GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park, on September 01, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Michael Nicholson’s AGM interview hasn’t gone down well with Celtic supporters.
On Friday Peter Lawwell spared his colleague from a Q & A, the annual event where shareholders get to see their underwhelming CEO in action.
For 364 days a year Nicholson lurks in the shadows, keeping as low a profile as possible as he ducks out of the issues a competent CEO would tackle.
SILENCE ISN’T GOLDEN
At the October 6 meeting with the Celtic Collective fans were shocked at the contribution of the silent CEO.
Three weeks on from the League Cup semi-final at Hampden nothing has been heard from Celtic.
No comment has been made on the dubious VAR lines created by Andrew Dallas and Steven McLean.
Willie Collum hasn’t been asked to explain why penalties weren’t awarded for incidents involving Reo Hatate and Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
Nicholson knows his limits. He knows better than to upset the SFA, the paperwork and fingerprints from July 2012 could unfortunately find their way into public view.
IN-HOUSE
While avoiding a Q and A grilling at the AGM, Nicholson did go through the softest of in-house interviews with Gerry McCulloch. Paxman he isn’t.
Even in that setting the ‘leading sports lawyer’ looked awkward and uncomfortable.
He has the charisma of Steven Thompson on a bad day. When Nicholson walks into a room the temperature drops dramatically.
A marked change in tone and some admissions of failure from the Celtic TV interviews.
Very strange approach. pic.twitter.com/KoYpQOowDq
— 20 Minute Tims (@20MinuteTims) November 23, 2025
With his tie off and an open neck shirt Nicholson looked more uncomfortable than usual.
Cosied up with McCulloch on a sofa his answers sounded as if they had been rehearsed. Maybe Celtic TV can put together a video of the out-takes as Nicholson fluffs his lines.
Some fans felt that their CEO was reading from autocue. Others suggested that it was an AI interview, surely no-one could be that wooden?
Sadly the truth is that video was real, genuine Michael Nicholson. He said absolutely nothing of note. No targets, no time-lines.
Some think that he confessed to getting things wrong. In Nicholson’s mind that will be his failure to complete the sales of Daizen Maeda and Yang Hyun-jun. You can never make too much profit out of a transfer window.
He speaks those rehearsed words with zero emotions, it actually plays like an AI video, I seriously can’t understand how this guy has a £800,000 a year job, this is why the world is fkd
— JungleJim1980 (@Maeda38CFC) November 23, 2025
Rehearsed North Korea state TV style interview, however they are clearly on the backfoot and the pressure is building, hopefully the start of a shift of attitude within the club, I won’t hold my breath.
— el tim (@v8xvxhp9km) November 23, 2025
Hahaha…how many fans believe ‘A new App’ will solve any problems whatsoever?
— E-Tims (@ETimsNet) November 23, 2025

Scripted answers for scripted questions.
All we had to do was buy a quality striker & 2 wingers heading into the CL Playoff &
We wouldn’t have dropped into the Europa League.Even after that we still didn’t want to spend on a striker & we were handed an unfit free transfer??????
— TheHoops?????????? (@67_Celtic_1888) November 24, 2025
Robotic!
— Phil McMahon (@philmac48) November 23, 2025
The least surprising news of the year is that Michael Nicholson speaks like he’s reading off a bit of paper.
— Sean McGinlay (@seanmcsport) November 23, 2025
Nicholson voice sounds like it’s been doctored by AI ?
— The Retro Celtic? (@RetroCeltic) November 23, 2025
No wonder Nicholson doesn’t speak. He either rehearsed a script to death or had someone in his ear feeding him lines.
— Fudgie (@Devilinthehole) November 23, 2025
There’s a lot of waffle and nothing of real substance in the VT. Not a single measurable target mentioned when asked where the club is going.
— Aussiebhoy ?????? (@andy_brown05) November 23, 2025
They make the same mistakes year after year ,we are European whipping boys,,why can’t they just admit it , spend the minimum on transfers, hope to get in Champions league for a bit , maybe a run in Europa League, absolute zero ambition
— Blair Aquinas (@BillingsgateBob) November 23, 2025
Repeating the same clap trap about making mistakes, and being fans as well, thinking it makes us go, uch well
Difference is the fans put their money in to get wasted or given out in dividends
Same mistakes over and over each year, same dragging our feet, poor scouting etc
— the bullet train (@Maedasteel) November 23, 2025

“For Your Penance Say Three Hail Mary’s. Now Make A Good act Of Contrition.”
Where does this end.
If merchandising is down as much as I think and the revenue from Europa League is three hundred thousand in ticket sales a match, then the £40M surplus is probably going to be down to £34M.
These issues aren’t going away and the surplus will continue to evaporate.
Every aspect of this shambles has been self inflicted and in reality it isn’t rocket science: don’t sell players until you have already brought in a replacement., upscale slightly on the players you buy using the profit from the players you are about to sell.
I’m still at a loss as to how you can start a financial year with £77M in the bank, make a £37M profit, and yet end with less than £77M in the bank. In my mind it doesnmatter if you right down the value of players or the value of the property we own, the fact is they announced a £37M profit on a starting profit of £77M.
How can that be?
The Cash Paradox: https://www.andymuirhead.com/p/the-celtic-reckoning-how-financial
The guy is a clown which is being disrespectful to them, apologies. Are the Celtic web blogs going to be run like the club? I tried your pal James’s blog but you can’t get near it for adverts or pay money. Shameful soon we’ll hear nothing but soundbiites from blue peter
Tumbleweed moment.
We will do, we aim to, we will look at… How long has he been in post? He should be pointing to his successes at this point not promising ‘hard work’ in the future
The whole show is a total disaster. Clowns taking plenty out of the club for years and now it’s hit the buffers.
They all need binned, and a new chapter in Celtic’s history needs to be written.
Just like the Kelly’s and the Whytes had their time, the Desmond/Lawwell era is now over.
We desperately need new blood in the boardroom to show some vision for the future. We’ll never see it under these blood sucking parasites.
We have a better chance of seeing The Epstein Files in full unredacted than ever seeing that 5 Way Agreement seeing the light of day.
Have you never heard of Google oh ye of many names?
I checked it recently on behalf of people like yourself and within a few minutes I had the 5-Way, AND the very important email it was attached to. I didn’t need to do that as I’ve had copies of both for years but I wanted to know if it was still available, AND IT IS!
BITE.
The drop in income and the fact they maybe het for putting their hand in their own pocket is not a good sign for them.
The money drying up that was previously coming into the club through the fans will hurt them more than the fans or anyone else.
These sheisters on the board thought they would be on the gravy train for life but now reality is hitting home,no more freebies no more jollies at the expense of the fans.
Before you know it the club will be up for sale,the board had been daft enough to try everything on the cheap but it’s BACKFIRED big time,now that the tab needs to be picked up by them they ain’t going to be het for that,so they will jump eventually,they can’t sustain the money being drained from the bank the way it is.
Oh, BTW, did anyone else see, on the McCulloch/Nicholson vid, there was a very fleeting glimpse of MN’s puppet-master, the snake himself. He’s a control freak as well as just a freak and it’s high time he was chased out of CP. He’d no doubt schooled the empty jersey Nicholson before the clown McCulloch pretended to be a talk-show host.
Embarrassing garbage, and they just keep digging.
You’re taking that to far,sober up.
Hurry up and renew your season book and let the board run all the way to the bank with your cash.
There’s a CEO who actually DOES speak out about referees available today Dermot !
The abandoned AGM just seems to have hardened positions: announcing a new manager doesn’t change anything?
The Board includes the highly remunerated professionals whose duty it is to find resolution.
If they continue to fail in this regard,
then it’s either the Board goes… or the supporters go? 🙂
You’d think PL and MN would be painfully aware – or has hubris got them by the short & curlies? 🙁
BITE.