Ian Bankier wasn’t keen on answering questions at today’s Celtic AGM.
The elderly chairman turned in a very unimpressive performance, there was no warmth or personality about his performance, when he tried to go off script he failed miserably, especially his attempts at humour. Underwhelming would be a compliment to a man that has spent his business career working in alcohol.
The vast majority of the questions that were asked had a lot of effort and detail, there were stinging observations at the complete failure of the club to develop over the last decade. Europe has been a shambles with two appearances in the group stage of the Champions League in the last eight years, Finance Director Chris McKay spoke enthusiastically about playing in the Europa Conference after Christmas.
Dom McKay, the Champions League qualifiers and Midtjylland weren’t given a mention by Bankier and his cronies.
At the 2019 AGM I asked Peter Lawwell about the Five Way Agreement of 2012, he laughed back at me that no-one at Celtic was involved and he hadn’t even read it.
Today I had a dozen short sharp questions prepared, when I asked the first and mentioned that the SPFL was lost last season to a nine-year-old club that hadn’t played a game when Bankier became chairman the panic signs flashed.
Financial Fair Play was deflected to McKay who waffled on about UEFA and the ECA, I told Bankier I was asking him about Scotland. McKay claimed it had been discussed by SPFL clubs but not progressed, Celtic seemed far from interested or engaged.
Despite being told that I wasn’t allowed any more questions I asked Bankier about Nick Walsh and Bobby Madden. Typical of his feeble form of leadership he claimed that he was concerned but couldn’t do anything about the SFA.
Other fans pointed out that a statement from Ibrox meant that they avoided getting Willie Collum to referee their matches for six months.
133p 17 November 2017
165p 16 November 2018
162p 18 November 2019
95p 17 November 2021
Hopefully a new Chairman will be answering questions next season without showing disgust and contempt for shareholders.
Should Bankier wish to answer any or all of the questions above Video Celts will publish his answers in full.