Our Annual General Meeting, held at Celtic Park this morning, was a more prosaic affair than last year’s. Chief executive, Peter Lawwell, told the meeting last season’s on-field and financial results were “fantastic” in difficult circumstances.
He repeatedly referred to the “balance” required between immediate expenditure policies and judging the long-term requirements of the club, adding that in recent years, “Rangers went bust, Hearts went bust, and Hibs were relegated.”
For the first time the AGM heard from the Celtic FC Foundation chief executive. Tony Hamilton was given a video slot alongside the chairman, chief exec and the manager and he spoke about how the Foundation was interwoven into the fabric of the club, from the top to bottom, and of our history.
The alleviation of poverty is a major target for 2015, building on work the Foundation carried out this year in north and east Glasgow, Inverclyde and North Lanarkshire. Tony added, “If things weren’t tough we wouldn’t need a charity – but they are.
“We’re deadly serious about making a difference.” I’ll try to get the video, it’s worth watching.
Ronny Deila laid out his objectives for this season: qualification for the Champions League, win the treble, develop players and play attacking, attractive, football. Peter Lawwell didn’t want to use the managerial transition over the summer as an excuse for failing to reach the Champions League, but suggested it was grounds for mitigation.
The chairman, chief executive and manager all liberally infused their comments with transformational effect Champions League qualification would have on the club next season.
The Celtic Trust proposed two resolutions, the first of which, concerning club-fan interaction, they agreed to adjourn. In his video message, chairman Ian Bankier informed the meeting that the directors would oppose the Living Wage resolution, but that they had entered into discussions with the staff on the matter, proposing that the starting pay for permanent staff is set at £7.85 per hour, which just happens to be equal to the Living Wage.
In response to this Jeanette Findlay, proposing the resolution on behalf of the Trust, reached the microphone and tore up her prepared speech. She did, however, urge the club to go the final mile and become an accredited Living Wage employer.
Peter Lawwell informed the meeting that he would be meeting John Guidetti’s agent within the next two weeks and that he is waiting to hear back from Kris Commons representatives on his latest offer.
Ronny Deila added that it was important for the club to retain its top players, giving Guidetti and Justin Denayer special mention, but insisted it was wrong to give into demands from any one player three times the going rate for other senior players.
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Podium
First!
Who remembers first anyways :-(
BGX, had a post on last thread that may interest you.
Its cold out there Brrrrrrrrr
Jeanette always the drama.
Quietest AGM ever,RD said its a priority to keep Guidetti,PL said his agent in next week,a “structured deal’ on table for Commons……i think we know his answer to that
Hello from sunny (and frigid) Kentucky.
Visiting Scotland next week to see our daughter get her degree in Edinburgh :-))
Raymac what time?
The ‘every penny is invested in the team’ line ,which also appears on here is patently nonsense.£11.2 mil cash plus Forster money,2 Cup Finals and CW Games money(on next years figures i know), 6 loan signings?.Sorry doesn’t add up for me,or show faith in the manager.
What what I’ve heard of the AGM my observations are…….
1. Celtic thought we would stomach a compromise in the Living wage debate. I applaud the club for becoming a LW employer for full time employees but think it is a scandal they weren’t up to now.
IMO all employees should be paid LW rates as a minimum.
2. Last years res. 12. The board just want it to go away. They will not represent the majority views of the support . RFC obtained a UEFA licence fraudulently. We all know it.Why won’t they say?
3.guidetti will not be here after next summer.
4.Why do we have to mourn the loss of the Hun?
£10 m lost . Don’t believe it.
Disappointing to say the least IMO
Result of sorts on the living wage – this was only achieved by fan pressure
Bada
Exactly , a point I made earlier .
Just utter rubbish.
Our investment in the team for the season is £2.3m
& 5 loan players .
PL is good at the rhetoric but he talks fantasy
Tea and coffee and wee biscuits were available for free after the AGM.
That is money that could have been used to strengthen the team.
Will this bored never learn?
What has actually happened regarding Res12????
burghbhoy- the top table got a very easy ride today.
Hamiltontim
14:21 on
21 November, 2014
What has actually happened regarding Res12????
————-
ditto
HT
Do u mean last years res.12 or this years ?
If it’s last years the answer is SFA ( pardon the pun)
The board want it to go away
HH
“3.guidetti will not be here after next summer.”
Burghbhoy,
Hard to tell the future but I’m filing this along with “broony is away at Xmasm and big “virgil will leave last August”
Burghbhoy
Any news, on this years or last, would be great :-)
“Our investment in the team for the season is £2.3m
& 5 loan players”
Who all play for free. Train for free in a free training centre.
Awesum
there is no chance celtic will ever be able to make our negative supporters happy.
never, never.
Geordie Munro
IMO Paul’s header say it all regards Guidetti and the boards view.
RD said it is not good to pay a player much more than other senior players.
That to be is code that if he wants more than Broonie he will be off
MWD,
Yup, I get it. You don’t get to choose when this is an issue and when it isn’t.
As I said, I’m supportive of the principle, but, it’s excrutiating to read so called fans using such an important social issue to score points against the club and the board.
What on earth, seriously, does it matter if Celtic (a relatively small company and employer) take a stand on this issue, to appease fans complaining on tablets and smartphones, shopping in Primark, and indulging every whim the western world allows.
That’s who we are, citizens of the UK, abusers of the worlds poor. So, if it’s so important you have simply no choice but to take your protest to every retailer and service provider you use. Otherwise, you’re pi55ing in the wind, and simply hoping your own football club get’s the spray.
It’s actually hard to describe how unpleasant such selective moralising is. Very depressing indeed.
I don’t believe that the living wage question has been suitably answered, if the wording in this article is accurate then permanent employees will be paid the equivalent to LW, I suspect that the future business plan for entry level positions will be filled with zero hour workers or similar. Hope I am wrong but if they are going to agree to LW rates why not become a LW accredited employer?
Geordie
Surely the season ticket monies pay the salaries.
Player sales have not been reinvested in the team fully.
To say otherwise is pure fantasy.
HT. Last years res.12 ….. No progress.( IMO the board want it to go away)
This years res. 12. The Biard have agreed to pay a living wage to all FT employees but not to Part time workers.
They will not sign up to be a LW employer
Burghbhoy,
We’ll soon see mate.
HT.
Res 12 statement on FB in CQN Magazine.
Basically discussion ongoing with SFA.
BGX
Peter Lawwell is explaining the impact. They are never coming back. It’s £10m down according to PL. What is the impact of the other club? They are deed. They are gone. The new club down Ibrokes way are drowning in their own mess. If the stadium was full each week we would make up any shortfall from a big derby match twice a season at home. It is not full every week and half full for EL games.
Did he say he missed Rangers? No
Did he say we want Rangers back? No
Did he explain the financial results and the impact of market changes? Yes
I was not at the AGM so I am not sure how the question was loaded or why he felt compelled to mention the word Rangers but look past the word Rangers and trust the man to accurately report the financial results on the basis of the figures. Figures don’t lie and if you write to the club they will provide you the narrative.
Does PL want a challenger in our league to bring fans, sponsors and endorsements? Course he does.
Will that challenger be Sevco? Maybe.
What does it really matter? You expect to romp to 100 in a row playing dross?
There is a fine line here and Peter Lawwell is playing it smart. You want the truth or you don’t. I will never understand the obssession of hatred for Peter Lawwell. The man is doing a job and responds to his targets set by him by the board and ultimately Dermot Desmond. This man is a Celtic supporter. Without doubt the best CEO we have ever had and people want to kick him all over the place.
I will never get it.
LB
HT
EXCLUSIVE! FULL STATEMENT ON RESOLUTION 12 FROM CELTIC CHAIRMAN…
Question and Answer in relation to Resolution 12 of the previous 2013 AGM of Celtic PLC.
Question – Would the board provide an update in relation to Resolution 12 from the AGM last year?
CELTIC CHAIRMAN Answer –
At the AGM last year, a resolution regarding the application of UEFA licensing processes by the Scottish FA in the 2011/12 season was requisitioned by shareholders.
Prior to the AGM, representatives of the Board met with representatives of those shareholders who moved the resolution. The meetings were very positive and assisted the Club in understanding the shareholders’ concerns.
At the AGM, the resolution was adjourned indefinitely, so that the board, through the Company Secretary, could continue to liaise with the representatives of the shareholders moving the resolution with a view to progressing matters.
In the last year there have been regular meetings between the Company Secretary and the shareholders’ representatives.
The Board recognise that the shareholders’ representatives have conducted these discussions and meetings in a professional manner, with detailed expertise and knowledge.
Matters continue to be progressed.
The board and the shareholders’ representatives are committed to continuing with this process of dialogue.
The shareholders representatives have confirmed to me that they recognise and appreciate that, during the course of the year, the board have worked continuously to meet and deal with the concerns raised by the shareholders, have made representations on their behalf to the SFA and shall continue to do so.
Further to the above the shareholders representatives would like to add:-
During the course of the past year, there have been a number of meetings between shareholders representatives and the Company Secretary of Celtic PLC acting as a representative of the board of the company.
Those meetings have concerned certain licensing issues and related events which embroiled Scottish Football in the course of 2011/2012. In the course of the discussions it became plain that the board of Celtic PLC had already embarked upon a line of enquiry surrounding the same issues prior to the 2013 AGM of Celtic PLC.
However, it also became clear that the shareholders, acting independently, were able to provide further information, analysis, and detail which had not hitherto been made available to the board.
As a result, further enquiries were made by Celtic PLC and dialogue and correspondence was set up with the SFA in relation to these enquiries. This is an ongoing process.
Further, in the course of the year and in the course of the discussions and the dialogue referred to above, it also became plain that in presenting and discussing various pieces of information and documentation, very careful regard had to be had to the rules of evidence as they apply to court actions and other tribunals in both England and Scotland.
Celtic PLC, The SFA nor the shareholders have any control or influence over proceedings or investigations which have been commenced or undertaken by others and which are ongoing. Further, the shareholders recognise that the nature of their concerns may well stray into events and a timeframe which is germane to these other proceedings.
Accordingly, in the course of the year, the shareholders have sought professional advice from a variety of sources concerning the source and provenance of documentation, the implementation and application of the tax laws within the UK, the interpretation and application of the football rules applicable at the time and other various other matters.
The very nature of the enquiries made and the circumstances surrounding the events that have led to the shareholders concerns, has meant that all parties involved in this process have had, by necessity, to proceed with extreme caution and with a constant eye on what can and cannot be done legally.
However, we have now reached a position, with the assistance of those who have given us advice, and with the help of Celtic PLC, whereby there are clear lines of enquiry which can be pursued with and through the SFA. As stated above that is a continuing and ongoing process.
At this stage, we have been advised that the detail of the discussions and correspondence should not be made public until the process we have started has reached a conclusion or until such times as this process ceases to potentially overlap with matters which are beyond our control or sphere of influence.
The purpose and the reasoning of the resolution was to ask that Celtic PLC plays its part in making enquiries about events which were of concern to shareholders. As a result of the resolution a detailed and laborious process has been professionally undertaken and is ongoing.
Anyone unhappy that we can send Berget, Wakaso and Tonev back to their clubs somotime soon?
I for one am not!
Imagine paying millions for them.
I think the club is learning.
At last.
And with a refurb of the scouting system in the pipeline, what’s not to like?
“Player sales have not been reinvested in the team FULLY.”
Burghbhoy,
Well that’s hard to argue.
I’m not saying we pay too much. I’d rather we stretched ourselves just a little more but the investing that Pl was referring to was not solely on transfer fees imo.
BGX–12.11. Re the kerfuffle with different posters over yes/no SNP.
Very informative on AGM, Paul. Thanks.
I am a corporate guest at the Abu Dhabi GP this weekend. Don’t love the sport but good spectacle. Mentioned the Man City players to the AD powers that be. They said they admired Celtic and we’re happy to see a growing relationship. They spurned my insider attempts to be agreeable on Guidetti and Jason. Interestingly not a one of them bothered by City’s poor CL form, stated it was “a long term project’.
Will see The Who concert but there will be no red, white & blue on me or Mrs GCC.
Hail Hail.
Anything interesting happen at the AGM or did PL nose just keep on getting bigger as the day went on ?
Love
LiviBhoy
Don’t take away the bogey man, how would we manage our misery:)))
Great post mate..
FTSFA
My friends in Celtic,
We have been looking for clarification on Celtic’s position regarding playing against and being cheated by a club over at Greyskull.
The AGM was the perfect opportunity to ask a craftily worded question inviting an answer.
An opportunity missed ? We still await clarity.
HH