Celtic’s Annual General Meeting took place at Celtic Park today as the club and shareholders reflected on a year in which the Scottish Premiership trophy was secured for the 10th season in 11. Chairman, Ian Bankier (70) confirmed his decision to step down as at the end of next month, 11 years after replacing John Reid in the job. An announcement on his replacement will be made to the stock market before then.
The most illuminating part of the day was Celtic FC Foundation chief exec., Tony Hamilton, explaining the work your Foundation has done in the past year and has planned for the difficult winter months ahead. The Foundation continues to feed, educate, aid those in need of medical assistance and help those struggling in poverty. Whatever happens on the park at Celtic, the Foundation is your proudest boast.
Ange Postecoglou pinned his familiar colours to the mast. If we are to reach the highest levels of European football, we will not do so playing defensively in the Champions League. It is an admiral conviction and Ange had more than enough affection to carry this or any other room full of Celtic supporters. Other outcomes are possible.
It was not overtly clear to the room, but much of Celtic’s planning in recent times has been to be in the right place when Uefa change the Champions League in 2024. Next season’s competition will feature the last of the Group Stages, a status that has occupied our hopes and dreams for so many years.
Instead, an open draw from 36 teams will see participants play four home games and four away, all against different sides. Getting into this 36 team contest and remaining is a huge objective for the club.
Chief executive, Michael Nicholson spoke to on-going stadium developments. The new sports bar opened recently in the Jock Stein Stand, which will help fans who travel from distance in particular. Lots more work is needed here. We have a fine 20th century stadium but the more Celtic fans travel to great European stadiums and come back with tales of extravagances, like catering facilities you can reach during halftime, handtowels in the toilets throughout the day, merchandise outlets you can spend money at, from the largest seating area at the group, the more we will realise there is work to be done.
Fan liaison chief, John Paul Taylor spoke about the fight he led (although he took no credit for it) against the regime at Glasgow City Council, who planned to impose a 1m parking exclusion zone around Celtic Park on match days. This would have displaced the nearest drivers to park 1m away, while many would be forced multiples of this distance.
It was a beyond crazy idea that only a local government/Holyrood/Westminster politician could have suggested.
Chief Financial Officer, Chris McKay dived into the numbers, indicating some significant relief that the years without fans were behind us. He and former chief executive, Peter Lawwell, had a significant influence on the new Uefa Financial Fair Play regulations. An understated indication of the soft power the club has amassed in the game in recent years.
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Well well.
First first for mony a year.
Thanks Paul67 and thanks Deniabhoy for the updates
And I must agree that Bankier has an unfortunate name for someone so inept at representing the club in any meaningful way.
Ahhh, so failure to prepare to qualify for previous Champions League group stages was all part of a bigger plan to qualify in 2024. That’s a relief, here’s me thinking we had myopic incompetents in charge all that time.
EMERALDBEE \O/ A DOUBLE NINER!! on 4TH NOVEMBER 2022 2:05 PM
And I must agree that Bankier has an unfortunate name for someone so inept at representing the club in any meaningful way.
###
He’s only doing what he’s told. No point blaming him.
DENIABHOY,
Many thanks for the informative updates.
Am I hallucinating or did CQN previously post live links to the AGM.?
HH.
Good to hear we’re thinking hard about 2024, we have some bold and brave thinking going on at the club at the moment, and a manger who fits with the desire to go beyond the orthodox to achieve success.
It also looks like he’s prepared to endorse and even embrace some of the more unpopular strategies we’ve been following
“We will need to be more active in the transfer market. This will be uncomfortable for some. I know fans live to have their heroes but to achieve at this level we will need be much more active”
I’m glad you’re here CELTIC40ME.
Celtic have a duty of care for its employees
Michael Nicholson response on the glass incident in April,
Is totally unacceptable
You have a duty of care for your employees Mr Nicholson
ERNIE @ 2.08
He’s the Chairman!!! Surely a Chairman should discharge his duties and responsibilities to the best of his abilities. This guy is no shrinking violet in the world of business, but I don’t think I’m alone in assessing his input as ‘wanting’ to say the least. His infamous snide remarks toards the fans at previous AGMs earned him no friends.
OK, my remark about his name was a wee bit of point scoring, but the gist of my remark stands. In my opinion, of course.
Ave Ave
So are coefficients still valid, in that we would play certain games against higher middle and lower coefficient clubs or a complete random open draw which I doubt it would be as what would be the point of coefficients then, how is it decided who we play away or at home, extra gate money as its 4 home games how many go through 4 from 9?
We seem like a club with everyone pulling in the same direction at the moment, which can only be a good thing. Long may it continue
I’m very surprised Lawwell was not announced as the new Chairman today, who else from this board is a candidate, could it be Sharon Brown diversity in action, or someone from outside the club entirely?
No CCTV more likely wiped rapidly, had this happened at Celtic Park the other mob, press TV would be screaming for the culprit[s] to be found prosecuted banned with a stand closed for a lengthy period of time.
DESSYBHOY
I think its 8 games per team, each team plays 2 games against teams from each of 4 pots
🇦🇺🍀 #CelticFC v Everton Football Club in the #SydneySuperCup has a new kick-off time!
The game on Sunday 20 November will now be played at 2:45pm AEDT (3:45am CPT) instead of the originally advertised 8:05pm AEDT ℹ
Get your tickets here ➡ https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/Show.aspx?sh=CELVRFC22.
————–
Enjoy the game MM at a normal time for a change.
HH.
DESSYBHOY – Exactly, though with their finances maybe the CCTV system was an early cutback? Hard to believe the police do not have CCTV operating at all corners of the ground especially for this fixture.
Hey ho, they did apologise (allegedly and privately).
Speaking at the club’s AGM, the manager said: “The business and football side is aligned. I’ll make my vision clear.
“Most of it centres around finances and we need to be there every year. We need to keep growing, we need to be aggressive with our approach.
“We need to to be aggressive and agile in the transfer market and we will need to move players around to make gains.
“We have to maximise our squad to get the greatest revenue for the club. I’m comfortable with that.
“It will be unsettling for you guys. You’ll have favourite players but we need to be wise.”
Someone was asking earlier about the capacity of the Sports bar. I believe it is 300, whilst the Kerrydale bar is 800
AGM = Soft soaping, backslapping exercise with a narrative dictated by the board.
Rehearsed, safe, broad soundbites and little on detail.
See youse all next year but none the wiser for Joe Average.
Guardians of the Celtic Galaxy 2022
HH
Good afternoon all from the Quaich, Shawlands. If the glass throwing incident had happened at Celtic Park the stadium would have been closed indefinitely.
St Tams 2.28
What was the capacity of the sports bar at the Bernabeu? 😜😂
DENIABHOY on 4TH NOVEMBER 2022 2:23 PM
Yes . I would have thought that the area behind the goals , which is the most likely place for the glass to have come from , would be a top priority for CCTV . Goalkeepers are especially vulnerable to objects being thrown .
Maybe we could reopen the gates at half time like they do in Madrid ? Allowing supporters back out to sample the tapas at Turnstiles or the Springy Vaults.
Paul67 et al
Where was the AGM held?
Room 101?
Did anyone ask how they plan to progress in Europe and match Ange’s ambitions (no limits) while not pulling too far ahead of our old firm partners?
I’m sure partner club’s European “efforts” won’t have gone unnoticed, neither will their manager’s comments about the finances.
You don’t have to go back too far to remember what happened the last time we had an ambitious manager talking about improvement when we were already too far in front of partner club.
I’m sure the recent criticisms of Ange’s philosophy are purely coincidental…..
We made it to Friday!
Breeders Cup in Kentucky this weekend Big Jimmy. Perhaps the greatest horse to ever run over here, Flightline is the overwhelming favourite. Goes off in green silks white white hoops on the arms.
Life Is Good at 6-1 the only horse that will perhaps to make a race of it.
Just in from the AGM.
The highlight for me was undoubtedly meeting Auldheid for the first time in a couple of years.(I almost walked past him but fortunately he recognised me.) He then introduced me to Embra Mike.
As the chap I had a cup of coffee with in the new Sports Bar said, it was a good AGM, as such meetings go.
Now to read Paul67s’ article.
Final reminder re Superbru predictions to be in by 7.30 TONIGHT
BOURNESOUPRECIPE 2.40
😂😂
Dessybhoy
If they go down the road of choosing Sharon Brown or anyone else as chairman with as part of a diversity / box ticking exercise it would be a bad move.
DD and / or the board need to be strong on this and appoint the best people to particular position rather than be manoeuvred into making appointments to satisfy people’s ideas of quotas.
While Bankier was about as effective as Young Mr Grace, we should not shy away from choosing someone of the calibre of Brian Quinn or John Reid just because they don’t increase the diversity of the board or in order to appease the “right on” section of the support.
Choose the best person irrespective of gender/ race / religion / politics etc in the same way as we would select a centre forward based upon ability to put the ball in the net )Wayne Biggins being an obvious exception).
I understand that your comment was not suggesting that an appointment on that basis was a good idea.
My concern is that from my attendance at previous AGMs, I got a sense that there was a lobby towards making appointments that were influenced by factors other than the the individual’s capabilities to do the job.
By the bye, Auldheid got good news but I’ll leave him to share that.
I appreciate the posting of the names of the referee, assistant referees, fourth official and var assistants for upcoming Celtic games, but am at a complete loss as to why the equivalent details are also posted for Rangers games.
We are not half of anything.
WIth reference to Paul’s point on the revamped CL format for 2024, I assume it will be just as hard, if not harder, to qualify for?
This season is likely to be the last for a while (or ever) where there is automatic qualification. I guess for 2024 it will be back to 2-3 rounds of qualifiers and the lottery of playing in Kazakhstan followed by a Scandinavian team that is half way through its season :)
GGH
Correct I wasn’t suggesting she should get the job on the basis of her gender , best candidate always , you can see the damage done by the wrong people in positions of power for even a short amount of time.
AIPPLE on 4TH NOVEMBER 2022 2:45 PM
We made it to Friday!
Breeders Cup in Kentucky this weekend Big Jimmy. Perhaps the greatest horse to ever run over here, Flightline is the overwhelming favourite. Goes off in green silks white white hoops on the arms.
Life Is Good at 6-1 the only horse that will perhaps to make a race of it.
………………..
Cheers my friend.
I have Bets on ALL 10 Races later Today
NOTED about the wonder horse ” Flightline”…as the Media here have been speaking about it.
HH Mate.
I see David Dickinson is the ref tomorrow.
He is definitely an orange man.
Cheap as chips though.