The Celtic Trust have posted a very frustrating update to supporters after the Trust along with other Celtic organisations met with the club to discuss what the club are putting in place to give Celtic fans value for their money on the current season tickets.
The 20/21 season has been played behind closed doors and our Celtic Pass is pretty much just a £90 Stream.
The club promised added value to supporters but it’s clear we haven’t got standard value this season. The club have been asleep at the wheel in many ways and this is just another example of the disconnect.
Many inside the club banked on Celtic Park being opened up to the support early this season and didn’t have a Plan B in place to give the supporters value.
The Trust have put over a share proposal where the club would present season ticket holders with ordinary shares – this would cost the club very little to implement and would give STH a real stake in the club.
After the meeting with Celtic on Tuesday, Celtic are no further forward with any proposal that would see the fans compensated.
See the Trust’s statement below:
On the 11th of May 2021, the main Celtic supporter organisations met with representatives of Celtic Football Club to discuss the issue of value for season tickets for 2020/21 given fans have been unable to attend matches. In attendance were representatives of the Celtic Trust, the Celtic Supporters Association, the Affiliation of Registered Celtic Supporters, the Green Brigade, North Curve Celtic, the Association of Irish Celtic Supporters Clubs, Bhoys and the North American Celtic Supporters Clubs.
This was a follow-up meeting from an initial meeting which occurred between the supporters and the club in June of 2020. Celtic FC had agreed to consult with supporters on the issue of how supporter value would be guaranteed, and it was assumed this would be said consultation. The meeting was opened with a short discussion on the Celtic Trust’s share proposal, with Peter Lawwell making it clear that the club did not wish to discuss this in view of the full meeting but would instead do so with the Celtic Trust privately.As the meeting moved on, the supporter organisations expected to hear of plans, suggestions or ideas that Celtic FC had about how they might meet supporter value, so that we could all air our views on any proposal. Peter Lawwell informed the meeting Celtic FC had no proposals to share with the meeting on how they will meet supporter value.
The supporter organisations were collectively disappointed by the lack of progress, as it became apparent that this meeting would not be a consultation of the kind that the supporters had expected/assumed. Discussions continued for around 90 minutes, with little headway made. Celtic FC have confirmed that they intend to release season book renewals by the end of May
We don’t think the club will do anything with regards to season ticket holders getting something back for this season.
Instead, they’ll look to discount next years season tickets.
The turnover time for season renewal looks to be short – if they come out at the end of May, it will be 7 weeks before the first game of next season.
The board continue to treat fans like customers and find it difficult to comprehend their moral responsibility to the people who pour hundreds and thousands into the club every year.
The problem is that the “club” is a plc and regards us as customers like all other plc’s.