Mental strength. Organisation. Discipline. The unglamorous qualities champions tend to possess when circumstances demand it.
He was pushed into a room with the Celtic Fans Collective— who have had their fill of these disingenuous windbags who hold office atop the Celtic Way, surrounded by mahogany and sycophancy — entirely unbriefed on the matters to be discussed.
By disengaging from their dictated terms and refusing to be pacified by Haughey’s two-hundred-pound-a-head bounty, the support controls the tempo.
Then John Beaton arrives as VAR. McLean cites defenders. Beaton dismisses it — “I know, I know, I know” — before McLean finishes speaking.
On one hand, corporate Celtic is damaging the club from the top down. On the other hand, here’s the smiling photograph while the title race falls apart around them. That’s the optics; that’s the reality.
The man who arrived that October 2003 came from Clydeport. A ports and property company. Before that, Scottish Coal. ICI. Hoffman-La-Roche. Lawwell is an accountant. A capable, driven, intelligent accountant. But an accountant.
He should know that the fans are givers. Nicholson, Wilson, Hargreaves and Jamieson are on a lengthy list of takers.
The Celtic support of 2026 is more better informed that ever. They know the reasons why Qarabag, Club Brugge and Bodo Glimt are playing Champions League matches this month.
There has been zero planning for UEFA qualifiers next season, the route to the biggest prize fund available to the club. Another hole is blown in the strategy/business model.
McKay transformed the squad on a profit. Kris Ajer and Edourard were sold to fund the turnover. As CEO of Celtic he never got to see Jota, Carter-Vickers or Giakoumakis play.