Stephen McGowan has always had a line to Celtic Park and in particular, during the Peter Lawwell era, the journalist delivered some fantastic and sometimes troublesome insights into the goings-on behind the scenes at Celtic Park.
The Scottish Daily Mail chief sports journalist offered some fascinating information on why Dom McKay has left the building after just three months in the role.
McGowan wrote in Saturdays’ print edition of the Scottish Daily Mail [Page122/123].
“In hindsight, Dominic McKay must wish he’d accepted that offer of help on the end of a phone. Peter Lawwell had a readymade crisis line on the nuts and bolts of running Celtic. And his successor chose not to call it.
“Inexperienced in the world of football transfers and rebuilding a football club, that was his first mistake. Regrettably, it wouldn’t be his last.
“Last night, the former chief operating officer of the Scottish Rugby Union paid a heavy price for his determination to go it alone when he lost the confidence of major shareholder Dermot Desmond… and jumped before he was pushed
“McKay expressed a desire to modernise and upgrade the club’s operations. He set out to be his own man. Plucked from the world of professional rugby, he knew nothing about football transfers — and he showed no inclination to accept a helping hand from those who did.”
“His ideas were incompatible with the major shareholder and the board of directors. While he felt ready for Celtic, Celtic simply weren’t ready for him. It’s unclear what this means for the modernisation of the club.”
This paints a picture of a new Chief Exec who was unimpressed with how the club was being run and a majority shareholder who quite likes things the way they are.
Dom McKay was never going to be a continuation of Peter Lawwell and fans took hope from that. Modernisation talk was welcomed and there was an acknowledgement Celtic were moving away from the old guard.
Now, we’re back to square one. Would season ticket sales have gone so smoothly if Celtic hired from within this summer and Nicholson took up the chief exec role after Lawwell stepped down?
Peter’s fingerprints over the club would have been very transparent.
I’d like to think we’d hear Dom McKay’s side of things, but given these deals usually come with a non-disclosure agreement, we’re going to have to settle for people talking through the press.
What is described about Dominic is NOT a fault. Of course he would be his own man. However, the club cabal did NOT support him. This will not bring the necessary change to modernisation. We have a board that Fergus McCann would not have wanted.
Burn that current Tory Celtic board to a fuckin CRISP !!
Peter Lawwell, like all of us, no doubt had his faults but as CEO he did deliver 9iar and a quadruple treble and for that he’s surely due some credit. As for Dom’s plans for modernising the club surely DD and the board knew of those before they offered him a contract?
My granny could have delivered that with all the advantages he had. He managed to drive away Rodgers, he appointed Lenny agin, he blew three great chances for the group stages of champions league costing the club millions, and he run the club down to the shambles that surrendered our10 in a row season without a whimper.
Tell me again how he did a good job?.
He’s from the World of Rugby and was brought in as a salesman for Celtic.
Dermot wanted a yes man and he’s obviously not it.
No loss provided he’s replaced by someone from Football who knows the game and all that entails.
They should advertise for applicants just like they should for a Managers post.
Who do these bums think they are , the board have money but that’s all ,our new manager is not going to stay with all this rubbish going on .
We need action now a protest against the board now or we won’t have a club for long
The board would do well to remeber these imortal words
THE REBLES HAVE WON
Paying your money means a lot to Celtic Fc Plc. Spending it wisely is another matter.
That’s called ‘Modernising your inflow and slipstream the outflow’.
That’s why Dom proved his worth at murryfield.
If they want to go back to the late eighties early nineties protests. They have picked the right time to Fuc& it all up yet again.
Bhoycott all games, Bhoycott all money spent. Stand outside en-masse. And scream and shout abuse at their poisoned chalice ways. It’s becoming a bit toxic again.
They will roll out the security fencing we all enjoy. And go tie up some painted bedsheets, then press yourself against it and slabber.