Bankier, Livingston and most plural club in UK

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I didn’t see Ian Bankier’s performance today, but I watched his predecessor John Reid a few times. John wasn’t liked by a significant body of the support, largely for professional reasons (his role in government), but when he got on his feet to address Celtic supporters, he had an intuitive feel for what to say. No one ever needed to script him.

Ian Livingston has received a lot of criticism since voting with the government in the recent Tax Credits bill. I’d heard the nature of some of what was written online included reference to his background – appalling, without question. Nor would it surprise you or me, we’ve been online long enough to see just about everything, including those who troll others on account of their background or identity. Often with Celtic-related targets.

We are a plural club, with people from Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, and for all I know, other backgrounds, on our board, all these and more in our dressing room, and among our support. I’m proud of this. We are often caricatured as an exclusively Irish-diaspora club but few in the UK can claim such an ethnic panorama.

A club of immigrants founded 127 years ago has continued to attract new immigrants ever since.  It’s worthwhile reminding ourselves of this, it should continue to be a part of our forward strategy.  What correlates with this is that anyone with a prejudice will find a target at Celtic – such is the diversity of our club. Celtic fans, players and officials have been targets like this for a very long time.

Was Ian Livingston right to vote with the government on Tax Credits? No. I haven’t considered the policy’s economic merits (first pass suggested it had none) but I believe his voice should have been raised against the policy. The expectations of being a representative of Celtic, not just a board member, are weighty.

Ian Bankier could have read all inappropriate online comment referring to Ian Livingston’s background immediately before today’s AGM, but that forum was not the place to mark anyone’s card. The intuitive feel John Reid had on these occasions was missing today. Go complain about such comment to the appropriate authorities, or to whatever online facilities hosted the comments, tell Ian Livingston ‘You’ll never walk alone’ in a private moment, but address shareholders and Celtic fans on matters appropriate to them.

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  1. CQN in Full Board Defending More than A Club” Deluded , YES the Support Are”..Right Wing Mode Tonight..

     

     

    Its All Good.

  2. Before CQN, I would never in all my days know when the AGM was, and I know for a fact my father never knew when the AGM was, I would say 90% of Celtic fans wouldn’t know when the AGM was (maybe more) in my opinion people’s politics should be there own business, I don’t care about Livingston or Bankier in my opinion they are as far removed as Celtic fans as can be, but not for their politics, and I know for a fact their religion means even less than their opinions, my grief with Bankier is he seems more intent than being an annoyance rather than act in my (our) clubs best interests

  3. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma on

    The Board of Celtic PLC ……..

     

     

    An occasional Embarrassment, a Permanent Irrelevance.

  4. Inclusive my arse.

     

     

    Deflective nonsense.

     

     

    Tories and war mongering government ministers, Tory barons, and absentee duke of Wellington type dubliners.

     

     

    127 years removed from the priests and republicans who founded our club

  5. The Huddle

     

     

    Your Opinion. When Paul wants to be he can be very precise and detailed. This is one of his less precise leaders (oops whisky reference). If you check any social media timeline post AGM it is clear that Bankier made a huge boo boo and the general line from ‘average’ supporters was not going well. Hence Bankier’s later ‘statement’ about being ‘misunderstood’ and how he loves all Celtic supporters really (I paraphrase).

     

     

    Just my opinion of course so feel free to disagree…

     

     

    HH

  6. Imo it would best for all concerned if IB and LLoP went quickly and quietly. Their continued presence on our board is divisive and will become an increasing distraction. I’m sure we will be able to find able replacements to the board who don’t vote to make the poor poorer and accuse Celtic supporters of being racist.

  7. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    BRTH

     

     

    In my inebriation I was trying to come up with similar to that

     

     

    Couldn’t get beyond Ian Archer which I thought was a touch strong

     

     

    Btw.. Watch the Crolla fight tomorrow ..it’ll be a good one

  8. BGX,

     

    Re your Q on Ian Livingstone & what he does for Celtic.

     

    I would suggest that if you wanted to know, you could have attended today’s AGM and asked

  9. Dumbhoy on 20th November 2015 11:52 pm

     

     

    Your Opinion. When Paul wants to be he can be very precise and detailed. This is one of his less precise leaders (oops whisky reference). If you check any social media timeline post AGM it is clear that Bankier made a huge boo boo and the general line from ‘average’ supporters was not going well. Hence Bankier’s later ‘statement’ about being ‘misunderstood’ and how he loves all Celtic supporters really (I paraphrase).

     

    ———————–

     

    I think Paul was clear in his post, I await his clarification.

     

     

    I’m fairly certain social media doesn’t represent the Celtic support, not yet anyway.

  10. BRTH

     

     

    Problem is they’re driving the bus….

     

     

    What comes to mind is an episode of Still Game involving a bus driver…

     

     

    HH

  11. The very fact that Bankier issued a statement later,is proof that he got it wrong in front of the shareholders.

  12. MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 20TH NOVEMBER 2015 11:21 PM…

     

     

    Yep, severe but you post on here and you know it become voracious in retaliation to some posters and know that when days like this spring up and the old firewater takes over stupid things are said.

     

     

    Usually, it will follow with an apology, reckon most of us have hit that key and regreted it.

     

     

    Today, it was used in a total different manner, it was premeditated (in my opinion) and can only demean our support.

     

     

    Once again our board fecked up.

     

     

    I came on here after the smelly fan debacle, I can maybe laugh now at having bars of soap left in my workplace.

     

     

    It went on for a while as Huns will clutch onto anything at the moment.

     

     

    Why the fuck give them ammunition?

     

     

    Bankier the man that gave the £1,000,000 nod to Murray to sustain the Huns under the pretence it was for the good of the company…we are getting taking for mugs.

  13. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Delaney’s. You must be a very proud uncle. It would have made the long journey more than worthwhile beating the young tribute act 4 nil

  14. Perhaps Jeremy Corbyn, once he has been removed as leader of the opposition, would like to be chairman.

     

     

    He holds most of what we hold close to his heart.

     

     

    That’s how far apart the current board is from Fans por cierto

  15. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    Sipsini

     

     

    You more than most have the Huns foisted upon you ..

     

     

    Complete FK up today

     

     

    Bankier is a tit

  16. The Huddle

     

     

    Agreed and I’m sure if you go tomorrow and pinned done everyone you might find someone that was prepared to make an abusive link between Livingston and his religion. Such is life. That would be a long way though from stating that because you had found someone making such a statement that anyone critical of Livingston shared the same view…

     

     

    HH

  17. Sipsini

     

     

    Great post earlier.

     

     

    Your own circumstance at that time.

     

     

    These Tory board wankers are far far removed from Celtic supporters real life sacrifices to support your team.

  18. Its a bit like that stroke pulled by the DR during the week….to equate a demand for fairness with sectarianism.

     

    So, opposition to Tory ideology is racist.

     

    Nasty wee wordsmith hunguffery, and nasty wee businessmen.

     

    That’s the depths that are being plumbed here.

     

     

    HH

  19. I’m truly astounded by P67’s comment above.

     

    Celtic fans are members of a very broad and tolerant church. To not be at a meeting but feel able to take a position, and a negative one at that towards our support , frankly amazes me.

     

     

    Think you dropped the ball there, Paul, and big time.

     

     

    Bankier,in each if the meetings I’ve been to. seems very nervous, uncomfortable and ill at ease.

     

    I could accept he may not be the best public speaker in the world, and he doesn’t need to be. But in all three meetings had has had derogatory things to say about our support. Technically his customers.

     

    He behaves unlike any supporter I know.

     

     

    Like most here I have no idea his or Ian Livingston’s personal background. Frankly, they’re not of any interest as long as they look after my club.

     

     

    Sadly the club is being let down by our custodians in my view.

  20. Dallas

     

     

    Aye the RC colts who are mainly West coast Tims, loved their near 400 mile round trip to put the tribute acts sick pups oot their misery. Could have been 10-0 seemingly.

  21. Tomorrow we play Kliie however I suspect most of the conversations pre, during and post match will have little to do with the game unless we win 7 -0. Much to discuss and much to ponder. We are leaderless as a club. Our custodians have bottled it. It is looking Increasingly likely that once again we as a support stand alone for justice and 2 up front

  22. Pfayr…

     

     

    They had a field day with it, I couldn’t believe it when it came out.

     

     

    I can assure you the same bassas won’t believe their luck after today.

     

     

    That’s is why we need someone on the board with a bit of nonce, that can relate to the normal supporter.

     

     

    Those Feckin halfwits that’s there are either thick, don’t know or are in collusion with thems.

     

     

    I wonder at times.

     

     

    Hope your well. HH

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