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Brendan Rodgers is the REAL Celtic Don as AGM slapdown shows he's more than just the manager
In one of the more surreal moments of a Celtic love-in masquerading as an AGM, one poetic punter described Michael Nicholson as the new Godfather of Scottish football.
The fella – who hit on fan favourite topics such as Rangers being dead and refereeing conspiracies – was wide of the mark though. The real Don of Celtic Park was sitting one spot to the chief executive’s right at the top table.
Brendan Rodgers might be happy enough with his job title but on days like this it’s clear he’s more than just a manager. Rodgers is the driving force behind every facet of this football club right now. Even Peter Lawwell, as chairman, had to divert a lot of the questions from the floor towards Nicholson. But on more than one occasion it was Rodgers who stepped in with the proper answers. If the usual question had been asked about the standards of the Parkhead pie, you wouldn’t have been surprised if the Northern Irishman unveiled a secret recipe for the pastries.
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It was that kind of meeting. In fairness, there was never going to be any fireworks during this peacetime AGM, with the team flying on the pitch and the cash piling up in the bank. There were the usual issues about redevelopment of the South Stand (unlikely in the current financial climate) to a bigger standing section behind the goal (possible, but not an immediate plan) to some serious chat about the cost of living and how it affects supporters.
But this was never going to be a confrontational gathering. The new Christmas advert was shown at the end and there was a festive cheer for these jolly goodfellas.
Even when there was a hit of negativity, when one rather, ahem, enthusiastic blogger, went on the offensive about former recruitment chief Mark Lawwell, Rodgers jumped in. Lawwell senior took a step back, accusing the fan of having an “unhealthy obsession about me and my son…”
Nicholson tried to awkwardly address the talent-spotter’s departure but it was Rodgers who shoved everyone out of the way and issued a polite slap down. He said: “Mark did a fantastic job at Celtic. Every player coming in here will not succeed. Mark’s influence in bringing Ange Postecoglou to the club was huge. If that was his only contribution to here, then he’d done a fantastic job.
“But it wasn’t – he was an influence in bringing in Ali Johnston and other players. All the players won’t work out. I know that as a manager and coach. My experience of working with Mark was second to none. He decided to go down a different route and I respect that. But I sit here in his defence, because he’s a massive Celtic supporter.
“Like Peter, he comes from a massive Celtic family who want nothing but the best for the club. Sometimes in a recruitment role, like as a manager, you bring in a player and it might not work out. But his intention was for the very best for Celtic and that is why I will defend him.”
The punter continued to argue the toss until the rest of the room told him to sit down and haud his wheesht. Whatever Rodgers says goes in these parts. There were other bizarre moments that raised a smile. One shareholder asked if Sir Rod Stewart might stick his hand in his pocket to invest.
Lawwell joked about Rod the Mod being tighter than a dead heat, before revealing the rocker often digs deep for the club’s charitable Foundation. When it came to cash talk, Celtic are clearly swimming in the stuff. But there was a need to explain quite why they need £70m in the bank going spare.
Lawwell is a much more circumspect character these days but he still can’t quite resist the odd little barb thrown across the city. He said: “This is an uncertain industry. When you’re winning the league it’s fine. But we need to provide for the longer term if things don’t go quite as well as they have gone in the past.
“We can see – looking elsewhere – what happens if you don’t participate in the Champions League for a year and you replace that with the Europa League. That is the difficult financial challenge we have moving forward.”
As AGM sniders go, it was a tame one. But chief finance officer Chris McKay explained in more detail. He said: “The difference between the Champions League and the Europa League has never been more stark. Eight games is good for us and that jeopardy further into the league phase also introduces an additional dynamic as well.
“It [cash in the bank] gives us the flexibility throughout transfer windows to invest when we need to invest. And secondly, it allows us to run the business normally if we are in the Europa League for a period of time.
“The cash won’t last forever but what it gives us is runway. You can run your business under normal operating conditions without having to sell marquee players and it allows you to invest in the squad.”
There were other burning issues – literally. The board were asked how they are dealing with the element of the support that keeps costing the club in UEFA fines, as well as risking fan safety, with pyros and everything else. Nicholson admitted: “It’s a long-standing issue. Not a Celtic-specific issue. Behaviours around Scotland and Europe.
“On away tickets, an allocation scheme has been in place for a long period of time. In terms of behaviour, the fines worry and concern us. What concerns us most is the safety of supporters and the impact it might have in the game. Big challenge – but what’s helpful is the feeling in the room that wants us to tackle the issue.”
The CEO should really have warned how they’re sailing close to the wind with UEFA and in real danger of being banned from away games or having sections of Celtic Park shut. But it was a chance missed. He should have left it for the real Godfather to make fans an offer they couldn’t refuse.
