Celtic Fans Collective claim 'no tangible outcomes' from board meeting
The Celtic FC Fans Collective have hit out at the club's board following a meeting between the two and claim there were 'no tangible outcomes' from the discussions.
Planned protests by the group were postponed when the Parkhead hierarchy agreed to meet with disgruntled supporters.
It now appears fans will ramp up their action against the likes of Peter Lawwell and Michael Nicholson after saying the "meeting compounded the necessity and urgency of change".
They cited a "lack of humility, awareness and accountability" by the Celtic board members present at the meeting.
The statement in full read: "At the beginning of the meeting, a representative of the Collective clearly laid out the context which brought us to this point and set out the Collective's expectations of the meeting.
"It was made clear that the Collective expected reasonable answers to the existing questions and some form of tangible action points moving forward.
"The Collective acknowledged that while the positions of Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay are in our view untenable, there was no expectation of agreement or progress on that during the meeting and discussions would remain respectful and constructive.
"The meeting was structured by working through the questions of the Open Letter, although there was some natural deviation. A recurring theme, through all answers and discussions, was a lack of humility, awareness and accountability.
“At various points, the club deferred to communication and perception being the causes of concern rather than structure, performance or culture.
“The club also repeatedly questioned or rejected the premise of questions. “The Club defended its footballing strategy although accepted it could be better communicated to fans. Overall, the Club believes the football strategy is working and pointed to participation in European competition as evidence of its success.
"Similarly, the club defended its transfer strategy citing different factors for transfer activity being difficult (for example tax laws in different European countries) while pointing to examples which they believe is evidence of the strategy working.
"The Club said that transfer business involves a multi-disciplinary model and no part of that model has ultimate authority, however did cede that there are thresholds where the Board of Directors must authorise increased transfer payments.
“When pressed on this point, the Club claimed emails would be sent to Board members for authorisation where necessary.
"When pressed on accountability for failings, the Club rejected the premise of the question but referred to internal reviews and the experience of long- serving Non-Executive Directors.
“The club provided little evidence of independent oversight and no belief that substantive change may be required.
“The allegation of a senior club official briefing against the manager to The Sun was described as "closed" by Michael Nicholson. The cub was unwilling to divulge much information although claimed a conversation took place between the Board and the Manager. The club suggested that the allegation was unsubstantiated and did not require further investigation.
“In conclusion, the Collective expressed disappointment that the Club remained unwilling to engage meaningfully on questions of leadership, governance, and accountability.
"The meeting produced no tangible outcomes, and many participants left with the view that the club's leadership remains detached from the concerns of its supporters and reluctant to confront the need for change. Full minutes of the meeting will be published as soon as possible.
"The Celtic Fans Collective will continue to consult with members to plan next steps in our campaign for positive change at Celtic Football Club. It is our strong belief that yesterday's meeting compounded the necessity and urgency of change."
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