Celtic fans desperately want boardroom change, both in personnel and approach. However, that desperation can make it difficult to be objective.
Supporters are despairingly seeking a catalyst for change. Someone/something to make a material difference & break the stranglehold of Dermot Desmond and his policy of managed decline.
What exactly is actually being offered by the Season Ticket Alliance Trust? (STAT)
Lord Haw Haw was an infamous collaborator who broadcast propaganda from Germany into Britain during WWII.
Is Willie Haughey’s scheme a nefarious attempt, as some would have you believe, to deflect from the board’s failings while collaborating with them to cement their control and survival, having offered the fans an ultimately meaningless sop to their concerns?
Or is he the legitimate fans champion? The share wielding white knight sought almost unanimously by the support.
When Lord Haughey announced his intention to create the STAT, I wrote a blog titled ‘Can Celtic fans take yes for an answer?’
This was an attempt to address much of the blowback to his proposal that I experienced online. There was a great deal of initial scepticism about his intent, and a decent number of personal attacks based on the acceptance of his royal title, or some other perceived issue with his personality or history.
My point was that forcing change at Celtic is unlikely to be achieved or fronted by the winner of a popularity contest among the Celtic support. As I said then in respect of the reaction:
“we see the manifestation of a problem that has plagued many a worthwhile movement for change. A personal, ideological and moral certitude that is unyielding & unforgiving, but ultimately self-defeating, as it leads to paralysis of action.”
I don’t know Mr Haughey personally, except for the fact he once hired and fired my ex-wife, so at least we can be assured he knows how to rectify an error faster than I do!
What I do know is that he personally helped out some of the Celtic greats over the years and continues to help their families. There is absolutely no questioning his credentials as a Celtic Man, no matter what else you believe of him.
Haughey History
In the turbulent 90’s he was part of Gerald Weisfeld’s consortium to try and save the club. It was Fergus McCann who took over though, but Haughey accepted McCann’s invitation to invest. His 500k got him a seat as a non-executive director.
David Low, currently of Celtic Supporters Limited, was McCann’s financial adviser. This is important to bear in mind.
During his period on the board from 1994-1997, it was Haughey who brought Dermot Desmond into the Celtic fold.
Haughey’s departure from the board was dramatic.
Accusations of leaks, counter accusations, resignations, denials of resignations, all stemmed from an intense five hour board meeting on 28/04/1997, which also resulted in the resignation of Dominic Keane, the club secretary, who was said to find the treatment of Haughey unacceptable. Tommy Burns was sacked as manager four days later.
After McCann’s departure he has continued his close association with the club. He remains a significant shareholder & sits in the directors’ box.
Advocate for Dermot Desmond
Despite bringing Desmond to the table, as I understand it their relationship for the last couple of decades has been negligible.
Yet Haughey’s support of Desmond is bordering on sentimental hero worship.
Some recent quotes:
- September 2025: “Back Off” Message
Following protests, Haughey urged fans to “back off a wee bit,” highlighting that “Dermot and his involvement with the club has put us where we are” and that supporters had been “spoilt the last 15 years” - February 2026: “Dermot’s a Winner”
On the Go Radio Football Show, Haughey emphasized Desmond’s character, noting “Dermot’s a winner. He’s been a winner all his life”, while also acknowledging that, despite past successes, it was time to “listen to what the guys [fans] are saying”. - April 2026: The Statue
“His involvement since then, especially during Martin’s time when people forget he ploughed £40m in. “That gave us Seville, it gave us that period of success and those wonderful years. “I don’t think that should be forgotten. “When we’re talking about putting statues up of Fergus, I’d have been running to put a statue up of Dermot for everything he did. “Think about the players he brought in. Celtic have never spent the money they did between 2000 and 2010 at any other time.
I found that quote from his Go Radio show in April to be deeply worrying, both in substance and timing.
The Substance
David Low, former financial adviser to Fergus McCann described this statement as “nonsense!”
He continued “He’s not ploughed in anything like that, and he’s taken our £7.5m in dividends which we pay for. We owe him nothing”
For me, Haughey’s comments are a bizarre misrepresentation of events. Desmond invested in share issues to secure a dominant position, which he did.
He thought at that time that a move to England may well be on the cards. Therefore, he did what Desmond has done with all his businesses and invested in what he believed was an undervalued asset.
He hasn’t risked a penny of his own money without security. He didn’t save the club. He didn’t gift us players. He has never been a selfless benefactor investing altruistically.
The closest Celtic ever got to being indebted to an individual, was when John Keane put up £1m of his own money, entirely unsecured, in order to stop the club falling into administration.
Celtic have never benefitted from the largesse of a billionaire Sugar Daddy.
The Timing
To make these comments so close to the launch of his Season Ticket Alliance Trust, seems utterly oblivious at best, and an indication of some currently unknown background manoeuvring at worst.
The strength of anti-Dermot Desmond feeling among the fans has either escaped him entirely or been ignored in service of a larger goal. Among the support, Desmond is currently as toxic a figure as it is possible to be.
Maybe it’s as simple as not wanting to risk the wrath of a vindictive billionaire who could perceive you as a threat, to the point that he may take action against your businesses.
The result though, has been further widespread mistrust and scepticism. Whether fairly or not, some of those who were on the fence now feel like Haughey’s credibility has been fatally undermined.
Season Tickets
There is a widespread cynical belief that this entire scheme is a collaboration with the board in an effort to shift season tickets. Understandable, given that the marketing strapline to convince season ticket holders to renew, may well be “If you thought this season was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet!’
I do not agree this is the case. In fact, my information is that there is categorically no connection between Haughey and the board in relation to this scheme.
However, I still find it extremely difficult to overlook or understand the Desmond worship.
The Objective
Ultimately, all season ticket holders will have to decide whether to get involved. Unless there is definitive evidence of something untoward it’s difficult to see the objection, given the zero cost entry point. Haughey is clearly not everyone’s cup of tea, but this would certainly be an extraordinarily elaborate way to spend his money on shares if he’s not genuine.
If he didn’t want fans to have a voice, he could just buy the shares and speak for himself.
An added complication is that there are now multiple organisations seeking the same outcome. The Celtic Trust, Celtic Supporters Limited and now The Season Ticket Alliance Trust.
The End Game
Their goal is to try and gather enough shares to give fans a voice.
What does this entail in terms of shareholding?
The “Voice” Thresholds (5% – 10%)
At this level, you can’t make decisions, but you can be a nuisance to those who do.
- >5%: You can force the company to hold a general meeting or circulate a written resolution.
- >10%: You can demand a poll vote (ensuring votes are counted by share count rather than a show of hands) and block “short notice” meetings.
The “Influence” Threshold (>25%)
This is the most critical milestone for a minority shareholder.
- Blocking Power: In many jurisdictions, “Special Resolutions” (major changes like changing the company name or its Articles of Association) require a 75% majority. If you own more than 25%, you have a veto over these fundamental changes.
Anything more than an 5-10% shareholding is likely unachievable either because of funding or lack of willing share sellers.
If the fans groups could collectively gather enough shares and speak with one voice, they could potentially function as an activist investor. Trying to persuade the other smaller, but still significant, shareholders to side with them. Creating problems for the Desmond regime.
Unfortunately, this would be easier to achieve if we continue on our current downward trajectory, which then undermines the Desmond aura of infallibility.
Hopefully, we don’t go down that road. First and foremost, I want the team to succeed on the pitch. None of us started this journey because of our passion for boardroom politics and battling billionaires.
United We Stand
As for the fan groups speaking with one voice?
David Low of Celtic Supporters Limited I have already quoted here. If Willie Haughey wanted to work with his group, he wouldn’t have started this one.
If David Low’s group wanted to work with The Celtic Trust, they wouldn’t have started their own.
There are big personalities, big egos and quite a bit of history between these groups. Will they ultimately work together?
For the good of the club, I very much hope so.
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