Celtic will hold an online AGM on December 14 in order to comply with Stock Market regulations.
The annual event sees a number of Resolutions from the board approved by 90% plus majorities with a couple of directors voted back on to the board with just a token show of disapproval from the floor with a few shareholders raising their papers to vote against.
Chairman Ian Bankier hosts the meeting which includes a few video clips showing aspects of the club at work with a focus on the Celtic Foundation alongside clips of the team.
The only aspect of any real interest is the Question and Answer session which can provide an hour of discomfort for the chairman or Chief Executive Peter Lawwell as he is called to account. For the remainder of the year there is no opportunity for fans or shareholders to ask questions of the club’s executive.
That live aspect will be missing this year with a selection of emailed questions being dealt with- without the live aspect it becomes virtually pointless with the directors choosing the questions that they want to answer. Obviously no follow-up questions will be possible with no questions raised based on what is said during the AGM.
Last night the club published their report which states:
In order to provide shareholders with an opportunity to ask questions, as they would normally be entitled to do at the AGM, shareholders are invited to submit to the Board any questions they would otherwise have raised at the AGM, in advance of the meeting. If you have any questions, please submit them via email to AGM2020@celticfc.co.uk by no later than 6.00pm on 10 December 2020, together with your Shareholder Reference Number (SRN), which can be found on your share certificate or Form of Proxy. The Chairman or another director of the Company will endeavour to answer questions during the AGM and may group questions together when doing so. It will not be possible to ask questions during the meeting.
Questions about the warmth and price of the pies or puddles in the car park have been raised in the past with only the occasional moment of discomfort for the top table.
What lessons have been learned from three consecutive failures to reach the group stage of the Champions League really should be a priority alongside aspects of the club’s transfer policy. This summer Neil Lennon had no new signings with the squad for pre-season training and matches in France.
With no fans inside Celtic Park since March 7 the club faces a variety of issues with a large drop in income anticipated- had they got past Ferencvaros and two other one-off matches they would have a £30m cushion from UEFA as they wait for the return of supporters.
Lawwell has made only one newspaper interview this year, in June he spoke to Keith Jackson of the Daily Record about his hope to have fans inside Celtic Park for a test event in July ahead of the SPFL season starting.