24/05/09 CLYDESDALE BANK PREMIER LEAGUE .CELTIC v HEARTS .CELTIC PARK - GLASGOW.Celtic Director Dermot Desmond and Chief Executive Peter Lawwell (right) chat prior to kick-off.. (Photo by Bill MurraySNS Group via Getty Images)
With the weekend to reflect, Friday’s AGM performance from Peter Lawwell was probably the worst two hours in the Celtic career of the club Chairman.
And that is saying something.
From the man that replaced Steven Fletcher with Willo Flood. Who snubbed John McGinn for Youssouf Mulumbu and many more. Albian Ajeti for Ivan Tonev, Vasilas Barkas instead of Joe Hart/Craig Gordon/Fraser Forster.
And many more. Replace Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair with Vakoun Bayo and Marian Shved.
FIVE WAY AGREEMENT
The CEO that laughingly told the 2019 AGM that he had never read the 2012 Five Way Agreement. Given the chance to correct that in 2023 Lawwell doubled down, while his son pulled strings in the transfer market. Think Marco Tilio, Kwon Hyeok-kyu and other total misfits.
On Friday Lawwell surpassed all of that.
Be in no doubt that the Chairman chairs the Annual General Meeting. He decides on everything. He is the star attraction.
Everything about Friday was disastrous. Lawwell couldn’t keep a lid on his anger for two hours, he couldn’t turn the other cheek.
Despite taking more salary and bonus out of Celtic than anyone else in the last 137 years the current Chairman couldn’t see through two uncomfortable hours over 365 days.
There was an uncomfortably high level of security imposed to gain entry to the AGM. Different to previous years.
The moment the AGM got a straight Red. #CelticAGM pic.twitter.com/8Ei4nzbfbn
— Glasgow Dave (@glasgowdave571) November 21, 2025
COWARDLY
While Gerry McCulloch read out the house rules, such as no mobile phones, the top table tried to sneak into their seats.
Instantly the board, Martin O’Neill and Elina Sadiku were on the back foot.
Lawwell snarled at the shareholders. The Kerrydale Suite was the last place that he wanted to be on a November Friday morning.
When Jeanette Findlay made a reasonable point of order Lawwell switched off the microphone.
A 10 minute adjournment? Not a chance. Make it 30 chopped off the Q and A session. Less time for Michael Nicholson to embarrass himself.
Flustered Lawwell returned. Some hecklers opted out of watching the self congratulatory video presentation, firmly focussed on last season.
When the hecklers returned Lawwell was muttering away, he didn’t like the look of this.
DADDY’S BHOY
And then the Celtic Chairman performed his greatest own goal. He allowed Ross Desmond to read out a statement from his Dad, the non Executive Director that had been too busy to attend an AGM in more than a decade.
The Chairman ought to have had a very good idea of the content of that speech.
However having agreed to every request from Dermot over the last 20 years Lawwell knows how to survive at Celtic.
If he had refused Ross time to read out the speech his time as Chairman may have been quickly curtailed.
Lawwell allowed Ross to speak. He knew what the reaction would be.
After a mix of laughs (at the European claims) and booing Dermot’s boy turned to the Falkirk incident. An assault according to Celtic.
GET OUT OF HERE, NICHOLSON SPARED
Lawwell had his exit strategy prepared. Before 11.30am he closed the AGM.
And then for the fall out. Confirmation that the Celtic board was dysfunctional. They couldn’t host an AGM.
The once proud, front foot aggressive chairman was a shadow of his former self.
No Rory Bremner gags, no digs about penalty stats from Ibrox. Ho ho ho, how they all laughed. Big Peter, a right good Celtic man.
An angry old man. Long, long past his usefulness, now a liability. All in technicolour.
THE COSTLY AFTERMATH
As the Adidas bean counters check the low sales coming in from Celtic they’ll know the root of the problem. Other sponsors will be questioning why they are associating with Celtic.
As competent managers steer clear of working alongside Lawwell and Desmond the strain increases on Martin O’Neill. London is calling.
Since the AGM Celtic have been back on the statements.
Friday was Lawwell’s statement. There is no way back for this Celtic regime.
Rumours of changes, the Chairman retiring, some non-executives stepping down were simply deflection tactics.
The CEO that was in place in July 2012 isn’t giving up any ground, he has so much too protect.
Celtic can now prepare themselves for the coldest winter of discontent. Unlike season 20/21 those pesky customers have access to the stadium. Friday’s heckling wasn’t the end, it has barely started.
Good article, as good as I’ve read about the meeting, think you summarised it perfectly.
At one point before he closed the meeting he actually turned to his left and said “will we, will we”. I presume it was close the meeting he was talking about and was clearly heard in the overspill room. He also said something about it being a different crowd. The board showed themselves up no end, they have to go before the scare every football person from joining us.
After the weekend for both sides to calm down,
there is absolutely no reason why the AGM cannot be re-scheduled in the short-term?
The Board can be specific about not shouting etc. and BOTH sides could probably
complete the AGM in a civilised manner ?
But, in the continuing silence from Celtic Park,
it looks like the Board just doesn’t want an AGM
– and mibbees that also indicates that they didn’t really want the AGM on Friday at all?
A board which can’t buy players, can’t maintain / develop the stadium,
and now it can’t even run an AGM?
Not a good look for either Lawwell or for our c.£1M CEO !
The writing was on the wall!
This is what happens when you put an accountant who knows nothing about football in charge of a football club. Not once, but twice!
Sacked twice from the one organisation. Surely worth a badge, that one!
And his son got the Bum’s Rush as well!
Celtic should perhaps seek advice as regards to their Recruitment Strategy!?
Football Clubs are not toys for rich men, no matter what they may think!
For liewell to sit there like a jumped up headmaster and shout at grown men and share holders to BEHAVE,that is despicable,this board is rotten to the core,the 2 Irish parasites da and son , liewell,nicholson,the whole lot need to go or Celtic will never recover,we could easily lose the league this season and that would be the start of another downfall,this board is just so arrogant and entitled it’s unbelievable.
We can only hope the Celtic Fans Collective have the balls and the brains we desperately need here to clear that scum on the board out of CP forever. Every last one of them, we don’t need any of them. Whilst Celtic FC is a major club, a huge club known and supported globally, it’s only a small company to run and we couldn’t do any worse no matter who came in to run things. Oh for Dom McKay to come back in the CEO role and the rest of the places filled with proper Celtic supporters, proper Tims.
Come on the Celtic Fans Collective, state your/our case clearly and loudly and lead us to a successful rebellion against ‘money men’ running and robbing from our cherished club.
Hail! Hail! The Glasgow Celtic FC, Not Another Penny for the board.
Plenty pressure on Mr Desmond now after what happened at Sevco today for sure…
But we all know he’ll never act !