The Celtic Trust - Fan Ownership/Representation

Still, it's moving in the right direction to maybe having some sort of voice on the board.. it is obviously miles away from having a controlling stake and we would need the other major shareholders to sell to the Trust..

 

A fans' voice on the board would help so, so much. No reason to just hope enough shares are bought- someone should push for a fan representative at the AGM.

 

Celtic Trust responds to formally to the publication and content of the Annual Report and the Financial Results issued by the PLC below.

‘Runners up in the SPFL Premiership’! – Season highlight. Seriously!
Seriously! According to the Celtic PLC Board this is a ‘Operational Highlight’ In the name of the wee donkey! What has happened in one season, for this to be a ‘Highlight’ not only that but the pole position highlight. To be honest, it is a true reflection of the nightmare that was season 2020/21.

Look, one of the highlights shown is ’28 home matches played at Celtic Park’

The last thing any Celtic supporter wanted to see now, or even would have considered this time last season was this highlight. C’mon be honest how many of you thought for one minute or even forecasted what took place, that this very report should be an absolute joy to behold? 10IAR would be in the bag. The Celtic Trust and other fan groups have continuously been pressuring this board over their lackluster performance, that has been hidden to a certain degree by recent success. The Celtic Trust have also been, let’s say berated by supporters, asking what is it we are trying to achieve? Of then to be told, ‘C’mon we are winning leagues and trophies, the board is alright…..’ Sorry, we don’t go for that. This is evident by recent initiatives, protests in 2020 etc to question and pressure this group of NEDs and the majority shareholder into action. This is as stated supported by other fan groups, like The North Curve and their tremendous displays.

Some did see the warning signs, very early on and they have the tweets to prove it, they, in the most were ridiculed. The club retained most of the squad, we had a good transfer season, I mean, to name a few, we got Jon Joe Kenny, Shane Duffy, Diego Laxalt and of course Barkas. We all had high hopes for the team and the man hired in the shower. Bear (sorry) with me, the report does cover that period after all.

How wrong we were. Any way that’s another topic that has already been discussed on many blogs.

What is the perception this Board has of the fans, their thinking, their joined-up sustainable strategies they speak of, that they think that ‘Runners up in the SPFL Premiership’ was not only a highlight, but as stated earlier, in pole position? I would suggest ‘Polar Opposites’ is apt in this situation. The end of last season was the polar opposite of expectations, as in this current Board and the fans, the lifeblood of this club, are right at this very moment and we at The Celtic Trust, with this Board in place do not see this chasm closing anytime soon.

Ok, so let’s discuss the Chairman’s Statement.

The first few paragraphs are explaining the club made a loss, then tries to justify why. To simplify, a drop in revenue due to Covid19 and the inability to bring in more cash in the selling of players. Fair enough, eh? Any way Chairman explains it’s no biggie as they (Board) are satisfied with their performance and what they did to mitigate the challenges. They squared it away, they done their best. It is what it is, though I always wonder, if there was no covid and fans were in attendance, would we be in this situation now, would things have changed quicker. I would suggest they would have.

There is also a veiled warning that current ongoing Covid restrictions for large revenues will again have a negative affect on next years results. If only we qualified for the Champions League, if only this Board did what they are paid to do, if only Peter Lawwell and Lennon were called out earlier. If only….. . Doesn’t really matter as we have sold a few more players that we ‘transformed ‘they will show a positive in next years finances, if only we qualified for the Champions League, sorry already said this.

The 16.6 million that the board worked so hard to maintain has apparently been used as a base to invest in this recent transfer window. 50,000 season tickets purchased must have been a blessing. The vast amounts spent on merchandise. Who remembers the Initiative by the Celtic Trust asking fans to hold back on the purchase of merchandise, don’t feed this Board with your hard earned cash, especially with the contempt they are showing towards you?

However, support the team? Hindsight, eh, doesn’t seem to bad an initiative now, does it?

A major overhaul of the playing squad has been mentioned. Brilliant, as if it wasn’t needed, as if this was out of the box thinking, who approved those players in the first place? I would also suggest a veiled dig at Lennon in the language of getting rid ‘… of loan players that had amplified the squad’ no names necessary. Maybe just corporate language for the guy we hired in the shower cost us a fortune, these funds were a major factor in the losses this year, but we (the board) are satisfied, big pats on the back all around.

Like others, I admit to being very positive by the current inclusions to the team, then again, I felt the exact same this time last season. How many are Ange players? How many did big Dom negotiate? Who identified and recruited them?

Strategy is mentioned. Player development and player trading, no its not FIFA 2022, a ‘self-sustaining business model’ This has PL all over it. Many will say, its where we are, its how it is. Is it? Is it really? Look around Europe at club’s half our size performing much better in European competition. But its fine, Celtic PLC have a strategy and the current Board is satisfied.

More pats on the back, this time as mentioned previously for the ability to transform young players. How does this measure up against the project players that were not ‘transformed, or indeed the vast fortunes spent on loan deals, for a very short term strategic myopic outlook.

Very short tenure CEO big Dom gets a shout. Appointed after an exhaustive search by the current Board, who do ok and are satisfied. I wonder how he will explain this on his CV. Maybe one day we we’ll find out the real reason? It’s ok, he has been replaced by ‘an absolute team player’ only this Board would come up with that term, trying to justify but not make it too obvious, aye. Our new Acting CEO apparently ‘carries the confidence of the Board’ the problem of course is this Board does not carry the confidence of the Celtic Trust or I would argue most of the Celtic support. So where does this leave the PL clone that is Michael Nicholson. Nicholson has been with Celtic since 2013 and is definitely the right fit to step right into the shitstorm PL has left behind, will change little and do as he is instructed.

Nothing much after this to be honest. Just making up the word count, filling in some space. Still some room for some more additional back slapping. Assuring us fans, those who pay their salaries, allow them the privileged position to represent our club that we are served by a talented executive led by a guy who has been in the role for a few weeks, wow he really has made an impression has our Mike.

The Chairman’s last words: ‘Celtic is in good hands’

We at the Celtic Trust beg to differ, this is shown by our recent correspondence published on our website.
link https://celtictrust.net/corporate-governance-at-celtic-plc-questions-raised/

Members will also be aware of the recently approved resolution to be submitted for the up and coming AGM. (Click to download) (Click to sign and support)

1. Relations with the Celtic Trust and Small Shareholders in respect of the less than full justification for voting against Resolution 12 tabled at the 2019 AGM that ignored the evidence provided.

2 The Celtic PLC Board’s response to questions about Celtic’s knowledge of the 5WA.

1. The unsatisfactory manner in which the shares for value proposal was handled in May this year.

The Celtic Trust will continue to hold this Board to account until we see change that is in the benefit of this football club and its fans.

Results for the year ended 30 June 2021

Probably the important points to make with regard to the Results are that this is a preliminary announcement and that the Annual Report which contains all the important information that shareholders need to properly assess performance will not be posted to shareholders or be available online for another couple of weeks. The Annual Report will provide a lot more information relating to the club’s financial performance as well as providing Strategic, Directors’ and Corporate Governance Reports.

The preliminary Results contain basic financial information with supporting commentary from the Chair and CEO and notes to financial statements. The financial statements contain few surprises as we all knew that season ticket monies and sponsorships remained intact and that it would be supporters’ discretionary spend on match days that would be adversely affected. The figures show that football and stadium operation revenues dropped by £15m but merchandising revenues increased by £7.5m. This suggests that household budgets earmarked for match day spending was re-directed to merchandising. The £11.5m loss for the year was following an unexplained credit of £5m which we can assume is a UK government’s Job Retention Scheme payment.

There are some interesting statements and the usual references peppered throughout the supporting narrative; operational highlights led with ‘Runners Up in the SPFL Premiership’ which raises a smile! The fact is the year was a disastrous one for Celtic and there were no positive operational highlights to speak of.

We won no trophies or tournaments. The chairman believes the club is directed by individuals with demonstrable experience and supported by a dedicated cast of colleagues and he thanks them all. No mention of bad management decisions or praise for the supporters who financially supported the club when they needed it most. Praise for the fans is left to the CEO who says we are ‘the best supporters in world football’ He also believes Covid19 disrupted our winning rhythm and he looks forward to this current season with optimism. Time will tell.

Given Celtic’s status as an AIM listed company, it should be appreciated that the Results and the supporting narrative are directed at the company’s shareholders and the wider financial community and it those constituencies that will judge the financial performance of the company and whether the company’s affairs would be better managed by a better Board of directors, so many bad decisions having been made in the last three years.

 

Isn't this 2yrs old mate?

 

I nominate you to break the news JC

 

Might be handy if these things don't fall off the page when we are doing well. By page I don't mean this page. The trust themselves weren't doing as much while we were all mesmerized by Ange.

No wonder the suits think we're entitled.

 

I've got to use my one power share man!

 

There was a lot ignored when Ange, took the club by the scruff of the neck.. by fans and the board..

We should have insisted on a DoF and continued with a much needed revamp of the footballing operation.. Ange papered over the cracks and everyone was delighted to be on that bus..

It has left us with no contingency and again under Rodgers the structure in place is still inadequate..

It must change, whether we win the league or not.

 

Who will the discussion be with just the fans or with the board because if its the board they won't even give a *.

 

Exactly. We need to be realistic that if we do sign a manager who goes on to have a couple of brilliant seasons, he will probably start looking towards the EPL pretty quickly. We therefore need to create a model that remains in place when they move on rather than giving individuals complete control and having to build from scratch every few years.

 

what constant theme do you suggest? I/we can’t not renew season tickets as waiting list would take our seats and financial themes are the only ones dd would take notice off or go the huns route, didn’t they try storming the marble staircase? Genuinely want shut of our nepotistic board but don’t see how we achieve it

 

In February, the Trust held a meeting with representatives of the fan media to try to get our message out there and to give a better explanation of what the Trust is and how it can be used to give fans more say in the way the Club operates. A significant number of podcasters, bloggers and vloggers joined us in person at Grace’s Irish Bar and online. After a lengthy Q&A session, one of the things that became clear is the degree of confusion and misinformation that exists among the Celtic support about what the Trust is, what it does and what supporting Trust initiatives means.

One of the problems that the Trust faces is that our structure and our aims and some of our campaigns do not lend themselves to slogans or simple explanations. The Trust was asked, therefore, to provide some fact sheets which set out, in a simple, clear fashion, what the Trust is, what the Drive for 5 campaign is and also what a Fan Advisory Board is and why we want one. Those sheets are going out today (14/3/24) and hopefully that will drive some discussion among the fan media who will be in a better position to answer questions about these things from their own listeners and readers. Hopefully it will also dispel some of the myths about the Trust which seem to be out there.

The following week after the fan media meeting, an Open Meeting was held – also in Grace’s. This is the third of this kind of meeting that the Trust has held over the years to address issues of concern to the wider fan base ie beyond Trust membership. The first two related to ticketing arrangements (European and Domestic away ticket allocations) and resulted in a resolution of those matters. This time it was in relation to the more intractable issue of the mismatch between the ambition of the current custodians of the club and the supporters.

There is, undoubtedly, little the fans can do in relation to this season and we can only cheer on the team and hope for the best. However, the fact that we find ourselves in this position from time to time with little to do but protest in carparks and in the stadium stems from a failure of the support to progress initiatives that would give us a stronger and more coherent input into the running of the club.

The Trust put forward two of our campaigns which we think will help in this regard. The first is the Drive for 5 which you can read about elsewhere on this site ( Drive for 5 – Frequently Asked Questions ) and the second is the idea of a Fan Advisory Board (Fan Engagement and Football Club Governance: Celtic, Supporters’ (advisory) ‘shadow board’ and the Celtic Trust ) .

There were other proposals from some of those in attendance and the examples of the Spirit of Shankly and the Everton FAB was raised. The Celtic Trust has been in discussions with the Celtic Board for almost 18 months now in relation to a FAB at Celtic and there is some academic research, soon to be published, which shows that Celtic fans are supportive of the idea. It was therefore agreed that the idea of a broader fan organisation which could form the basis for a FAB should be explored and also that we should organise a public meeting with representatives of clubs with a FAB so that we could broaden out the discussion of this as a way forward for Celtic.

It was agreed that the existing fan organisations could take a lead in getting these discussions under way but that eventually, if such an organisation is formed, it will elect its own representatives. This would not be, in any sense, a plan to replace the existing organisations which all have their own objectives and their own membership, but a way of bringing broader sections of the support together to underpin the idea of a Fan Advisory Board.

These initiatives are now being discussed and updates in relation to them will be posted here and wherever else Celtic fans read about and talk about all matters Celtic.

These things don’t happen instantly, but if we are to avoid periodically finding ourselves completely unhappy with the Board and with no productive way to vent that unhappiness throughout our Celtic-supporting lives, then we need to move these initiatives forward.

(***enormous thanks to John and the staff at Grace’s for the use of the bar to hold these discussions!)

 

Need 51 percent fan ownership like germany.not a chance though.HH

 

Struggling to get 5% at the moment.

But, we're on the right track.

 

It's not going to happen, and I seriously doubt it ever will, but that is not what the Trust are advocating for in that missive that was posted.

 

Can’t see that happening this time even if we win every game from now, end up with the Double.

Not unless Peter Lawwell steps down, if that had to happen then it’ll be celebrated that Double, no Lawwell’s at the club and would be like job done.

It would be the very start of job that I think is needed. Saying that, I don’t see him stepping down, he stepped away from CEO and couldn’t accept the time out of the nitty gritty of the club and be in the background, so he’s back, basically by the looks of it from what we can see and the clubs actions feeling very Peter Lawwell like, he’s took the Chairman role that doesn’t come with the wage and bonus package that he stepped away from and trying to do the same job he had regardless of it.

Always been accused of very money driven for his big bonuses, stepped away from that and still needs to have the control he enjoyed for 20 years. We need to get his ego to *, he’s well past his welcome.

It’s always been said, and why he was kept on the board as a director in the background, his contacts the committees hes part of etc. and his respect that he has in UEFA etc. is invaluable and we need it.


I can’t see how anything he brings giving a slightly bigger voice with UEFA is anywhere near worth it. And Nicholson can go as well, he was brilliant for Ange but it’s been shown he’s too easily influenced to be someone elses man. When it was Ange, I was for it and thought he was just sensible enough to leave the football side to football guys and business to his side. But he’s went from following Ange, to following Lawwell clearly

 

Much like pushing for change in officiating, if we win the league we need to continue to highlight how poorly we're run as a modern football club..

And push for some sort of representation on the board.

Being slightly less * than the Huns is an unacceptable benchmark.

A league win, or double will be celebrated but it should not be an easy out for these charlatans.