Dermot Desmond put in an appearance last night at an event in New York for the Celtic Foundation.
The businessman is the biggest individual shareholder in Celtic but hasn’t appeared at an AGM for more than a decade with his involvement very much from a distance.
Desmond was credited with getting the wheels in motion to bring back Brendan Rodgers to replace Ange Postecoglou, the current Celtic boss was interviewed on stage at last night’s event.
Thanks to Henrik Larsson, Brendan Rodgers, @deaconbluemusic, @liam_mcgrandles and everyone who contributed to another special night in Manhattan ??@CelticFC | #NYGala2024 ? pic.twitter.com/wrgSxduUjZ
— Celtic FC Foundation (@FoundationCFC) March 22, 2024
Desmond picture bottom left.
Brought in as an investor in 1995 by Fergus McCann, Desmond upped his stake in the club when McCann disposed of his shareholding but has always preferred to keep an eye on matters from a distance.
Media interviews are also very rare, in September 2020 he told The Athletic that the club had a stronger squad than the one that reached the 2003 UEFA Cup Final in Seville, under Neil Lennon Celtic then went on to lose the SPFL title for the first time in a decade and also fail to reach the semi-finals of either cup competition.
With the departure of Mark Lawwell as Head of Recruitment recently announced supporters are still waiting to see what direction the club will be moving in this summer with Rodgers clearly looking to improve the quality of the squad.
Desmond to The Athletic:
Europe is so important, as a yardstick of our football progression. On a sporting level, I think the Celtic team we have now is as good as at any time in the last 25 years, no doubt, and that’s even without a player like Henrik Larsson. If you asked me if the Celtic team today would beat the one that reached (the 2003 UEFA Cup final in) Seville, I’d say, ‘Yes’.
Dermott Desmond talking SHITE again,this current squad is better than the one that took us to final in Seville, no wonder we are F****D when statements like that are being put out.
And with that sane statement don’t ve expecting any big money big time players coming in soon,as the guy with the funny moustache said,this squad is better than Seville,let’s just leave it at that.
And to think our fans are going to part with some serious hard earned cash to purchase season to watch nickel&dime players.
I think he’s referring to the 2020 interview which was about Lennon’s last squad. Still a load of shite though.
If he thought the squad of September 2020 (Barkas, Duffy, Ajeti & co) than the Seville team, he must think the current team is better than the Lisbon Lions!
I think it’s fair to say he knows a lot about business, but the square root of f*** all about the finer details of football!
Remind me what did we win the Seville season
Yep – I’m still traumatised Daniel…
Was that where we were cheated by a referee that had Hartson offside in his own half…
The High of Liverpool to outta the Scottish Cup to lowly Inverness Caledonian Thistle two days later…
Then ahead in the league then the Thompson penalty miss…
If only we hadn’t lost that injury time goal in the first half to Porto we’d have won it 2-1…
And on it goes does the trauma and crushing disappointment of that bloody season so it does !
That’s right Scud, you tell them.
Ah the bold there’s a name from the past,the guy spoke a lot sense,it’s pity he got kicked off the site.
I think Despot Desmond’s comments about the squad being up to the level of the 2003 Seville side were made in September 2020 – three and a half years ago. That said, the 2024 squad would not beat the 2020 squad.
Despot is the major fault in a boardroom full of timeservers, backslappers and placeholders. This moribund bunch need clearing out and replaced by more imaginative and savvy people who can raise Celtic, on AND off the field to the heights it should be.
What happened to the plans for the combined new museum, hotel and restaurant? When will the main stand be revamped? If not now then when?
Ground control to cloud cuckoo land … how much money have you siphoned out of Celtic?
Other than picking up his pocket money he has no involvement with Celtic. An absolute imposter that is only interested in making money from our hard working fans. A cash cow for him and his family.
I wish someone would buy his shares and get him to eff out of our club. He’s been nothing but an anchor to us over the last 20 years, with Lawwell given carte blanche to run the club into the ground while enriching himself and his cronies.
Get them all to eff, don’t give them your money, and sack the board!
He probably attended the meeting as all of the local caddy’s in the city are cab drivers ? (excuse the pun ) !
Omg, we really are more patted than I thought, totally delusional.
Dermot who…??…Oh aye ….Desmond… Ah know the name fae somewhere.
Aye, but the Seville buoys are 21 years older now
What an imposter, what a phony, a charlatan and a shyster, this is the only time Dirty Desmond will make any sort of effort to show up at any sort of Celtic function, if it’s in among the who’s who of the Celtic support in the glitz and glamour of New York City.
Was he there to generate hype around the upcoming USA pre-season visit? Has Dirty Desomid, Liewell and Co come to the realisation that Milking the European fan base for next season kitty will be a tough ask, so instead, lets milk the Celtic fans stateside to raise the cash needed to spend next year by playing on their love for all things Irish, Scottish and Celtic