CSA Minutes discussed at Delegates Meeting plus Affiliation Update | OneFootball

These are the minutes from the meeting between the Celtic Board plus senior executives and the CSA on Friday morning. The CSA had invited the Affiliation to join them at this meeting but the offer was declined and the Affiliation instead set up their own meeting later in the day on Friday afternoon…

theRangers v Celtic,31 August 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Today the Celtic Supporters Association delegates debated the issues facing Celtic, reviewed the recent minutes of the CEO meeting with their own executive, and set out a clear position on behalf of their members.

James Forrest on The Celtic Blog reports: The debate itself was spirited but never angry or aggressive. It was carried out in exactly the right way, orderly and focused, with organisers managing the flow of discussion well. Delegates from the supporters’ buses did themselves proud, contributing constructively and making the strength of feeling clear.

A motion of no confidence in the current Celtic board of directors was passed unanimously – the first time such a step has been taken in the Association’s long history. Alongside this, the delegates also voted to join more than 350 other organisations in signing the Open Letter, which this blog has already pointed out is essential if the wider renewal campaign is to succeed.

These two decisions underline both the seriousness of the crisis and the unity of the supporters’ voice.

Michael Nicholson, Chief Executive of Celtic FC looks on from the stands prior to the William Hill Premiership match between Celtic FC and St Mirren FC at Celtic Park on May 17, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Below is what the CSA delegates meeting were discussing earlier today.

CELTIC SUPPORTERS MEETING NOTES – 5 September 2025

Venue: Celtic Park Date: Friday 5 September 2025

Present (Celtic FC): Michael Nicholson (CEO), Chris McKay (CFO), John Paul Taylor (SLO), Iain Jamieson (PR Manager), Kevin McQuillan (Technology Manager), George Campbell (Club Lawyer)

Minutes: John Grant

CSA Exec: John Andrews, Joe O’Rourke & John Grant (minutes) Affiliation: Apologies Irish Ass’n: Gerry McDonnell

The meeting was requested by Joe O’Rourke with invitations extended to the Affiliation of CSCs & Irish Association of CSCs (three major fan groups), to discuss the recent disappointing transfer window and disconnect between Celtic and fanbase.

Note: Affiliation chose to meet with the club separately (that afternoon).

CONCERNS RAISED:

Communication with Supporters: Club accepts communication needs to improve. There are regular meetings with most fan groups via various mediums. All registered fan groups have CEO contact details and can request meetings. Rotational invitation to fan media conferences (not always acknowledged by participants). Regular fan forums also take place. SLO highlighted as very active in keeping fans informed. New app for fans expected soon to clarify many areas within the club. Communicating through media is challenging; club will issue a Statement addressing fans’ concerns and will look at anything that can enhance communications.

Long Term Footballing Strategy: Strategy unchanged: World class club, dominant in Scotland, regular Champions League qualification, operating sustainably. Club and manager are aligned with every targeted signing. Players not bought without manager’s approval. Investment in playing staff is a given – significant summer transfer window spend plus January spend. Reported summer expenditure in media is not reflective of reality; actual spend was significantly higher. Confidentiality of contracts means details not discussed.

Player Investment: Strategy unchanged: progressively refresh/upgrade 1st team and invest in youth to create Champions League players. Paul Tisdale appointed Head of Football Operations (responsible for player ID and development). Shaun Maloney appointed Professional Player Pathway Manager.

Stadium Safety: Issues around crowd migration, pyros, etc. discussed. Club cannot compromise on safety. Appeal to fan groups to comply. Club reviewing options to expand safe standing area – noting different views among fans.

TRANSFERS: Countdown to started in December and some even before that. Club working 24/7 during window. Players identified but some declined Celtic for long-term ambitions. Celtic rejected bids of multimillions for current players. One signing targeted last year, but injury delayed until January. Agents a big factor, pushing inflated prices. If club can get player in early for signing talks, stadium is a strong selling point. Example: one agent representing Academy player demanded excessive fee → player left club. Many clubs (incl. Celtic) operate 3–5 outlook strategy on players; clubs often hold out until late window to maximise sale price. Knock-on effects (domino effect) influence other transfers.

FINANCES: Failure to qualify for CL had no effect on planned expenditure. Big investment at Barrowfield for youth & ladies’ teams (fully functional). Upgrades at Lennoxtown (Player Education Forum, indoor pitch). Hotel development now unlikely due to local issues. Proposed museum may be part of stadium footprint instead. Significant sums spent on stadium maintenance (galvanising steel). South Stand rebuild not viable while in SPFL. Large cash balance creates perception of money being ‘hoarded’ but it’s required for sustainability and UEFA compliance. Bank balance not relevant to spending cap tests.

SURVEYS: Fan survey had 50,000 responses. Format not accessible, so second agency engaged to reformat data. Results to be reviewed with fan groups before issue.

MULTIMEDIA: Celtic faces similar challenges to other big clubs but operates with staff of ~30, compared to EPL clubs with 100+. Shock expressed that several staff members had been targeted. Minute Secretary, 6th September 2025.

AFFILIATION UPDATE

As already reported on The Celtic Star, the Affiliation subsequently met the club on Friday afternoon and this was what was reported back to member CSCs:

Michael Nicholson, Chief Executive of Celtic FC looks on from the stands prior to the William Hill Premiership match between Celtic FC and St Mirren FC at Celtic Park on May 17, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Michael Nicholson started by apologising for the lack of contact between the Club and the committee/delegates.

Nothing too surprising was said – they know people are frustrated and admitted communication hasn’t been great. They told us the recruitment team work round the clock trying to get deals over the line, but there are lots of factors that can influence getting them over the line. All targets are identified by Paul Tisdale and Brendan Rodgers then they work to get the deals done.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Livingston at Celtic Park on August 23, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

They assured us they were not waiting to see if we qualified for the Champions League before completing any deals. They said they’re still ambitious and want to keep building the squad.

They’ve agreed to set up a proper meeting with the delegates soon, which they said have been really useful in the past.

CELTIC STATEMENT

Celtic v St Mirren – Peter Lawwell and Michael Nicholson in the stands during the cinch Premiership match at Celtic Park, Wednesday November 1, 2023. Photo Andrew Milligan

Subsequent to these meetings Celtic issued a statement on the official club website and on the club’s social media channels around 9pm on Saturday evening (6 September). This can be read HERE. On X (see below) the statement has so far had 3.4m views, perhaps a record for a Celtic communication on Twitter/X?

READ THIS…What Celtic supporters demand is realistic, intelligent spending

Celtic in the Eighties – Out Now!…

Celtic in the Eighties by the late, great David Potter is out now on Celtic Star Books. Celtic in the Eighties is now available in the Celtic superstore and all other club shops. And don’t forget that you can still purchase your copy directly from Celticstarbooks.com for same day postage.

Order Celtic in the Eighties today, you’ll be glad you did, it’s a fabulous read!

OUT NOW! Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Foreword by Danny McGrain. Published on Celtic Star Books. Click on image to order.

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