Celtic is being run entirely on the whim of one man who prefers playing golf to attending Celtic Park.
For Desmond to now fire Nancy would be akin to him admitting he has been played like a fiddle.
And Billionaires don’t like to recognise their own failings.
Nobody else at Celtic Park comes into the equation.
CEO Nicholson has no say in any of this, puppets don’t perform unless their master chooses to operate them.
The board are as powerless as us Celtic fans have been saying for years now.
Desmond gave Tisdale the keys to the kingdom and the self proclaimed Doctor Football signed the players, chased away a winning manager who didn’t share his “vision” and chose his replacement.
LESSER OF TWO EVILS
The nightmare only comes to an end when Desmond’s ego allows him to admit failure.
The transfer window is now open, the first team is falling apart in front of our eyes and the supporters can see it all as clear as day.
Desmond, Tisdale and Nicholson don’t communicate with us fans. We’re just left to deal with whatever they serve up to us.
Dermot Desmond can stick his head in the sand and leave his puppets in the padded seats to take the flack on his behalf.
Or he can sack Nancy, and in so doing make Nicholson and Tisdale’s positions untenable.
Either way Celtic’s principle shareholder is going to be made to look extremely foolish.
And the structure of the club is going to shown for the utter shambles that it is.
16 Comments
by TimAlloy
Dermot did not pick the manager nor did he pick the DoF. These were selected by the Chief Exec Michael Nicholson who acts on behalf of the board. Desmond is not on the board. He is however the principal shareholder but not controlling shareholder (he does have the backing of the majority of shareholders).
Now people need to start to understand the hierarchy before they spout uneducated nonsense.
Celtic support are much to blame. The are toxic. Clueless. They are being taunted by every other clubs support because they are all of this.
They ‘the collective’ had a chance to talk but did not like what was said so acted like children.
They had a chance at the AGM but acted like children (mostly because they achieved a mere 7.8% of the vote asking for change)
You cannot sack a board they are ONLY elected members by the shareholders (who so far are NOT putting pression on the board or CEO) That might change.
The shareholders own the club (regardless of what anyone else thinks)
If you want change in a man business world which most football clubs are business’s they you need to act like an adult. You need backing however there is no backing, there is no consortium wanting to take over the club.
Do you really want to see and middle eastern taking over Celtic Football club?
Think about what you wish for and be wary of what you wish for.
by Editor
Nice of you to contribute while grieving over the departure of the £3.5m a year former Chairman, Pete Poison.
You’d be best sticking with the lads at CQN with that alternative reality.
Nicholson can’t tie his shoe-laces without getting approval and instructions from his masters. He is CEO in salary only, he has the status and command of a traffic cone.
DD says and does whatever he likes while the nodding dogs draining a salary as NEDS sit in silence.
Good try mate but the Celtic support can see past the wisdom of CQN.
The club can’t even stage an AGM so need to lecture us anti-establishment lowlifes on corporate governance.
by TimAlloy
Dude I have zero care for Peter Lawwell.
What? You do not like hearing facts or the truth. What do you want to hear?
You are a complete nut if you do not understand how boards and companies work.
Try to educate yourself a little.
He does not have controlling interest UNLESS a majority of shareholders back him.
Now if you want change you need power to get power you need the shareholder or someone with money to put pressure on the shareholders… currently you have nothing
by Peter
Timalloy, where is your facts your banging on about. Show us the Celtic support hard evidence to substantiate your claims. I look forward to hearing from you. Timalloy, you said and I quote ” currently you have nothing”. Who is you? Who your referring to.
by Jobby
Absolute and utter waffle. Maybe learn some punctuation and to spell correctly before you attempt to “educate” others.
by Brendan McHugh
Hi Jobby
Spoken like a true board apologist – attack the messenger, ignore the message.
Just like blaming Brendan Rodgers and the Green Brigade really helped.
by Mark
Oh , so because you think you know the mechanics of how a boardroom works, you think you can call the Celtic fans clueless? Are you a Celtic fan ? You my Celtic friend (🙄) are just an apologist for the board. A f**king blind man can see the whole infrastructure needs to change. But the fans are stupid!! GTF
by Stevie
They live amongst us
Do you get paid to spew shite.
by Seamus O'Broin
If Desmond gets rid of Nancy it would be a sign he’s listening to the fans. It would also be a sign he’s not afraid to admit he got it wrong. Will he, I don’t know, but hope springs eternal. I do know however that there will be many, many empty seats on Saturday. Bring back Martin to rescue the season. Hail Hail.
by Michael Foley
It’s unbelievable the scale of the decline since last January, it feels like I am back in the 90s,
by Jenny stoors
Is the board going to sit back and watch Celtic lose the league and get beat by Rangers or if Celtic win paper over the cracks, they should be trying to salvage the celtic team to play the way they used to and to give them a chance to do their best, not listen to a micky mouse coach
by Jon
well it’s a right mess now totally Wilfried Nancy clueless it’s plain to see he doesn’t know the mechanics of Celtic club no way he knows. the best thing for the club is for him to walk a way be four things get ugly
by Seamus Byrne
Kyogo? At Birmingham now and hasn’t scored in 20 league games! Good business parting company with him
by Brendan McHugh
Hi Seamus
You might be right about selling Kyogo.
But its the lack of a replacement, or in Yamada’s case the quality, that’s the problem.
by Terry Duggan
“Desmond doesn’t want to admit he was played like a fiddle”. “Billionaires don’t like to admit their own failings”. BS Billionaires become billionaires by rectifying their mistakes as quickly as possible and moving on. Wether Desmond does that or not remains to be seen
by Brendan McHugh
Hi Terry
I don’t doubt Dermot Desmond knows how to run a business and make a few quid.
It takes a very particular personality to be able to sleep at night having made millions out of tax payers money that was allocated to care for society’s most vulnerable.
Not exactly Brother Walfrid is he.
Unfortunately for us he has decided to use Celtic as his play thing, to help teach Desmond Junior how to speak to down to people.
Hence Celtic is the outlier in his portfolio.