Celtic AGM abandoned amid fan protest chaos as stinging Dermot Desmond statement sparks shutdown
There was no votes on resolutions or a Q&A with shareholders with the annual event coming to an abrupt end
11:55, 21 Nov 2025
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The Celtic AGM was called off as the board faced a series of protest from shareholders.
The Parkhead decision-makers took to the top table, comprised of chief executive Michael Nicholson, chief financial officer and chairman Peter Lawwell – but without largest single shareholder Dermot Desmond as usual – who was represented by his son Ross in in the Kerrydale Suite for the annual event.
Red card were held up as boos rang out as the board arrived to field questions – with chiefs attempting to play a video montage segment of the AGM.
That saw Lawwell cal a 30-minute adjournment and the top table walked away amid demands from the shareholders to move up the Q&A second of the annual event.
They would return and restart the video and chairman insisted that he would bring the meeting to a close if there was further unrest.
Members of the crowd would walkout as clips from Nicholson, Lawwell and McKay with the Celtic Trust taking to social media to declare that irked punters did not want to watch the montage.
Around 100 punters would walk out and return to hear Ross Demond’s address on behalf of his father.
The Celtic board walk out of the AGM
He would read a statement that took aim at “negativity and misinformation” surrounding the club.
That was met with laughter, before Lawwell demanded those in attendance “show a little respect” in response.
Desmond went on: “There is no doubt we make mistakes and try to learn from them, we will not be bullied by aggressive factions.”
Desmond also claimed the protesters were “people whose only vocation in life is being anti-establishment.”
Red cards would continue to be shown in protest during the speech – and Lawwell would draw a line under proceedings without votes on any resolutions or a Q&A session.
Lawwell said: “I am going to have you apologise to those supporters who have the best interests of the club at heart but I am going to have to draw the meeting to a close.”
As the board left the top table they were met by chants of ‘Sack the Board’.
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