Celtic’s Fan Engagement box-ticking exercise to Cork has spectacularly backfired on Michael Nicholson.
The gormless CEO was allowed out of his office, took off his club tie and slipped into non-Adidas casual-wear to meet the peasants that fund his £17,000 a week lifestyle.
All that Nicholson was required to do was deliver some bland, dismissive answers given to Celtic fans alongside Brian Wilson and Martin O’Neill.
What could possibly go wrong?
Well just about everything.
Sky Sports and BBC Scotland have picked up on the fact that the Celtic CEO can’t cope with football agents! Kind of essential in his well paid job.
A google search will make for uncomfortable viewing for the man regularly described as ‘a leading sports lawyer’.
Does anyone know of any Scottish based sports lawyers?
Not a good look for the CEO of almost all companies.
But somewhere in a distant club house over his morning croissant Celtic’s largest shareholder will probably be having a laugh before heading off to the first tee.
It isn’t quite a Gerard Rattners moment but it is one step short.
NIGHTMARE FOR NICHOLSON
On Wednesday night a copy of the Minutes from six questions asked by Irish CSC’s appeared on Facebook.
They were on Video Celts at 7am on Thursday morning, other fan media outlets picked up on it before it went mainstream
BBC Scotland led with:
Celtic’s lack of summer transfer activity is because they are struggling to compete with English Championship clubs and deal with agents, according to the club’s chief executive Michael Nicholson.
Sky Sports reported:
Celtic are struggling to compete with English Championship clubs in the transfer market and deal with agents, according to minutes of a meeting between board members and supporters.
Celtic’s media partners at the Daily Record couldn’t afford to miss out
Irish Hoops fans quizzed Nicholson on a number of issues, with transfers understandably high on the agenda.
So far, the Premiership champions have only added one new face in the shape of Colombian striker Camilo Duran, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is back from last season on a one-year deal.
The Brian Horgan CSC asked why the club seemed so slow to on the transfer front while staying silent, with the answer referred to in the minutes as: ” Michael Nicholson took the question and advised of the difficulty in dealing with agents, competing with the Premier League and even the Championship.
Nicholson’s problems with every aspect of being CEO have been obvious since he took up the job in September 2001.
Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers covered up for the inadequacies of the wet-wipe picking up £17,000 a week.
CELTIC IMPLODES IN THE WINTER OF 2025
When Nicholson’s managed decline got out of control last season Brendan Rodgers resigned and the wheels came off. Spectacularly.
Chairman Peter Lawwell crashed the 2025 AGM in November in order to spare Nicholson from questions from shareholders.
Soon afterwards Wilfried Nancy was appointed, Lawwell resigned then Nancy and Paul Tisdale were sacked.
All within 10 weeks of Dermot Desmond slaughtering Rodgers on the Celtic website.
Now with six weeks left in the transfer window the whole world of football knows that the Celtic CEO can’t handle agents. Something that he has admitted to it public.
That is more damaging to Celtic than it is for Nicholson. Clearly he has no self respect, as long as the money rolls in every month he will continue to hide in the shadows.
Martin O’Neill is expected to host a media conference today. Recently he has taken to praising Nicholson for working day and night on transfers.
Celtic fans have heard that line before. Rodgers used it to shield the Celtic CEO a year ago.
O’Neill sat beside Nicholson when he stood up in front of the Irish Supporters Clubs.
He shared a car back to Dublin as they made a sharp exit from Dublin.
If O’Neill attempts to protect his CEO with a defence or some throw away gags it might wash with a few of the giggling reporters present.
Celtic fans will view it very differently.
An apparent shrewd operator like O’Neill really needs to ditch his love in with ‘hard working Michael’.
Not just for his own sake but for Celtic as well.
Nicholson discussed on last night’s Bhoycie Bus
Celtics only problem with signing players is Michael Nicholson, he’s can’t do it, he’s not a negotiator, he knows nothing about football, he’s so clearly out his depth. HE IS THE PROBLEM.
— Mickey Sullivan (@MickeyM51050192) July 16, 2026
That’s a World Class CEO for you 😉
Stop giving this shower of gaslighting incompetents your money. Unfortunately,it’s the only way effective change will happen.
Gtf Nicholson
Michael Nicholson has admitted, on record, that he is incapable of doing his job. In any other business he would be removed from his post, his catalogue of failures gets thicker by the day, yet he still remains.
Nicholson and the Celtic Board deserve all the grief the get. Yesterday afternoon on Sky News their political correspondent Jon Criag stated that “two Glasgow Celtic players are in the Argentinian squad.” Like fuck there is. They would have ‘For Sale’ signs hanging around their necks for the past month if that was true!!! Will guff like this encourage Middlesbrough supporters to cause trouble in Glasgow and Celtic FC get more bad publicity? Over to you Silent Mike.
It’s becoming more and more apparent that, no matter your opinion of Brendan Rodgers good bad or indifferent, the facts are he was dealing with a completely inept unprofessional organisation, run by an absentee Despot Dictator/ “Owner” and the day to day management of that organisation being a completely incompetent Management Board led by a imbecilic CEO.
( gives more weight to Peter Lawwell’s exasperated admission to Shaun Maloney in the midst of Maloneys stand off with Desmond along the lines of “Now do you get an idea of what had to deal with” – Doesn’t excuse him or his appointment of the cardboard cut out Mute Mike though!)
And the recent leak of situation with Scaracchi is both shocking and depressing as to the level of incompetence so evident at Celtic
Celtic is Grace Brothers……..
Wilson, Nicholson, McKay and Hargreaves OUT now !!!!
And take your hangers on Tony Hamilton, Boyd and Aitken with them. PARASITES.
Nicholson – the original timorous wee beastie.
You can only shake your head in disbelief at what’s going on at that club.
Gearing up for “a season like no other”.
God help us.
Last year it was Belgian and German tax laws to blame. I can see that dick Nicholson blaming Spanish wild fires next. O’Neill can do one too as je is now a board apologist and favourite granpa.
In every picture he looks like a total dweeb and now he speaks just to confirm that he is. Not even a paper tiger just a pile of wet cardboard.
Simple question? Who is going to get rid of them ? Answer no one and that is fact .
Unfortunately you are 100% correct Frankie.
For a “leading sports lawyer”, CEO Nicholson doesn’t come across as the brightest…?
But, the luckiest?
Definitely!
If O’Neil doesn’t walk he deserves the flak he’s about to get….ffs walk and keep your good name if not join the rest of the parasite list
Please resign Martin…
For your dignity and equally as important – Ours !
O’Neil’s loyalty lies with dd not Celtic.