Celtic Board Debate: Money, Strategy and Communication
Calls to change the Celtic board are weighed against financial limits and a cautious approach to spending. The bigger frustration remains the football strategy, leadership and a long-running communication vacuum.
The “sack the board” chat always circles back to one thing: Celtic should have spent big this window, and in the last few as well. I get why people feel that way, because supporters want to see ambition backed properly. But I also think there is a financial angle to this that cannot just be ignored.
Why spending might be tighter than it looks
From what I understand, financial sustainability rules limit total costs to 70% of revenue, meaning transfers, wages and agent fees all sit under the same cap. If Celtic’s revenue is around £145m and the club is already carrying sizeable costs, including existing fees owed, then there might not be much wriggle room left at all.
If that reading is even close to right, it would go some way to explaining why loans can become the default option. They are not always what fans want, but they can be a way of adding bodies without committing to the same level of upfront spend and long-term wage liability.
Europe, revenue and the bigger picture
Another worry is what happens if revenue drops. If the club needs to stay compliant for Europe next season, then sales might be required to create space, and that naturally impacts what can be done in the market. It becomes a cycle where you are constantly trying to keep the books balanced first, and the squad-building second.
Celtic also seem to operate close to break even most years, with the club trying to grow sponsorship, merchandise and ticketing, while TV money and European runs can swing things either way. And if TV money ever shrank, the shock would not just hit the SPFL, it would hit almost everyone across Britain.
Where the board is letting the club down
Even if you accept caution financially, it does not excuse what I see as repeated failures on the footballing side. Bringing the fans together, getting the people side right, succession planning, appointments, reading the room, keeping up with the modern game and spending properly when it matters, it has all felt messy for too long.
But the biggest issue for me is communication. This divide did not come out of nowhere. If the club is restricted, then say it. If there is a strategy, share it. If mistakes have been made, own them. When there is silence, it creates a vacuum and everyone else fills it, pundits, newspapers, and folk in the pub trying to piece together what is going on.
Leadership and a way forward
That is why I have landed where I have on MN. For me, it is time for him to admit he has failed in that leadership role and step aside. A new leader at the top should also mean a proper look at who else is responsible for the position the club is in, on and off the pitch.
Change is needed, but it cannot just be change for the sake of it. The priority has to be bringing everyone connected to Celtic back onto the same page, because division is the one thing that will keep dragging the club backwards.
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