It is not something that Celtic are comfortable with but suddenly their sleepy Head of Football Operations, Paul Tisdale is in the spotlight.
The job of Head of Football Operations was created in October 2024 with the decision maker at Celtic impressed by Tisdale’s work as a consultant.
In the space of 15 months Tisdale has gone from a vague consultancy role at Celtic to choosing the next management team!
STAR SPOTTER TISDALE
Worryingly he will be in charge of January transfer activity. While Michael Nicholson concentrates on selling off first team starters Tisdale will be identifying project signings to take their place.
Arrivals like Shin Yamada, Hayato Inamura, Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
They might score highly on Tisdale’s bespoke analytics but all four are wholly unsuited to play for Celtic. Live viewing of them at their previous clubs would have confirmed that.
But it seems that Tisdale is so far ahead of the curve that he can bypass that time consuming stage.
— AG??????? (@_AG1888) December 7, 2025
There are two theories going around over how Tisdale washed up at Celtic, curried favour and installed his own empire.
After 12 years managing Exeter City Tisdale tried his luck at MK Dons, Bristol Rovers and Stevenage. His record got progressively worse at each club.
Following that the doors closed, old contacts weren’t getting in touch. He turned to You Tube, styled himself as the Football Doctor and waited for a taker.
Bournemouth and Brighton are the closest EPL clubs to Exeter. Both are progressive, neither could find a role for Tisdale.
ELITE RECRUITMENT
Theory 1 is from the lower reaches of English football. Tisdale was known to Gavin and Craig Strachan who put his name forward inside Celtic. The same sort of process that put Mark Lawwell on the pay roll.
Theory 2 is from the golf course. A mutual friend introduced the brilliance of Tisdale to Dermot Desmond. Introducing a ‘football person’ to the Celtic boardroom was a novel idea, someone to bridge the chasm to Brendan Rodgers.
And now, in just over three weeks time the January transfer window beckons, a chance to salvage something from the season.
That hope is in the hands of a former Exeter City manager. Someone that turned to a former assistant to bring Wilfried Nancy to Celtic. The Head of Football Operations that couldn’t stay awake during a top of the table clash with Hearts.
This is your 3rd article on Paul Tisdale in 24 hours. Continued unbalanced personal attacks are unhelpful and cause further divide. Tisdale was appointed Head of Football Operations in October 2024. His remit was clearly described on the Celtic website which you can find with a simple search of his name. Brendan Rodgers was very supportive of Tisdale’s appointment (also quoted on the Celtic website). I believe the majority of Celtic fans welcome the appointment of Nancy, feel it’s an exciting appointment that carries risk (like all appointments). Constant negativity is not helping Celtic
Editor: And yet another newcomer, another guest from Celtic Thick News. Tisdale is a no-mark, no ability or talent but he can talk like Micky Beale and shows a mean PowerPoint. There will be plenty more on Tisdale until he does a Mark Lawwell, mate.
Your constant positivity over all things Lawwell and Desmond has Celtic as 57th in UEFA and watching Brugge, Copenhagen, Qarabag and Pafos tonight and tomorrow. Five consecutive failures to qualify for UCL, seven failings out of nine. World class in SFA.
You can have a 24 hour pass to allow others to react to your happy clapping, after that back to hero worshiping Saint Pedro and his messenger P67 over at Thick News.
Joe
Fuckwits like Ronan are a cancer in the way of seeing the club progress.
He is a genuine green hun.
A modern day Gerry McSherry.
Editor: We need to be aware of cretins like Ronan and his Thick News pals.
He has 24 hours on here to remind us that it is more than Lawwell and Nicholson that are the enemy within.
Well said Chris that guy Ronan is a board loving moron ,this board have made a mockery of Celtic in Europe,and I still think Nancy was a cheap option handed to desmond by TITSdale on the golf course, there’s no way this board considered paying good money for a proven manager.
Big Wilf’s first team selection was merde. Was is board-influenced? Did he just choose to ignore the MO’N masterclass in which it was CLEARLY highlighted which players can not be given positions of responsibility?
Ronan! No previous manager of Exeter and the rest of the shite clubs should have anything to do with Celtic. This shows that you RONAN know fuck all about football. As Joe said, take your board arse licking self back to CQN. Come back on to say sorry when we will tell you we told you so. Nicholson, Lawell and Desmond have no clue about football. Remind me who they managed and what position they played????????
Joe, your response further demonstrates my point that you are divisive. I don’t post on CQN and find most of Paul’s articles to be out of touch and blindly supportive of the board, who I also don’t support. To be honest I rarely post anywhere but I’m finding your articles and responses to other supporters to be constant personal attacks which is divisive and unconstructive. You are simply making things up about me based on my comments above and dog whistling for others to join in. There are many Celtic fans like me who want change but don’t think constant personal and aggressive attacks will bring about the change we need
Editor: Enjoy what is left of your 24 hours on here. Your comments above don’t cover your tracks, the same as the others making their first comment.
You won’t use this site to demonise supporters while cheering your boardroom heroes.
Go set up your own website for your nice, mellow, balanced, reasoned chums and see how many other happy clappers share your views. Mellowbhoys4peaceandunity.com
23 hours left, tick tock.
Very very poor editor. Opinions are to be respected.
Editor: Happy Clappers and visitors from Thick News will never be respected. 24 hour passes only. Tick tock, report back to P67 at base.
Joe you are following a playbook of lying, demonising and personal attacks. You got the responses you wanted from other posters. More aggression and hatred towards Celtic supporters.
Editor: On my site I will dictate policy and comments. My site, my rules.
You can phukc off back to Thick News or set up http://www.mellowbhoys4peaceandunity.com
Either option suits me.
Ok Donald. Take care
Editor: Tut tut, name calling.
So beneath you, I’m not so sure you are the man to restore world peace after all. Hopefully P67 has a succulent lunchtime treat over the brilliance of Tisdale.
Tisdale’s record post Exeter should have meant he was nowhere near Celtic. I’ve watched one of his YouTube interviews. The guy doing the interviewing couldnt get a word in edgeways. This guy is full of his own shit.
Mind you he was good enough to convince a certain moustache twirling nincompoop. Lawwell must be hating it, he thought he was the football doctor. The rest of the charlatans keep their mouths shut for fear of losing their first class ticket on the gravy train.
SACK THE LOT OF THEM!!!
Ronan if you do not support the board please enlighten me how we bring change or get rid of the not for for purpose board members ?
People like yourself can say what a great job they are doing ‘re finance,even that leaves a lot to be desired, in certain areas,but in the pitch or pitches it is a different story
Celtic Thick News? Full of Stickies, thickies, passkeepers Pharisees and old guys terrified of change, harking back to the good old days, while the club loses its soul in the hands of charlatans who would give Michelle Mone a run for her money (someone elses).
The site lost credibility many years ago, as witness the decline in participation of intelligent posters.
Ironically, it now appears to mirror a similar decline in Celtic.
I’ve seen articles on some blogs that Celtic are interested in signing Michael Noonan, a 16-year-old kid playing for Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland. Arsenal have a deal in place to sign him for £2 million when he turns 18 y.o. as per irish law. Can you imagine Tisdale asking Dermot Desmond to better that deal and then play the lad in the Lowland League. A phone call like that would be guaranteed to give DD a ‘shit hemorrhage’.
The best of luck to the Bhoys and the new management team this week especially on Sunday.
I had heard that Tisdale is a pal of The Strachans who, with the exception of Mrs Strachan are all on the DD Gravy Train, was introduced to DD at a Strachan family wedding and was offered a job shortly afterwards.
People need to realise DD has a limited network and its jobs for the bhoys. Mates, relatives, mates of mates. ( Even before DD bought in Peter Lawwell was anointed without any recruitment process. He was on a shortlist of one, he turned up, they met him. They offered him the job!
It’s a closed shop. It’s Grace Brothers! ( for those of you old enough to remember!)
We are all allowed a point of view, even if it differs from the majority. All this, I heard this and told that are just rumours and mostly nonesense. Let’s see how Tisdale does in January, no more blockages in the form of BR, time to shine for Tisdale and the hire Archie
Editor: Like Lawwell Mini, Tisdale shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near Celtic recruitment.
Allowed a point of view? Clearly you missed the AGM stage managed by Chairman Pete.
Whos archie? And why are we hiring him ?
Stevenage Borough, MK Dons, Bristol Rovers And Exeter City…
With the greatest of respect to them all…
Just how far have we fallen in the Football World !
WELL IN JOE!!!!!!!!!! Ronan and Ant, you both have been shot down for a reason. Don’t let the door hurt you on the way out. Away and cry to your board pals and rep to protect those hands so you can keep happy clapping.