‘Arrogance is astounding’ ‘Bankier’s position is pretty untenable’ ‘heckled the cowards’ Chairman Bankier under attack for AGM performance
Ian Bankier was roundly criticised in the room and online for his performance at the Celtic AGM.
Without Peter Lawwell throwing in the occasional attempt at humour the elderly chairman was in the firing line from angry shareholders as he tried to deflect questions towards Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay.
When Bankier started the meeting the temperature in the room noticeably dropped. Introducing his fellow directors there wasn’t a single piece of applause, Fran Alonso and Ange Postecoglou were warmly cheered. An Australian and a Spaniard were far more popular than the supposed custodians and guardians of the club.
In a pre-recorded video interview with Gerry McCullouch Bankier, Nicholson and McKay rhymed off a number of excuses and cliches to excuse their own failings.
No mention was made of short-lived CEO Dom McKay or a fourth successive failure to reach the group phase of the Champions League. Chris McKay (Financial Director) even spoke glowingly about the benefits of playing in the Europa Conference!
Shows of hands in the room went against the re-election of Bankier and Brian Wilson but they went through on an avalanche of proxies.
When the hour long Q and A got underway there wasn’t a single complimentary statement towards the board.
Off script Bankier fumbled through his replies, his attempts at humour were feeble, joking that he hadn’t played in last season’s defeat in the Champions League to Ferencvaros.
With their annual hour of accountability and discomfort out the way for 2021 it’ll be business as usual for Bankier and chums with a few days in Germany to look forward to next week.
Whether Bankier will be invited to step down remains to be seen, from Twitter reactions he won’t be remembered fondly whenever he decides to join Lawwell in retirement.
Majority of the room at the AGM vote against the re-appointment of Bankier and Wilson to the board. This demonstrates the dissatisfaction of many within the support over their conduct but also highlights how far we are from any fan power as they were voted on comfortably anyway.
— Celtic Shared (@Celtic_Shared) November 17, 2021
Some of Bankiers responses were a downright disgrace. He’s an absolute waste of space and his arrogance is astounding.
— James McErlean (@jamesmcerlean12) November 17, 2021
Bankier out
— Shaidh ???? (he/him) (@Shaidh67) November 17, 2021
— Rick (@Cockneyrebel78) November 17, 2021
Bankier is hopeless. The Board are incompetent.
— Irons ? (@_zsipod_) November 17, 2021
Well done to everyone that attended the agm and heckled the cowards that run our club , especially Bankier !??
— Lisbon Lion (@lion_lisbon) November 17, 2021
You have to say today Bankier went definitively past the point of no return with the vast majority of the support. He’ll be kept in by the shareholders but hard to see how he retains any confidence of the support.
— Aidan (@aif123_2) November 17, 2021
Ian Bankier is so out of touch way the Celtic support sooner he goes the better
— Ryan King (@RJK301) November 17, 2021
Bankier must go, Higgins must not be appointed
— Marty Kyogo ?? – Hostage of an Involuntary Union (@martybhoy1979) November 17, 2021
Bankiers position is pretty untenable, he should go rather than slither back to the table using absent shareholder votes to keep his position against public opinion
— AngePostecoglousPrimarkJumper (@Bhoy_Whunder) November 17, 2021