The fallout from Celtic’s abandoned AGM shows no sign of easing, with the Celtic Fans Collective issuing a fierce public response to Ross Desmond’s statement delivered on behalf of his father.
The group, which has become an influential voice across the support in recent months, shared a video of the moment the statement was read out, a moment that triggered loud boos inside the hall and contributed to the meeting’s collapse. Their post on X captured the anger many supporters felt as the board appeared increasingly disconnected from those in attendance.
The AGM descended into chaos within minutes, with supporters attempting to challenge the board over governance, recruitment, and communication before proceedings were brought to a premature end. Ross Desmond’s comments, defending both his father and the board’s record while criticising those who oppose their direction, appeared to ignite the room further. As sections of the floor reacted furiously, the meeting was adjourned for the second and final time, leaving shareholders without the opportunity to ask questions or hold the hierarchy to account.
In the hours that followed, the Celtic Fans Collective published footage of the crucial exchange alongside a scathing statement of their own. The group, formed earlier this year to push for greater accountability and modernisation at the club, made clear their belief that the moment summed up the crisis facing Celtic’s leadership. Their message quickly spread across social media, resonating with supporters who had watched the AGM unravel both in person and online.
Yet again, the Celtic Board gives a principal shareholder free rein, this time using his son as cover, to unleash another disgraceful attack on Celtic fans. If the footage didn’t exist, you’d struggle to believe it happened. His behaviour is spiralling, and it shows. pic.twitter.com/AS55auN1h9
— Celtic Fans Collective (@CFC_Collective) November 21, 2025
Their post underlines the rift that now exists between large sections of the support and the board. With protests, walkouts and open frustration defining the AGM, the Celtic Fans Collective’s response adds further pressure on the club to address not just the managerial vacancy, but the deeper issues supporters feel are being ignored. The video they shared has already become symbolic of a governance structure that many believe is no longer fit for purpose.
The Collective’s choice of language reflects the seriousness with which they view the situation. By highlighting the board’s decision to allow Ross Desmond to deliver the statement uncontested, the group raised concerns about accountability within the club’s hierarchy. For them, the incident was not an isolated misstep but part of a pattern in which supporters feel dismissed and criticised rather than listened to. Their frustration echoes loudly across a fanbase that expected transparency at the AGM and instead witnessed a meeting cut short before meaningful discussion could begin.
The reaction also illustrates the scale of anger surrounding the communication between the board and supporters. Desmond’s comments, delivered during a highly charged moment, were seen by many as inflammatory and ill-judged. The Celtic Fans Collective’s response makes it clear they believe the club’s leadership has become increasingly detached from the people who fill the stadium, fund its operations and define its identity. Their stance adds weight to the wider demand for structural change at Celtic.
As the club attempts to move forward after the AGM, the challenge facing the board is obvious. Rebuilding trust will require more than prepared statements or controlled messaging. Supporters want engagement, clarity and respect, all of which were in short supply during Thursday’s meeting. The Celtic Fans Collective’s intervention shows that supporters are no longer willing to simply accept decisions handed down from above without scrutiny.
The club now enters a critical period, with the imminent appointment of a new manager offering a chance to reset the football side of operations. Yet the issues highlighted by the Collective extend far beyond the dugout. Restoring unity across the club will depend on whether the board is prepared to confront the concerns raised and change its approach. For now, the message from supporters is clear: they expect better, and they are no longer prepared to stay silent.
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5 responses
I don’t think the comments were ill-judged. I think they were judged to perfection for the reaction the Board wanted.
I firmly believe they wanted the AGM cancelled. Only someone unhinged, after the goings on of last two months, would come out with a statement like that and not expect the reaction it got.
I personally, have only attended one AGM and it has all the honesty of Prime Ministers Question Time where Lawwell avoided or dismissed questions while making his customary joke about the club across the city.
It is still unfortunate that it descended into that because even getting these people to address the support is as rare as unicorn poo.
I agree. That Desmond statement was deliberately written to cause an eruption of fan emotion and bring the AGM to an early close. It was staged by Desmond and the Board for the purpose of avoiding accountability and it worked. These people shouldn’t be in charge of a stall at the Barras let alone a massive football club. They are arrogant, smug and dismissive to hide their incompetence and self-serving.
The comments were actually pretty accurate if the jokers sitting in the shareholders sections had shut up long enough to hear them!
But they don’t! Do they?
This is the problem! We have far too many uneducated, indisciplined people who simply don’t want to hear what the facts are!
Maybe the time has come to lock them out. Unfortunately the good real fans would suffer because of the idiots.
Joe
Along with John McVeigh on here, you are the best parody contributor online.
Superb stuff.
Joe the nodding dog