Dermot Desmond’s Celtic – How does an authoritarian regime die? ‘Gradually then suddenly’

It’s funny the things you read that can lead to your mind drifting back to all things Celtic…

I was reading an article about the fall of former President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad recently and there was one part of it that really stood out to me and made me think about how things are currently going at Celtic.

It asked, ‘How does an authoritarian regime die? As Ernest Hemingway famously said about going broke – gradually then suddenly’. Personally I feel like this is where we are at with regard to Dermot Desmond and this Celtic board.

The decline over the past few decades, perhaps since the latter days of Martin O’Neill’s first reign in charge, has been gradual. There are many outside factors that have added to this such as other leagues getting richer due to mammoth television deals, UEFA making it more difficult for teams from smaller nations to qualify for the big money spinning tournaments and players getting their heads turned by promises of riches playing in places like China and Saudi Arabia.

Most of the decline however has been self inflicted.

Dermot Desmond has a vice like grip on our club.

He doesn’t own the majority of shares at Celtic but he is the largest individual shareholder, and with many of the other shares lost amongst Celtic fans who put their money where their mouths were and saved the club in the 90s, he runs the club like it’s his own play-thing. Dermot Desmond does not put his own money into Celtic. Any money that Celtic spend is money made by the club itself, with huge amounts coming from the Celtic supporters.

Celtic board is made up of yes men and women

He has built a board made up of yes men and women. People who have absolutely no intention of challenging him on anything. Why rock the boat when you have been having it so cushy all these years? The fact that most of them have been there for so long is an embarrassment. It’s not continuity. It’s bad business practice that should not have been allowed to go on unchallenged for so long.

The infuriating thing about all of this is that it is as clear as the nose on your face that the current custodians are long past their sell by date.

Yet incredibly, there are Celtic fans out there who still argue otherwise. I’m sure a lot of you see them in the comments section of this very site every day. People who still think we are ‘spoilt’. People who claim that we need to stop ‘throwing our toys out of the pram’ just because things aren’t going well this season. To them I say open your eyes. How can you keep defending this board when the facts of our decline are there for all to see?

Cautious board obsessed by prudence

Many will talk about the success we have had over the past 20 years. It’s almost like how dare we question the board when we have went through one of the most successful periods in our history. The thing is, that success mainly happened DESPITE the board, not because of the board. Yes they put the club on an even footing financially, which I’m more than happy about. They ran the club sensibly which is what anyone would want for the team they love. But then they became obsessed by prudence.

Brendan Rodgers arrived in 2016

Yes we needed to be responsible after Rangers died. Interest in our league certainly regressed. The day the newly formed Phoenix version of the old Rangers – essentially a tribute act – climbed their way to the top division is when we should have stamped on their necks. Initially we actually did, all because Dermot Desmond took umbrage at directors of the new club celebrating in his face after they beat us in the Scottish cup, whilst still being in the division below. Brendan Rodgers was brought in, money was spent on quality players and we were soon out of sight again.

The biscuit tin mentality returned

Instead of keeping our foot on their necks however we decided, for absolutely no apparent reason, that it was time to be frugal again. Since then the biscuit tin mentality has returned. We have brought in a few expensive players over the years but it’s all been funded by player sales. We refuse to dip into our cash reserves, which in footballing terms is almost unmatched. The only other club in Britain to even come close to the money we have sitting in the bank is Tottenham Hotspur. No other team in Scotland would even have a tenth of what we are squirrelling away.

This miserliness has cost us managers. It has cost us potential players. It has cost us Champions League participation and all the riches that comes with it. It is now starting to cost us silverware.

The appointment of Paul Tisdale and Wilfried Nancy shows their utter ineptitude. Anyone who looked at their credentials would have came to the conclusion that they shouldn’t be anywhere near a massive club like Celtic, never mind handed the two most important jobs there. Look how that turned out. We are now struggling to keep pace with domestic rivals like Hearts and theRangers. If our club had been run correctly, we would be almost untouchable in Scotland.

Dermot Desmond isn’t putting money into our club yet rules it like a dictator.

The board have managed a steady decline over these past few years even though they are sitting on a pile of unused cash. Thanks for steadying the ship when it was needed but to any normal, right minded person it is as clear as day that your time is up.

We need fresh faces and fresh minds on our board. We need people who are going to use our cash wisely and map out a future which will see us become the dominant club yet again in Scotland and be able to put a stamp on Europe once again. With the resources available within the club this isn’t a pipe dream. It’s entirely possible.

No matter how this season pans out we need change.

Our club has stagnated and the people in charge have run their course. I hope they realise that themselves and do the right thing but history tells me these people will dig their heels in and try their hardest to put the blame on the dissenters. We are witnessing this tactic already with their current ban on the Green Brigade and Celtic fan media. Like all failing regimes however the people will ultimately decide their fate. We can’t stand back and let them destroy our club any longer.

The time has come to stand up and say enough is enough.

Conall McGinty

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