Paul Thomson of the Celtic Fans Collective has provided a detailed breakdown of the meeting with Brian Wilson on February 18.
The Interim Chairman had delayed the meeting for one week in order to have an executive presence from the club.
None of the club Executives appeared.
It wouldn’t be the greatest shock in the world if Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay were in an adjoining room waiting for an update from the Interim Chairman.
Wilson proved engaging but gave no specifics. Exactly what you would expect from a lifelong Labour politician.
Lots of acknowledgments but no detail.
Pushed over the disastrous performance of Michael Nicholson the Interim Chairman backed the hopeless CEO. He described Nicholson’s performance this season as adequate.
That alone confirms how low the bar is at Celtic.
WILSON DOUBLES DOWN ON BLUNDERING NICHOLSON
In October Nicholson told fans that European group stage football was a success. Not Champions League progress but making up the numbers in any competition.
Since that October meeting Nicholson has forced through the resignation of Brendan Rodgers.
Appointed his number one candidate in Wilfried Nancy then sacked Nancy and Paul Tisdale.
The January transfer window has provided only one improvement to the first team.
Nicholson has resumed his role of hiding after two interviews talking up the brilliance of Nancy and the exciting future transfer plans that the club has.
From 40 minutes Thomson discussed the meeting that the Collective had with Wilson and three others from Celtic.
We’ve had a bit of an issue agreeing minutes, at this point it is Monday night, there will be minutes out tomorrow.
It will either be agreed minutes or if they are still f**ing about we will just stick our own out. That’s where we are with them.
BRIAN WILSON- CHAIRMAN WITH NO AUTHORITY
The general feeling around the meeting was that it was amiable, it was respectful, there wasn’t any shouting, pointing . No arguing. There was quite a lot of us talking, Celtic listening and not saying very much in return.
What I would say is that I thought that Brian Wilson was quite accommodating. He was listening and as far as he could, we did understand that he was never going to take the blame for everything that has happened. He has been Chairman for only two months but has been on the board for 20 years.
There was a wee bit of us asking him up front what his actual decision making capability actually was.
It was quite clear from the start of the meeting that we weren’t going to get any decisions because Brian Wilson had to take that out the room as he put it.
To us he was either going to take it to the executives or put in a phone call to the Bahamas, I’m not sure.
CELTIC NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE
Wilson mentioned that the club has a nominations committee that is used for managerial appointments. He did say that the process hadn’t changed in 25 years.
He held up the appointment of Martin O’Neill in 2000 as an example of how it does work. Then he mentioned Brendan and Ange Postecoglou.
There was a lot of acknowledgments that mistakes have been made but no specifics. Nothing about a new manager, nothing about where they were with it. A little about how the Chairman’s role will be replaced but in terms of the manager they weren’t giving anything out other than it will be the same process.
At the moment that Committee is Michael Nicholson, Dermot Desmond and we think that it is Tom Allison that is the third member of the Committee.
He did hint at a board refresh but never gave any specifics, he mentioned that the Chairman is being externally recruited. He mentioned that they are always on the look out for new Non-Executive Directors.
STANDING BY THE DISASTROUS NICHOLSON
He was very specific on Michael Nicholson. In his (Wilson’s) view Nicholson’s performance has been adequate this season and he doesn’t believe that that justifies change.
He was very specific that he supported Michael Nicholson, his performance and the Executive this year.
There was a big long discussion about the Green Brigade and the support in general, how they could acknowledge their mistakes and mend some of that.
It was quite clear that he wasn’t able to make a decision around it. He was quite open to having them back, quite open to accepting that communication has been dreadful .
I don’t think he used that word, I’m putting it in his mouth. It was fairly clear that he knows as does George Campbell as does Kevin McQuillan that they have made a rip roaring c**t of communications with the support.
What they did promise was to come back in around one months time, we want specific proposals.
That will probably involve a Fan Advisory Board. They pushed back a little on that, I did remind him that at the previous meeting in October 6 that they had committed to the Fan Advisory Board.
At that point I read verbatim what was said, at that point Brian Wilson said that anything that was agreed to at the meeting in October the club remained committed to it.
We asked them to give us something to take back to the support and there was nothing specific. It was us being asked to trust them again and we pointed out why it is very hard to trust the Celtic board.
THE LIFELONG POLITICIAN IN ACTION
Wilson was clearly playing for time or wasting time.
Four times since January 5 he has gone public with his aim of generating unity. It is almost four months since the Green Brigade were suspended.
Celtic are now entering dangerous territory when it comes to treating fans with contempt.
It isn’t unreasonable to think that somewhere between 10-15,000 Season Ticket holders will delay or won’t renew after a season of misery and gaslighting from the club.
At the AGM Ross Desmond hit out at anti-establishment fans while Peter Lawwell screamed behave at Shareholders before ending the meeting after less than one hour.
A perfect storm appears to be brewing over Celtic, as it is in Wilson’s beloved Labour Party.
The tactics of 20 and 30 years ago no longer work on Celtic supporters. They are more educated and streetwise than Wilson and his freeloading chums in the boardroom.
All that remains is the extent of the damage that Wilson’s 20 year boardroom association inflicts on Celtic.
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1 Comment
by Bhoy4life
I’m all for having experienced heads in the room, it’s a vital part of any organisation or workplace.
But it’s time Celtic got with the modern game.
The club needs to hit the refresh button.
The board is chock full of 70 something dithering old men who just aren’t gonna upset each other or the tash for fear of losing their position.
I know what my grandparents were like in their 70’s n 80’s and getting them to consider anything outside their comfort zone or try anything new, or worse still, take a risk, was nigh on impossible.
Celtic needs fresh, bright, intelligent risk taking forward thinkers on the board, men & women who understand the modern game and it’s requirements.
We are stuck in a time warp.
It’s like the conclave over in Rome.
Doddery old men discussing stuff they have no clue about.
How many actual experienced football men do we have in the suits?
They are all accountants, lawyers or politicians.
The whole place needs a root and branch clear out.
Brand new faces with fresh ideas and the minerals to get on with it.
People who will fight Celtic’s corner just like the Bunnet did.
Make these suits stand for re-election to the board every 4-5 years, if they haven’t delivered, thanks for your service and bye bye.
Chosen by groups like the collective on the strength of their proposals.
A flamethrower needs taken to the boardroom, otherwise Celtic will just continue to stagnate, beholden to whatever clauses lie within the 5WA which the current incumbents seem to have no issue adhering to.
Clear the damn place out, it’s time already.