The league was won by such a small margin and after so many tight games, it is possible to identify a dozen games and three times as many moments that can be considered crucial to the outcome. Not all of them by Celtic players.
Stephen Welsh’s 89th minute equaliser for 10-man Motherwell against Newco in February was one of them. Moments earlier Celtic scored an added-time winner against Livingston, while Newco led at Motherwell. That four-point swing kept Celtic hopes alive that the improbable was still possible.
Welsh featured in Motherwell’s post-split win at Ibrox and draw against Hearts, games which respectively removed Newco and Hearts from the position of bookies’ favourites for the title. As a Celtic player, he was unable to play in our 2-3 win at Fir Park last month.
Six years after making his Celtic debut, the player has been released from his contract a year early, with contract offers already on the table. The loan fee received from Motherwell, or expected for another year elsewhere, was not sufficient incentive to inhibit the player’s career or earning potential. Then there is the feeling that we owe him something.
Stephen’s loan to Motherwell was cut short when Celtic needed cover in January, but he returned to Lanarkshire after Benjamin Arthur arrived on load from Brentford. That decision looked curious at the time. Arthur was not as ready for action as Welsh, and we were potentially developing Brentford’s player, instead of our own. But Motherwell would have been weakened when playing our title rivals. It’s an interesting manifestation of the consequences of the loan market. Did it decide the title? Sure, along with +50 other decisions.
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Timbhoy163 on 3rd June 2026 6:04 pm
Please….let it be….
SAINT STIVS – you are correct, in saying “a person without the majority shareholding in a company, (ie less than 50%), can be seen as the owner”, as clearly MON even referred to him as such. You are however incorrect when suggesting that this has anything to do with corporate law – it just doesn’t. I don’t challenge you on this falsehood just to declare I’m right and you are not, I do so because it is an important point of distinction, and it should matter greatly to all of us, as Celtic fans.
—————-
No falsehoods, legalities as per solicitors offices, I am away to ask Bird and Bird as well, the business I worked for used them on all out M&A activities.
I would suggest as TBB Highlighted, underwritting the share issues of 2003 and 2005 gave DD the share structure and voting right to allow him effective control, knowing full well, that even in that early stage, the thousands of small share-holders had lost interest in actual ownership and believed they had done their bit by already saving the club ………
anyways, tries again, not AI.
3. De Facto Control vs. Ownership
A person without a majority of shares can functionally be the “owner” or controller of the company’s trajectory through legal mechanisms like
:Dual-Class Voting: Holding specific classes of shares that possess superior voting rights (e.g., ten votes per share) compared to the shares held by other investors.
Shareholder Agreements: Contractual agreements that grant veto power over major business decisions, or guarantee the right to control board appointments.
Founder/Management Control: Controlling the strategic direction as the CEO or Managing Director, often backed by a founder’s agreement.
While majority shareholders generally hold the upper hand in passing ordinary resolutions, a person with a much smaller stake can still legally command, influence, or beneficially “own” the business through the structures outlined above.
Blacks Solicitors LLP.
So I know it has bored the arses off the general participators who ask who does DD think he is, he doesnt own the club, given the structure of the voting shares, and with circa 22% not being active, what does this actually mean in practice –
A person without a majority of shares can functionally be the “owner” or controller of the company’s trajectory through legal mechanisms
onenightinlisbon on 3rd June 2026 5:52 pm
Henry Joy on 3rd June 2026 5:50 pm
Nonsense. He stood back whilst his team sand songs about killing Palestinian children
With videos to match seemingly……
Jonny Kenny had enough chances for me ,Bolton will give us a couple of million for him,to rest in the bank account…
Henry Joy on 3rd June 2026 5:54 pm
If the £4.75M transfer fee for Palma is true, that’s a great piece of business.
In Dermot Desmond, we trust.
Ave Ave
=============
For those interested here is why the Palma fee matters.
That is £4.75m that can go into end of June accounts that can be included in the next licencing round Jan to May 2027 that along with other player sale profit brought in before end June accounts will help compensate for the lower EL income in same accounts. The wages saved can go towards paying a replacement.
This helps Celtic in forward squad cost planning on a sustainable basis.
I predict that Celtic/DD will not stray from that model although Celtic should be able to spend more on playing squad than they did when CL money was part of the calculation with a 90% , 80%, now 70% ceiling which boosted cash in the bank from the underspend.
Here is an explanation of how it works in practice for those willing to improve their understanding.
Assuming the reported figures are correct:
Celtic bought Luis Palma from Aris Thessaloniki in August 2023 for about £3.5 million on a five-year contract.
If he has now been sold for £4.75 million, the accounting profit is much higher than the £1.25 million difference between purchase and sale because most of his transfer fee has already been amortised.
Step 1: Calculate accumulated amortisation
Transfer fee: £3.5m
Contract length: 5 years
Annual amortisation:
5 into £3.5m
=£0.7m per year
Palma was at Celtic for:
2023/24 = 1 year
2024/25 = 1 year
2025/26 = 1 year
Total amortised = £2.1m
Step 2: Remaining book value
£3.5m − £2.1m = £1.4m
So at the point of sale, Palma’s carrying value in the accounts would be approximately £1.4m.
Step 3: Profit on disposal
Sale proceeds: £4.75m
Less book value: £1.4m
Profit:
£4.75m−£1.4m=£3.35m
Impact on UEFA Squad Cost Rules / Financial Sustainability
The profit on disposal of player registrations that counts in the football earnings calculation would be approximately £3.35 million. This profit is recognised immediately in the season of sale and therefore improves Celtic’s FSR/SCR position by that amount.
In UEFA terms, it boosts the club’s football earnings far more than the cash gain alone might suggest because only the remaining £1.4m book value is deducted.
If the final fee turns out to be £4.0m rather than £4.75m (some reports have mentioned figures around £3.5m–£4.0m), the profit would be roughly £2.6m instead
There is more than one Palma player on the books for a while to help improve what can be spent on player squad looking ahead taking the contract length into account.
the bada bing
Let me add Jonny to your list…..
Sack Dermot Desmond & Son
Sack Brian Wilson
Sack the CEO
And Sack Jonny Kenny!!
SackEmAllCSC
vale bhoy on 3rd June 2026 3:00 pm
Can anyone, please, tell us who is making these decisions about players’ contracts and releasing players?
Please.
AS for Robbie Keane…unimpressed.
============
Chris McKay and Michael Nicholson who were involved in the development of FSR will be the ones doing the sums and taking the case to sell to on financial grounds to the Board.
The football manager should be presenting his case to keep the ones who will improve other football earnings like gate money, merchandising, broadcasting, UEFA income and releasing those who will not contribute to football earnings as defined by FSR.
Lech Poznań’s biggest transfer fee paid for a player is €4 million for Honduran winger Luis Palma.
Moonbeams be rife.
CEO in a Dick Turpin mask
WeAreToughNegotiators CSC
I shouldn’t be surprised that with all that time since Jan it looks like Robbie Keane.
Underwhelmed
Celtic Mac- do you see Jonny Kenny being a Celtic player, playing 35-40 games a season for the next 3-4 seasons?
flynn on 3rd June 2026 3:44 pm
“Same people who think that seats keep them safe [ from what? ] also think that vaxxeens make them safe.
Because the TV told them so. lol”
Not because the TV told them so but because statistics tell them so, and there’s nothing “lol” about people suffering serious illness, risk of permanent disability and/ or death from numerous diseases vaccines help protect us from.
Before the introduction of vaccines 1 in 5 children died before their first birthday, Imagine wanting to leave babies exposed to diseases they can be protected from – “lol” – really???
When did you last hear of someone with TB, polio, smallpox? Was it a conspiratorial online anti-vaxxers who helped eradicate smallpox or was it scientists who developed the vaccine?
You hear of anyone in an iron lung recently because their chest muscles were paralysed by Polio. And isn’t it really weird how cervical cancer rates are plummeting in young women and in Australia has been almost eradicated since the introduction of the HPA vaccine.
Shame they can’t develop a vaccine for far right, white supremacist, “replacement theory”, anti-vaxx conspiratorial crop enhancers but such is life which, of course, vaccines do promote,
“because statistics tell them so”
Who’s statistics?
Auldheid
Chris McKay and Michael Nicholson who were involved in the development of FSR will be the ones doing the sums and taking the case to sell to on financial grounds to the Board.
——————-
There’s the rub none of the two of them ‘kicked a baw’ in their life 🤣 but can do sums with Dermot’s budget. BR made them nervous wrecks for wanting some of the recently acquired Nicolas Kuhn money, the rest is history.
‘FSR for Hoops’ sessions in The Monty will be packed out this summer as the Engels Maeda Nygren Hatate millions swell the coffers.
Shrugs shoulders 🤷♂️
Hail Hail
There are so many good , solid managers out there on the dole, all it takes is some ambition from our board.
Jose, Klopp, the list goes on. so they may cost a good few million to land, but the payback would be substantial, speculate to accumulate, my mantra.
The big but with these guys is the support they would or would not get and that my friends is crucial.
On top of that was the utterly disgraceful letter from the Despots re Brendan.
As my friend Flynn would say, what a time to be a Celtic fan, aye indeed
kinglubo
Maolmuire O Muirgheasa on 3rd June 2026 6:50 pm
Lech Poznań’s biggest transfer fee paid for a player is €4 million for Honduran winger Luis Palma.
Maolmuire O Muirgheasa on 3rd June 2026 6:52 pm
Moonbeams be rife.
=========
Picky picky, and if you do not know it then you are either dumb or trolling.
Outed again with dodgy figures and hearsay Auldman.
Timbhoy…good post and you might be right.
From where I’m standing it’s this…..
MON has been asked if he wants to do another year or even 2 and he has rightly asked for time to go on holiday and decide.
The next 3 on the list are..
McKenna
Bellamy
Frank
Keane was given an interview as a courtesy and will not be offered the job.
I expect Martin O’Neill to be confirmed over the weekend.
I expect a bit of a shake up in the coaching staff with Shaun Maloney becoming the DOF.
All just my opinion and not told to me by a fantastic source.
bournesouprecipe on 3rd June 2026 7:10 pm
Auldheid
Chris McKay and Michael Nicholson who were involved in the development of FSR will be the ones doing the sums and taking the case to sell to on financial grounds to the Board.
——————-
There’s the rub none of the two of them ‘kicked a baw’ in their life 🤣 but can do sums with Dermot’s budget. BR made them nervous wrecks for wanting some of the recently acquired Nicolas Kuhn money, the rest is history.
‘FSR for Hoops’ sessions in The Monty will be packed out this summer as the Engels Maeda Nygren Hatate millions swell the coffers.
=============
Knowledge of football has nothing to do with knowing the financial process that Celtic have to abide by and how it impacts on player wages over a future period.
That information provides the limits that The Board are prepared to go on squad spend and they decide whether to spend it or not in line with the football advice they get from the football operations side of the business.
There is a narrative of the days after Rangers beat us 5 1 (after we thumped Rangers 6 2).
The narrative goes MoN told the Board a that if they bought Neil Lennon that kind of result would never happen again.
They listened, Neil arrived and the rest is history.
Hopeful of a repeat.
Explaining how it works is not a defence of The Board it is enabling the right questions to be asked like why have Celtic never gone anywhere near an affordable wage level allowable under FSR.
I’m not defending The Board I’m trying to arm a support to reason using knowledge and reason not emotion to be listened to.
My experience is that such a “both sides win “approach is how to get attention paid.
Sell the benefits of unity to both sides to make it happen.
Make it in both their interests and I’ll meet first round at The Monty in line with that principle.
Shrugs shoulders 🤷♂️
Hail Hail
🪁
I just know our benevolent largest shareholder,will do the right thing and appoint Thomas Frank,and I will tell you for why boyo,( Arghh,those Welsh devils again ).
He is the best candidate,by a country mile,and we have been assured by our Board,fine fellows all,that the search has been exhaustive.No stone unturned.So how could it possibly be Robbie Williams?.
…to the Western islands on 3rd June 2026 7:07 pm….
Well said. No need for maga pish here.
Weeron.
If I write ‘the moon is puce’ in my little book for ten days straight, will the moon on the eleventh day finally turn puce??
Enough already.
VALE BHOY I think the GB are making the final decision on new players, manager, back room staff background checks, current contracts, steward employment, police Scotland liaising, catering and negotiating the leccy bill and council rates. The also get to pick the music at Celtic Park.
You are a tit
Not you TAURANGABHOY…
The post before.
~WARNING~
Genocide Enablers adjacent.
Tit racism.
Tut tut.
A club for all.
So the speculation with the biggest confirmation status is Robbie Keane
Bookies not taking any more bets is confirmation enough for me
And it makes sense because it’s easy. Our appetite for ambition went out the window with Brendan
Any nonsense about “we scoured the market” is simply rubbish
IMHO i think he is about as good as we can expect from a Board who have no drive or determination to aim high. At least he has won 2 league titles
Regarding Managing in Israel I fear it’s dangerous to set precedents based on politics as to who we employ and who we dont.
You can take that argument way beyond Israel and limit your resources
I hope we don’t divide our support for our club – an Empire usually crumbles from within
Delicate difficult times
Hail Hail one and all
67ECW
the bada bing
You must be mistaking me for Mystic Mac…..
Then again there some on here were predicting doom and gloom not just for this season but for the next few, with little but their own prejudices to base that on. And there are those like the Celtic Collective demanding a five year plan for the football club from the Board. Only one man had a five year plan, Fergus McCann, carried it out too. As for Jonny Kenny, you dont rate him, so you’ve answered your own question, you do not see a future for him @ Celtic FC, while I hope there is……next season if he is fit and ready.
While you are on though….I see Sentinel Celts are organising a World Cup Superbru, cannot seem to enter my team, even though I’ve been playing since the days when SFTB ran the show. You up to speed on that, think chalmersbhoy & jobo baldie are co-ordinating it?
Dear CSC,
We are writing to ask your club to consider supporting and signing the attached statement regarding the proposed appointment of Robbie Keane as Celtic manager.
We recognise that, after a season which has seen significant division and rupture at the club, many of us are looking for unity. However, we believe this appointment would achieve the exact opposite. Given our supports long-standing solidarity with Palestine, Keane’s decision to manage Maccabi Tel Aviv during the genocide in Gaza is viewed by many of us as incompatible with the founding values of the club. That’s before even getting into the lack of footballing merits to his appointment.
We feel it is therefore important that those of us who oppose this decision, make our voices heard before any final decision is made.
We are seeking support from Celtic supporters’ clubs and fan organisations who feel able to endorse the attached statement. If your club would like to add its name, please contact us at:
cflp1948@gmail.com
We would be grateful if you could let us know your position as soon as possible.
Celtic Fans for the Liberation of Palestine
Tictastic I’ve been called worse 😉 when I have been lucky enough to get to Celtic Park I have taken my girls close to the GB, fantastic energy, don’t even have a problem with the banners, they were there to agree or disagree with. Crossed a line when they started to tell others how to think. Hope to see the best of the GB next year, not the worst. Hail hail
Auldheid @ 7.40
I know, ‘never kicked a baw’ was me being flippant as per.
The clash between the board (any Celtic board) and (any Celtic manager) is usually about money, and when it’s serious it’s also sometimes terminado goodbye.
It’s money we didn’t have, but do now. Millions on the glorious balance sheet and wee Celtic the team we all adore is what brought this matter to a head this season IMO. This all happened pre Carry on Nancy which is another story, where someone must be accountable?
BR was part of the record turnover he won a double in both return years, and improved in Europe. There appears to have been no compromise on either side. He fulfilled his remit, but they all fell out, and that’s where it ended.
The club needs modernisation, the list is endless and I’d like to see it, but I’m not confident the building blocks are in place.
I know you’re not defending the board, because I know you.
HH
So many old sourpusses on here .A lot of the younger fans would be delighted to see Margot Robbie in the dug out,or running up the touchline.
I for one would welcome it,( Argggh ).
I remember when Robbie Keane turned out for Ireland in the same team as Roy Keane, the Irish FA realised that t.v. viewers looking at the backs of their shirts might not tell them apart. So they printed R. Keane on the back of Robbie’s shirt. Enormously helpful.
Auldheid
Thanks for the reply.
Can I assume MON is the football manager?