Celtic legend Paul McStay has revealed details of conversations he held with chief executive Michael Nicholson regarding the Season Ticket Alliance movement.
The supporter-led proposal emerged earlier this year amid growing unrest surrounding Celtic’s hierarchy during one of the most turbulent seasons in recent memory.
Businessman and Celtic supporter Willie Haughey pledged to personally invest £2million for every 10,000 season ticket holders who joined the Alliance, with hopes of eventually building a £10million supporter-backed structure capable of giving fans greater influence at boardroom level.
Haughey later announced McStay would help front the initiative.
The movement gathered momentum during a season dominated by protests against the board, including the Green Brigade’s lengthy ban, the Celtic Fans Collective’s “Not Another Penny” campaign and calls for supporters to delay season ticket renewals until the final possible date.
Now McStay has opened up on how Celtic’s hierarchy reacted after he formally backed the Alliance.
Speaking on Let Me Be Frank with Frank McAvennie, McStay confirmed he recently held discussions with Nicholson after previously becoming an ambassador for the club and the Celtic Foundation.
He said:
“I met some of the directors at the game on Saturday [Scottish Cup win vs Dunfermline], and also before I came over from Sydney I had a call with Michael Nicholson.
“Last year the club asked me to be an ambassador for the Foundation and the club in general, anything I can do for the club I will be there, and I relayed that, especially the foundation — so that has not changed.
“I relayed that to Michael and I said ‘I am going to be an ambassador for the Alliance, because I feel passionately about it, I think it’s something that should maybe have happened before, and especially with what has happened last year the supporter’s voices have to be heard’.”
According to McStay, Nicholson respected the decision despite ongoing tensions between sections of the support and the hierarchy.
“I explained to him that, and he said ‘that is fair enough, it’s your decision’.
“He just said he wanted ‘unity’ as well.
“I think when we are unified we are a formidable force and that is when success happens.”
The comments are another reminder that despite Celtic ending the season with a domestic double under Martin O’Neill, tensions surrounding supporter relations and the board have not fully disappeared heading into another huge summer for the club.
Celtic have a massive summer ahead of them, and the Not Another Penny campaign is yet to be lifted.
if Nicholson wants unity then he should pack his things and go.