Radio Silence from Willie Haughey on Celtic Alliance

Three weeks after Willie Haughey announced the Celtic Season Ticket Holders Alliance. Since then there has been next to nothing about the venture.

Shortly before Celtic kicked off away to Stuttgart in the Europa League news broke on Go Radio.

Haughey was going to put £10m worth of shares into the Alliance provided 50,000 Season Ticket holders signed up.

Apparently all that was required was a name, email address and phone number.

Details on the Season Ticket Holders Alliance were scant. Mark Guidi, Charlie Mulgrew and Paul Cooney thought that it was a great idea.

HAUGHEY AND THE BIG LAUNCH

Haughey revealed that he had a secretariat ready to work on the project. Curiously timed in the lead up to Celtic’s Season Ticket Renewal campaign. The biggest single income source of the club.

Three weeks down the line nothing more is known about the Alliance.

There is no website, no social media accounts, not even an email address for Season Ticket holders to make contact.

The Alliance is the third Celtic group to emerge this year.

Over 400 groups have signed up to the Celtic Fans Collective. They have their website and X/Twiter, Instagram and Blue Sky Accounts.

Celtic Supporters Limited has a Chairman, three directors, a website and active social media accounts. They’ve held face to face meetings, more are planned.

Over the last few months, I’ve been looking at what’s been going on, and if you’ve not got harmony in a business, then you’ve got no chance,

Some of the stuff has been a distraction over the past few months. After last week, and the fantastic and all that to be killed within two minutes, I think we need to come up with a better solution about how the fans can get a voice.

I’m going to look at setting something up. I believe that the 54,000 season ticket holders are the core. They are the heartbeat of Celtic. I’m going to set up a thing called The Celtic Season Ticket Alliance.

I want the 54,000 people, whether you’re in corporate, the directors’ box, whether you’re in the standing section, I’m going to set up an office, a small secretary – I will pay for it. I’m not looking for money from anybody.

I want the 54,000 individuals – all we need is your email address or your mobile number. You get a number, and you’ll be part of that season ticket alliance.

For every 10,000 fans that join this, I will put £2million in to buy shares for this trust… If everyone joins, it’s £10m.

Let’s get harmony, let’s get the Green Brigade back in the stadium, and let’s get everybody singing from the same hymn sheet.

I’m going to get a Celtic legend to front it… Over the next few weeks, there will be more and more details about how people can become a part of this.

THE ALLIANCE OF SILENCE?

Three weeks later there has been no further details offered.

Haughey made an appearance last week on the Let Me Be Frank podcast. It was a general chat with no specifics.

There is a lot of suspicion from supporters over what the Alliance is all about.

Haughey has been very generous and helpful to former players when they hit hard times. He has a real feeling for the club. For fans, players, the history.

While many fans are highly critical of the way Celtic has been run Haughey has never criticised the board.

In his Go Radio appearance he appeared close to praising the horrific work of Mark Lawwell. Paul Tisdale is only a small part of the problems at Celtic. The former Exeter boss was appointed by Michael Nicholson and agreed on by the board.

Until he goes public with the details on the Alliance there is a credibility problem for Haughey.

Meanwhile fans have even more reasons to disengage with the club.

Nothing has been said about the attacks on players and staff at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup tie.

Nicholson remains in hiding. Chairman Wilson surfaces to say nothing. And Union Bears prepare for further rampage in the post split Derby fixture at Celtic Park.

There is lots of work to be done at Celtic. If the Alliance is to be a player it needs to declare its intentions soon. The sooner the better.

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