Yesterday was a summation of years of neglect by Celtic’s hierarchy

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The Celtic Star

·2 settembre 2025

Yesterday was a summation of years of neglect by Celtic’s hierarchy

Yesterday was a summation of years of neglect by the club’s hierarchy and the Green Brigade’s stance of the current Celtic board is a representation of the majority – we need radical change…

theRangers v Celtic,31 August 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

By the time the clock hit 11pm, Celtic still hadn’t confirmed any new signings on deadline day despite heading into yesterday needing a minimum of FOUR players. Some would argue a lot more.

OneFootball Video

Despite Brendan Rodgers saying on Friday that Adam Idah would not be sold until a replacement came through the door, the Irishman completed a £6m move to Swansea City on a permanent deal. You try make sense of that one.

Sebastian Tounekti, Photo Celtic FC

Stephen Welsh headed out on loan to Motherwell, while Sebastian Tounekti’s signing was announced after the deadline, though the deal had been finalised before 11pm. His announcement was met with considerable anger, not about the player himself but rather with the shambolic nature in which the window unfolded.

Yesterday, Celtic made an attempt to land Kasper Dolberg, but he chose to join Ajax instead. Why? Because we could not wrap up the deal three days ago. Because we lowballed and dithered and paid the price [metaphorically of course]on a top target, again.

The Dolberg saga was only the starter of yesterday’s catastrophe of negotiating by the custodians. The main course, dessert and extras were yet to come.

AEK Athens v RSC Anderlecht – UEFA Conference League ATHENS, GREECE – AUGUST 28 : Kasper Dolberg forward of RSC Anderlecht with a laser in his eyes during the UEFA Conference League 2025/26 play-off round second leg between AEK Athens and RSC Anderlecht on August 28, 2025 in Athens, Greece, 28/08/2025 Athens Greece. Photo IMAGO Jan De Meuleneir

Scrambling about for EPL rejects at mid-afternoon, Celtic’s loan pursuit of Chelsea striker David Fofana fell through after he decided to join CHARLTON [which eventually fell through]instead. Yes, you read that right, CHARLTON…

The club later withdrew from a short-term move for another EPL reject, this time Burnley’s Manuel Benson after Birmingham walked away from a deal to sign Yang.

No matter what your thoughts are on Yang, his confidence must be shattered to pieces. A manager and a club that clearly doesn’t want him. Messed about and will be staying until January.

Yang Hyun-Jun of Celtic Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 August 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock

And why did Celtic walk away from the Benson deal? Regardless if Yang was staying or not, we still need another winger. Utterly bewildering stuff.

Capping off a shambolic day of transfer business, news broke late last night that Kelechi Iheanacho had become a target, with Rodgers having managed the 28-year-old during their time together at Leicester City.

Kelechi Iheanacho. Photo Getty Images

However, the former Manchester City striker has struggled to make an impact at both Sevilla and Middlesbrough, where he spent the latter half of last season on loan after, wait for it, previously rejecting a chance to join Celtic for MIDDELSBROUGH in January.

The Middlesbrough fans had enough of him, labelling him overweight, unprofessional and not very good. So, after being bottom of the list, Iheanacho looks as if he will become a Celtic player.

Now, it seems the Green Brigade – like the rest of us – have reached their breaking point.

They have merely shared a photo of their boardroom protest from Sunday’s Derby Day dross clash at Ibrox.

Celtic Chairman Peter Lawwell and Chief Executive Michael Nicholson in the directors box. Celtic v Kilmarnock, Cinch Scottish Premiership, 17 February 2024. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

It shows majority shareholder Dermot Desmond, chairman Peter Lawwell, and chief executive Michael Nicholson with red circles and strike-throughs over their heads, symbolising that their time at the club is up.

This follows chants of ‘sack the board’ ringing around the stadium at recent Celtic games, most notably during the 0-0 home draw with Kairat Almaty in the first leg of the Champions League playoff.

Ultimately, me writing that ‘this has been a disastrous transfer window of epic proportions’ does not even begin to cover it.

The club have hardly spent a penny in relative market terms. It is the worst forward line since the 1990s. Three of our four top scorers from last season have now been sold since January. Add into the mix that Daizen Maeda has yet to discover a glimpse of his form of last season. Downsizing. Complete downsizing.

Lost out on several targets – Dolberg and Breum to name a few due to lowballing. Lost out on Champions League qualification due to not signing players early enough and making the team and manager ill-prepared and unsettled for the biggest matches of the season. Something that has happened repeatedly for the last decade.

Paul Tisdale the manager of Bristol Rovers looks on during the Emirates FA Cup Second Round match between Bristol Rovers and Darlington FC at the Memorial Stadium on November 29, 2020 (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

So, who’s going to take the hit? Well it could be the ‘football doctor’ Paul Tisdale. But that happened to Lee Congerton, Nick Hammond and Mark Lawwell before him. That would be the easy option for Desmond and the board.

The current boardroom is like a bowling club committee in charge of £65 million. In fact, It may be more than £65 million in the next accounts giving the net profit of this window. Hoard cash, and strip quality away from the team on the pitch window after window. That is the Celtic Way of doing things.

The present board has surpassed the failures of those removed 32 years ago, standing as an ineffective group long past their expiry. Dermot, Michael, Peter, Chris and the other non-executive directors who have been in the building for far too long must be cleared out and replaced with business figures capable of delivering for the supporters, manager and players on the pitch.

From being within seconds of taking Bayern Munich to extra-time in a Champions League knockout tie to this in seven months. Facilitated by the Celtic board.

Radical change is needed. And it is needed today. We as a support must act now.

Conor Spence

Celtic in the Eighties – Out Now! In Celtic shops on Friday…

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, out now!

Celtic in the Eighties by the late, great David Potter is published this Friday 5 September by Celtic Star Books. All pre-ordered copies have now been signed by Celtic legend Danny McGrain who has also written the foreword for David Potter’s final book.

These copies have now been posted to everyone who has pre-ordered with copies being send all over the world. It’s been an incredible response, so thank you to each and every one of you who will be receiving your signed book shorty.

Celtic in the Eighties will be available in the Celtic superstore and all other club shops from Friday 5 September. And don’t forget that you can still purchase your copy from Celticstarbooks.com for same day postage. The next 30 orders will also receive a FREE copy of an earlier David Potter book, Alec McNair, Celtic’s Icicle then that wonderful David Potter book will be out of stock.