“Your time at Celtic has expired”- Brian Wilson sent message from Celtic Fans Collective | OneFootball

The Celtic Fans Collective has opened a major debate on boardroom governance at Celtic, publicly challenging the long-serving non-executive directors, whose tenure they believe has gone far beyond what is acceptable for a modern, accountable football club…

The Celtic Board. Partick Thistle v Celtic. Premier Sports League Cup. Sunday 21 September. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Their first focus is Brian Wilson, whose 20-year spell on the Celtic plc board highlights wider concerns about independence, oversight, and entrenched power at the club.

Wilson—a former Labour MP who stepped away from politics in 2004—joined the Celtic board in 2005. Two decades later, supporters’ groups argue that his long tenure undermines his ability to provide meaningful challenge to senior executives.

In a strongly worded statement, the Celtic Fans Collective declared:

The Celtic Board at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“Brian Wilson was appointed as a Non-Executive Director in June 2005 – just weeks after Martin O’Neill’s first spell ended. Two decades on, his continued presence on the Celtic board has become impossible to justify. At a recent AGM, the majority of shareholders in the room voted against his reappointment. The message is clear – supporters and shareholders want change.

“The Celtic plc board desperately needs fresh perspective, modern thinking and dynamic leadership. Brian Wilson can deliver none of this. After twenty years in post, he is no longer independent and no longer capable of providing meaningful challenge to the CEO or CFO.

Brian – your time at Celtic has expired.”

Celtic Fans Collective on X:

Their intervention comes amid broader pressure from supporters to modernise governance structures at Celtic. During a recent meeting between fan groups and club officials, supporter representative Paul Quigley pushed for an independent review of all non-executive directors. Chief executive Michael Nicholson confirmed he would take the proposal forward to the board.

Central to the debate is the widely accepted “nine-year standard” used in the UK Corporate Governance Code. Under this framework, a non-executive director is presumed to lose independence after serving nine years. The rationale is that long tenure breeds closeness, comfort, and reluctance to challenge entrenched strategies.

Celtic Fans Collective, Founded September 2025.

When directors serve for decades, they inevitably build close working relationships with executives and controlling shareholders. These relationships can make it awkward to question decisions made by colleagues they have worked alongside for so long, or to confront the shortcomings of strategies they themselves helped to design.

The longer the tenure, the greater the risk that directors end up defending legacy thinking rather than scrutinising it. At that point, the culture itself becomes questionable, is a board still fit for purpose if those meant to challenge are instead invested in protecting their own past decisions?

The Celtic Board. Partick Thistle v Celtic. Premier Sports League Cup. Sunday 21 September. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

However, Celtic is listed on AIM, the London Stock Exchange’s junior market, where governance rules are looser. AIM companies face no binding requirement to refresh their boards after nine years. Instead, they follow the softer Quoted Companies Alliance Code, which encourages good practice but relies on voluntary compliance.

This flexibility has resulted in a board dominated by long-term incumbents. According to Companies House filings, Dermot Desmond has served since 1995 — thirty years. Thomas Allison joined in 2001. Brian Wilson has been a director since 2005. Peter Lawwell, now non-executive chairman, returned to the board in 2023 but originally joined it in 2010 after 17 years as CEO. Chris McKay, the CFO, passed the nine-year threshold in January 2025. Sharon Brown will reach the same point next month. Only CEO Michael Nicholson and recent appointee Brian Rose fall within the independence window.

Celtic Fans Collective protest poster outside Celtic Park on 29 October 2025. Photo The Celtic Star

For governance specialists, this is a textbook example of the risks associated with excessive continuity, decreased scrutiny, group-think and blurred lines between oversight and management.

The club has long argued that continuity at board level supports stability on the pitch. And with Dermot Desmond holding 35% of the shares, meaningful shareholder rebellion is structurally difficult. Unlike blue-chip companies, Celtic does not face pressure from large institutional investors capable of voting down directors who fail to meet governance expectations.

In practice, annual director re-election provides theoretical accountability, but little real jeopardy. That leaves reputational pressure as the main check on the board’s authority. In an era where football clubs operate as global brands, and UEFA increasingly emphasises transparency and oversight, governance standards matter more than ever.

One long-standing challenge is Celtic’s highly fragmented shareholder base. Decades of share issues and inheritance have left tens of thousands of small, scattered holdings, many effectively dormant. Supporter groups have been working to identify and aggregate these “lost shares,” hoping to build a bloc large enough to shift the balance of power.

Governance is not an abstract exercise, it shapes long-term decision-making. Without fresh perspectives and independent oversight, boards risk becoming self-protective and resistant to change. Celtic’s position on AIM insulates it from immediate regulatory pressure, but it does not remove the underlying question that fans are now forcefully asking –

Do long-serving directors still have the independence and courage to challenge the status quo when it matters?

Celtic Fans Collective protest at Celtic Park ahead of the Celtic v Falkirk match. 29 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

By naming Brian Wilson as the first director they believe has overstayed his mandate, the Celtic Fans Collective has opened a debate that stretches beyond one individual. Their challenge cuts to the heart of how Celtic is run, and whether the club’s governance is fit for the future.

You can expect more focus on other non-executive directors at Celtic from the Celtic Fans Collective over the coming days and we’ll cover these releases on The Celtic Star.

Niall J

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Order Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr (Vol 1 & 2) at Celticstarbooks.com

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