Off script Ian Bankier isn’t really the type of Chairman that you would want to be representing your club.
At the AGM he handled the procedural side of things with ease. With 10 years experience he was able to go through the resolutions, take a vote and tick all the boxes.
There was a tense atmosphere in the room yesterday, silence greeted the announcement of each director present while the introductions to Ange Postecoglou and Fran Alonso were met with cheers and applause.
Bankier’s attempts at small talk and humour went down like a lead balloon, he wisely avoided all mention of Neil Lennon with just a passing tribute to Peter Lawwell which brought no response from the shareholders.
When the Q and A got underway the chairman was off-script.
He could hardly restrain himself when one shareholder asked about the way that the club was treated by the SFA and the Scottish Government during Lockdown.
The Daily Record captured his reply, The Metro took it a stage further with Celtic fans reacting on Twitter to their Chairman’s attempt at passing the buck for multiple failings inside the club throughout last season.
Oh I’m in no doubt that we had the worst rub of the green that you could possibly imagine. You couldn’t have written it down on a piece of paper the number of things that went wrong.
I think we were astonishingly treated by the Scottish Government. We were the only employer in Scotland to be given sanctions for an employee breaching rules.
That was the start of the downward slide, or the loss of momentum early last season, where we and Aberdeen were banned from playing for two games. It stopped the momentum.
After having matches against Aberdeen and St Mirren postponed Celtic went on to beat Dundee United, Motherwell, Ross County, St Mirren, Livingston, Hibs and St Johnstone- seven wins on the bounce which was the best run of the season. Not really breaking any momentum.
It seems that Bankier doesn’t know the history.
Whatever your politics are it is best to lobby in private rather than use an AGM to critcise and blame a government with a massive mandate across the entire country.
A permanent embarrassment. Nothing to do with rangers going unbeaten or Lennon being the manager. pic.twitter.com/B01P3to1x2
— PDM ???? (@bayerninmunchen) November 18, 2021
Clearly when Lennon was blaming all and sundry for the debacle that was last season he was amplifying the view held behind closed doors instead of just going off on a rant.
— Fudgie (@Devilinthehole) November 18, 2021
Did Nicola appoint NL in the showers and then admit that she considered no other candidates? This is indicative of how out of touch this board is. They probably think this is safe ground as the support are good old Labour voters
— Just Mick (@McAuleyMick) November 18, 2021
Depressing
— Kat (@pistonitaway) November 18, 2021
To be fair, she’s a decent player, but you wouldn’t rely on her for 30 goals a season.
Or he could just be spouting utter bollocks.
— Steve Morrison (@chopper32) November 18, 2021
Utterly pathetic
— Mozza ?? (@_Mozza_) November 18, 2021
Which is odd when you consider the thrusting, dynamic and diverse brains trust which makes up the Celtic board rn.
— Neal Rafferty (@Nealraff) November 18, 2021
Ffs he mentions what everyone was thinking at the time.yous go mental coz nothing is being said about covi free sevco and their dodgy testing??? Now he says what you wanted to hear and you all go fckn mental. Make your fckn mind up.
Editor: No word of criticism for the SFA, they instantly postponed two matches then let Patterson wait two months before being suspended for being a Covidiot. SFA managed testing procedures, Celtic on mute.
The two games getting postponed was a nonsense and should have been challenged at the time instead the board just sat back and accepted it.
The first minister imposed the postponent at her briefing the sfa did not meet until later that afternoon .
Has it crossed anyone’s mind he just could be right?
If not, it bloody well should!
The anti-Catholic, anti-Celtic attitude in our small-minded country is an embarrassment!
You all live it every single day! Don’t tell me you don’t face it daily!
Scotland is corrupt and no less so than England is! But a warning to those of you screaming for independence! Be very careful what you wish for!
An excellent post Joe. I have warned of the SNP ties to masons and who will actually run the country if there ever was independence. Not that there ever will be since the brits never totally left any colony without bloodshed and even at that, they retained control through local puppets in most !
Editor: If you are looking for reasons for Celtic’s failure last season you don’t need to go much beyond Desmond, Lawwell, Lennon and Bankier. Remember when DD told us we had a better squad than O’Neill had in 2003, only two of that quartet have left, only one completely.
Nichola just did her masonic duty to the stop 10-in-a-row cause. No more, no less.
One word. CLOWN.
Totally agree with you Joe.Couldnt have put it better myself. As I have said in previous comments this was a weak ,pathetic Government chasing Sevco votes for the Scottish elections. Votes they were never going to get.
Every bit as corrupt as the sleaze mongers down at Westminster.
ma scarfe has been in the garbage for months and it isnae coming oot fk the board
I see not only Tories on our board but in the stands think some are supporting the wrong team in Glasgow.
Keeping politics out of football How’s that going.
No union Jack at Celtic Park.
Independence is normal.
Quick question was Desmond there yesterday? If not why not.
Editor: Hasn’t made it to any of the last 15, his son Ross looked on from top table.