Celtic have confirmed a significant boardroom change with Tom Allison retiring after nearly 25 years at the club.
The club announced the long-serving director has stepped down from the Board of Celtic plc, bringing an end to a tenure that stretched back to 2001.
Allison joined as a non-executive director under then-chairman Brian Quinn and went on to become the club’s senior independent director in 2005.
In a statement, the club said he had made an “outstanding contribution” to Celtic’s development and success, thanking him for his service and wishing him well in retirement.
The full statement read:
Celtic Football Club today announced that Tom Allison has retired from the Board of Celtic plc.
Tom, a leading Scottish businessman, has been a lifelong Celtic supporter and gave nearly twenty-five years of service to Celtic.
Since joining the Board, Tom has made an outstanding contribution to the development and success of our Club.
Tom joined the board of Celtic as a non-executive director in September 2001, under the Chairmanship of Brian Quinn. At that time, he was chief executive of Clydeport and later oversaw its integration with Peel Holdings, of which he became chairman. He has been widely recognised for his contribution to business and charity over many years.
Tom brought all his expertise and experience to bear on his role at Celtic and has been its senior independent director since 2005. The Board of Celtic thanks Tom for his contribution and we wish him well in his retirement.
But his departure comes against a backdrop of growing scrutiny around the club’s leadership.
Last November, the Celtic Fans Collective publicly called for change at board level, arguing that Allison’s long tenure exceeded recommended governance standards for non-executive directors.
They said his time at the club had “expired” and called for fresh ideas and leadership better aligned with the demands of the modern game.
Allison’s exit may now be seen as part of a wider shift.
With pressure mounting on the hierarchy and major decisions looming, including the appointment of a new manager and a squad rebuild, Celtic’s boardroom is entering a new phase.
And for many supporters, they hope that this could be just the beginning.
