Celtic Shareholders Stage Mass AGM Walkout

The AGM resumed following the earlier disruption, with the Celtic board returning to the stage for a renewed attempt to carry on proceedings.

After the abrupt adjournment that halted the session within minutes of its start, all eyes were on the top table as Peter Lawwell and the directors re-entered the hall to a mixture of tension, expectation and subdued disapproval.

The room greeted their return with muted boos, far softer than the earlier uproar but unmistakable in tone. Shareholders settled back into their seats as the board took their positions once more, though the atmosphere remained fragile. Lawwell, clearly aware of how precarious the situation had become, addressed the floor with a firm warning: any repeat of the behaviour that forced the initial pause would result in the AGM being closed altogether. His message made plain that there was little tolerance left for further interruptions.

The hall quietened enough for the board to resume the agenda, but the unease was obvious. Conversations flickered around the room as shareholders attempted to gauge whether the meeting would hold together or descend again. The directors, composed but alert, pressed on with their prepared business while acknowledging that the room had not fully settled.

Moments later, the tension took a different turn. A sizeable group of shareholders stood up collectively and made their way toward the exits in a coordinated walkout. Around 100 individuals left the hall, moving in a line up the aisles while others looked on. The walkout did not carry the noise of the earlier chants, but its visual impact was stark — a deliberate and quiet act of dissent rather than a disruptive one.

The departure of such a large group left empty rows scattered throughout the auditorium, a physical reminder of the fractured mood surrounding this year’s AGM. Those who remained took in the scene with a mix of resignation and frustration. Some watched the walkout in silence, while others exchanged glances that suggested little surprise given the lead-up to the meeting.

Inside the hall, the board continued with the session, though the dynamic had clearly shifted. The reduced audience still held plenty of shareholders eager to press their questions and concerns once the formal business allowed it. Yet the sense lingered that the morning had already shaped the wider perception of the AGM before any resolutions or statements could be properly addressed.

With the meeting now back underway, the board faces the challenge of steering through an agenda weighed down by months of unrest, communication breakdowns and tension between leadership and the wider support. The walkout serves as another marker in a period defined by protest and dissatisfaction.

Whether the remaining proceedings run smoothly will depend on both sides maintaining restraint. But the early chaos, the stern warnings and the walkout have already ensured that this AGM will be remembered less for its formal outcomes and more for the raw atmosphere that has surrounded it from the moment it began.