The teams were roared onto the pitch. The Europa League anthem played then it all went quiet. Except for 2,500 Roma fans. They sang throughout the match. They had cause to do so.
Once in the door at Celtic last summer as a consultant Tisdale didn’t hesitate to start putting together his empire. Firstly by trashing everything that was in already in place.
The one thing to take from events this season is that the efforts of Nicholson, Lawwell and the Desmond family have created the Celtic Fans Collective. Every move by the club has been an own goal of varying degrees
No fans are asking Celtic to indulge in tax scams and disguised remuneration. Sell a striker and replace him, sell a right winger and have his replacement in the building two months before Champions League qualifiers are played.
The Chairman didn’t want the motion for a 3-5 year plan to be articulated. Not while knowing that the walking liability that is Michael Nicholson would have to face questions from shareholders. Many of whom are better briefed that the Celtic CEO, groomed for the job by the current Chairman.
Away to St Mirren, Nicholson was without the big hitters. Surrounded only by the usual cronies and hangers on.
The statement from Ross was a joint one, Daddy wrote it with Ross delivering. There was no element of AI about it, no Chat GPT. It was spite, anger and incendiary, clearly Dermot has been thinking a lot while out on the golf course.
Let’s be absolutely clear: Dermot Desmond is not the owner of Celtic. He’s not the chairman, not the CEO, and not an elected voice of the support. He’s an unelected, unaccountable figure who’s somehow decided that Celtic exists to serve his ego.
Failure born from a decade of short-termism, underinvestment, and a boardroom that treats football as an inconvenience to its balance sheet. This is Celtic.
The temper of the Chairman is bound to be tested. If he can’t be bothered attending matches he isn’t going to enjoy hearing Nicholson grilled about downsizing from fans/shareholders.