‘I know Peter Lawwell well but his handling of the Celtic AGM was terrible – this duo are to blame’
The Celtic board did not conduct business in the right manner and have only infuriated the support further at the AGM.
That is according to ex-Aberdeen and Everton and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness, who speaking exclusively to Football Insider believes Celtic’s AGM was abandoned too early.
Celtic fans raised red cards and heckled at board members, before chairman Peter Lawwell closed the meeting amid the ongoing disruption.
The Celtic fans have been protesting against the board at matches this season, as they believe the club did not show enough ambition in the summer transfer window.
AGM ‘did not help’ Celtic board
Aberdeen’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Pittodrie between 2000 and 2004, had lengthy spells as the chief of Everton and Aston Villa and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – states that tension between the board and supporters shows no signs of stopping.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness believes the board did themselves no favours at the AGM.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “It’s got very toxic and that AGM did not help. You’d thought they could have at least thrown some oil on troubled waters, but Ross Desmond, the son of Dermot Desmond, did quite an inflammatory speech, which I didn’t really expect.
“It wasn’t really the diplomatic way to have handled the situation. And I watched the footage very quickly after it came out and certainly Peter Lawwell, who I know well and I’ve dealt with in the past had to abruptly end the AGM, a lot of shouting and jeering, etc. And I thought he acted a little bit prematurely.
“I think they could have gone on and they could have tried to at least answer the questions and had a proper debate. All they’ve done is bottle it up even further.“
“I think there could have been time for a Q &A and that could have been the time to really have put forward different sides of the argument.”
Celtic board miss Wilfried Nancy opportunity
Wilfried Nancy is close to becoming the next Celtic manager, and the board missed their chance to explain the appointment at the AGM.
Some Hoops supporters are unconvinced by the expected appointment, as the 48-year-old has not managed outside the MLS.
Celtic have been negotiating a compensation package with Nancy’s club Columbus Crew, with the Frenchman also wanting to bring members of his backroom team to Glasgow.