Celtic AGM shut down amid chaos as board brands fans ‘shameful’ and ‘bullies’

Robin Bairner

• 21 Nov 2025 08:56 CST
• 5 min read

News

Celtic’s annual general meeting descended into chaos on Friday and was shut down prematurely by chairman Peter Lawwell amid chants of ‘sack the board’.

The Glasgow giants have endured unrest since their Champions League qualification exit at the hands of Kairat Almaty, which many fans blamed on the board’s inaction in the transfer market during the summer.

Allied to this, the Hoops have made a poor start to the Premiership season and lie seven points behind surprise leaders Hearts, albeit with a game in hand.

The club, though, is managerless, having failed so far to find a replacement for Brendan Rodgers, who resigned in acrimonious circumstances following a 3-1 loss to Hearts at Tynecastle.

As a parting shot, Dermot Desmond, the club’s largest shareholder, claimed the former Liverpool and Leicester boss had “contributed to a toxic atmosphere” at Celtic Park.

What happened at the Celtic AGM?

The AGM began with shareholders displaying red cards and booing the board as they entered the Kerrydale Suite of Parkhead. After only five minutes, the meeting was adjourned by Lawwell following chants of “sack the board”.

After an hour, Lawwell called a halt to proceedings due to “disruption” while a statement was being read out by Ross Desmond, the son of Dermot.

Celtic posted a statement on their website stating: “Such conduct is completely unacceptable and hugely disappointing.

“And, while today's events are completely outwith our control, clearly we regret the impact on our shareholders who were deprived of the opportunity to take part in an orderly and constructive meeting.”

Previously, many Celtic shareholders had walked out of the meeting while Lawwell, chief executive Michael Nicholson and chief finance officer Chris McKay attempted to defend the board’s record.

The AGM ended without the board taking questions from fans and, in conjunction with Desmond’s incendiary statement, suggests that supporter anger that the Celtic board currently faces is only going to grow.

Ross Desmond’s statement in full

“Our model is far from perfect but for the most part it has served this club well over the past 20 years. So we will not be bullied by aggressive or rational factions.

“We will not be railroaded by those whose only vocation in life is to be anti-establishment and by those who try to degrade the club.

“Our focus is on all matters, improving this club step by step, systematically, without ever risking a future. Improving recruitment, investing in data analytics, upgrading facilities, enhancing the stadium and trying to make Celtic stronger in every way.

“Criticism and advice are welcome and are the right of every supporter but some of what we have seen recently is not constructive, it is destructive and cynical. All it does is strengthen our resolve to protect the integrity and stability of Celtic Football Club.

“Our board led by Peter and our executive led by Michael are dedicated Celtic people.

“The attempts to dehumanise and vilify them are shameful. These are people with families, they love the club every bit as much as anyone here and when we are not performing they suffer just as much as anyone.

“They work tirelessly, often under intense pressure. They do an outstanding job at this club and we are very lucky to have them.

“Let me start by dispensing with the absurd caricature some people spread about my father and state some of his Celtic credentials. He’s a passionate and lifelong Celtic supporter.

“He first put money into Celtic more than 30 years ago when Fergus McCann asked him for help. He became the principal shareholder when Fergus sold out and took on the responsibility that came with that. He wants the club to be healthy, successful and still thriving decades and even centuries from now.

“The board shares those desires and that’s why the board respects financial reality. We act prudently, not recklessly. Those who accuse the club of hoarding cash or being in it for the money display a deep misunderstanding of financial responsibility.

“The board is a duty of care to the shareholders, to the supporters and to the future of this club. We don’t declare dividends to distribute surplus cash to ordinary shareholders as many other businesses do. Cash is retained and used to sustain and develop our club.

“As Chris [McKay] explained in the video, Celtic must maintain strong reserves and contingencies to protect against unforeseen circumstances. That financial strength is what gives us independence, stability and the ability to make our own decisions and not to be beholden to anyone else.

“Those who talk about the club not having kicked on in Europe since 2003 ignore the enormous change in the management landscape of football in that period.

“It has created a gap which keeps growing. It has created a gap which keeps growing and challenges any club to make us more European league. Most supporters understand that.

“Of course clubs can still punch above their financial weight and we should aspire to that. But if you swing and miss, you risk the very stability of the club and that would be profoundly irresponsible.

“The financial independence of this club was jeopardised in the mid-1990s and we must never allow ourselves to fall into that position again. We constantly strive to improve, to become more competitive, to go deeper into Europe and there is no doubt we get things wrong when we make mistakes.

“Of course we are not blind to our shortcomings. We can communicate better, we can recruit better, we can compete better but we will do it responsibly, sustainably and always in the best interest of Celtic.

“Celtic was founded as a club open to all and we have a tradition of having the greatest fans in the world. We must now protect that reputation that was created over generations.”