The “Interesting” Reaction to Come From Willie Haughey’s Announcement

Chris Sutton admits the real intrigue following Willie Haughey’s proposed fan-share initiative will be how Dermot Desmond responds behind the scenes.

Haughey’s plan to invest up to £10 million in Celtic shares via a season ticket holders’ alliance has been widely discussed as a potential first step towards giving supporters a stronger voice in how the club is run.

While Desmond does not technically hold a majority shareholding, Sutton believes the balance of power at Celtic has felt heavily concentrated for some time.

Speaking about the situation, Chris Sutton suggested it will be fascinating to see how Desmond, and his son Ross Desmond, react if a new block of fan-aligned shareholders begins to exert influence.

Ross Desmond has long represented his father at Celtic, attending AGM year after year.

And writing in the Daily Record, Chris Sutton said:

“But it will be interesting to see how Dermot Desmond and his son Ross react, and how they would feel if they felt their power was being diluted.

“Don’t forget, back in the day Fergus McCann said he didn’t want Celtic being owned by one man or one family. That might not technically be the case, but it does seem that way right now.”

Haughey’s proposal is not just about money or shares, but about challenging the current power dynamic at the club. Whether it leads to meaningful change may ultimately depend on how those at the very top choose to respond.

He promised that there would be more information about his plan that would come out in the coming weeks.

Sutton earlier said he was optimistic about the announcement.