Dom McKay was everything Peter Lawwell and Michael Nicholson appear not to be. Forward thinking, ambitious, open to fan engagement and wanting to create a very modern version of Celtic. No wonder he didn’t last long!
Ange Postecoglou and Dom McKay. Photo: Jeff Holmes
Four years ago signalled the dawn of a new era at Celtic football club as Ange Postecoglou was hired to take the reins and bring back the glory days after a disastrous campaign under Neil Lennon saw the Celtic support experience the strange feeling of ending a campaign empty handed.
Ange Postecoglou wasn’t the only new face at Celtic Park as the man who welcomed the Australian to the club Dom McKay was installed as the new CEO as Dermot Desmond decided to clear the decks and bring in a bit of much needed freshness to the club.
Dominic McKay was seen as an ideal replacement for Peter Lawwell as Celtic CEO
Dominic McKay was an experienced figure, but mainly in the oval ball shaped game of rugby where he had extensive experience as his good work with the SRU told.
Dom was an ideal replacement for Peter Lawwell and 99% of the support applauded the move, as McKay was everything Lawwell wasn’t. Young, ambitious and with airs of self preservation about him. The best bonuses were always paid in the Celtic boardroom and perhaps Dom McKay’s intention to spend extensively on backing the manager and building the club threatened that?
Ange Postecoglou and Dominic McKay Unveiling – Celtic Park Celtic new manager Ange Postecoglou poses for a photo at Celtic Park Glasgow. Picture date: Friday June 25, 2021. Photo: Jeff Holmes
Dom quickly got to work after a quick period shadowing his outgoing predecessor, and it was clear he was very much his own man after a serious of face-to-face interviews where it was evident he wanted a better connection with Celtic supporters.
Dom had to deal with a lot quickly such as the Eddie Howe situation, which seen the Englishman’s move to replace Neil Lennon collapse at the latter stages, but Dom rallied and helped bring on board Ange Postecoglou, despite some negativity surrounding his arrival as the next Celtic manager.
Kyogo, Joe Hart, Carl Starfelt, Liel Abada, CCV, Jota, Josip Juranovic, and Georgios Giakoumakis were all signed during McKay’s brief time as Celtic CEO
Ange needed new blood, and Dom helped him by sanctioning moves for Kyogo, Joe Hart, Carl Starfelt, Liel Abada, CCV, Jota, Josip Juranovic, and Georgios Giakoumakis in what can be only be described as one of our most exciting transfer windows in recent years.
Dominic McKay in the directors box. Photo Andrew Milligan
However Dom McKay stunned the Celtic support by resigning from his post citing personal reasons just eight weeks into his new role, and just a week after the closure of a very successful transfer window.
Dom was replaced by the more secretive and toe the line figure in Micheal Nicholson who was promoted from within having worked as the Company Secretary at Celtic for many years. Ange turned out to be a decent manager. The fans loved him. The crisis was over. The new broom CEO left and the old board reverted to previous ways.
Can that just be a coincidence? You’d be naive to that it was.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
You’d be more than naïve to believe what you wrote.
McKay was such a disaster in transfer dealings that he was took out of negotiations before half those players were signed at Ange’s request.
It was then dealt with by Nicholson and an agency much to the manager’s relief.
If that was the case then why hasn’t that been done since when Lawwell Snr & Jnr, Nicholson etc have stunk out the place with their pathetic negotiating skills.
Only the complete Board stupid would fall for such a fallacy.
Utter crap and your grammar is pathetic!
Did you manage to get to secondary school?
Lesson: “was took out” should be “was taken out”.
Before you criticise others, have a wee look at yourself.
Why was that, what had he done that was so wrong? Maybe you can enlighten the rest of us with your insider information please?
The above comment is just plain stupid and you have not backed it up with any evidence.
Whoever you are, hiding under the name of Louise Palma, you are taking out of your bum!
You should be careful what you write and perhaps that is why you used a pseudonym.
Dom MacKay was a big loss to Celtic and is a solid professional who is extremely highly thought of in the sports world. Stop spreading malicious gossip!
Aye, a brief glimpse of what’s possible for me, just an ordinary bhoy.
PRICK.
Your Sincerely
Mr Christopher Kelly.
He had a rather inauspicious start. Celtic fans don’t get too worked up about these things, but it is not a good look to turn up on your first day as Celtic CEO dressed in a bright blue suit. That told me that he was out of step with the requirements of the role, though he quickly reverted to corporate grey attire.
As for getting business done early, it happened throughout Ange’s tenure regardless of who was in charge of the club. In fact, we all got a little frustrated that the transfers came right at the start of the window and business was done and dusted after a week, but we wanted more.
For me, the current manager must take a lot of the blame for the return to ‘old ways’. I think he has his eyes set on players of far higher value and the Board is very wary of how much money to lay out and just exactly on whom. Let’s be honest, his track record to date is pretty poor.
He also very quickly sanctioned the sales of Kuhn and Palma leaving the squad woefully short of cover. Regardless what you think of their respective abilities, they could still be there right now to provide squad depth and still available for transfer before the end of the window.
So what was his rush? Manager bonus for up-selling per the company business model?
Finally, that was a pretty cheap shot about Michael Nicholson’s previous role as Company Secretary. You might want to look into what that role entails. Even at a company like Celtic PLC, I doubt if Company Secretary duties took up more than half a day of his working week.
regardless of what happened, he was probably asked to sign a NDA so he can’t talk about it
at least not for another +5 years
lets just get past Almaty first