The idea that the once omnipotent CEO of Celtic could return as club chairman was an appalling vista for many in the green corner of Glasgow.
I’m with them on that.
A rumour kicked around the Celtic internet that Mr Desmond was behind this putative Machiavellian move.
Well, at the time, I didn’t know one way or another.
After some digging, I’m reasonably satisfied that the idea did not originate in Desmond’s world.
A very well-placed source steered me in another direction.
“Someone is flying a kite” was his assessment.
I also followed up on the 2019 AGM issue regarding the infamous Five Way Agreement.
My original source was the shareholder who had the hard copy of Mr Doncaster’s email.
If you recall, it was sent to, among others, Mr Lawwell.
Attached to it was the Five Way Agreement.
He heard the question and answer from the Celtic CEO.
So I managed to speak to the chap who actually ASKED THE QUESTION.
He clearly remembered what he had asked and the answer he had received.
This is what he related:
“I asked if anyone from Celtic had been involved in the Five Way Agreement. I was surprised when Lawwell then sort of laughed and said that he had never even seen it!”
It is worth noting that the person asking that question had, at that time, no idea that the Doncaster email existed.
I checked in with Rugger Guy, and in his world, a CEO being economical with the truth to a shareholder at an AGM is a serious No No.
I’m satisfied that the Doncaster email, which I have seen, is genuine.
Now, perhaps Mr Lawwell somehow did not see it, or in that moment of answering the question from a shareholder, it simply slipped his mind, and he misspoke.
If the latter is the case, then he should correct the record.
Whatever the truth, it must be ascertained before Mr Lawwell could be considered for the role that some in the mainstream media seem keen on cheerleading for.
Journalism, at its best, should be about holding power to account.
The events of 2012 have yet to be properly scrutinised by the Fitba Fourth Estate.
Indeed, their own role since then in propagating the survival myth suggests that they are not fit for purpose.
Dear reader, I would rather write my next novel than be forced to do their job for them.
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I think putting The CelticTrusts subscribers money into a legal fund to obtain legal advice on Company Law and Celtic’s adherence to it would be a much better use of the regular payments the CST get.
Indeed they could sell some for that very purpose. A no brainer but a suggestion The CST rejected in late 2020 in spite of a number of shareholders pledging £20k for that purpose.
The very ability to do so with implicit threat it carries would concentrate the minds of those on the Celtic Board who have been there too long.
Of course the press would love liewell back as a) it would destabilise Celtic, b) result in cost controls that in turn in time helps their pet team across town and c) give them easy headlines the lazy mob that they are.