After a disappointing Champions League exit, the calls for change at Celtic are louder than ever. Could a new push for Celtic Trust reform be the answer to giving fans a real voice and shaping the club’s future? Get the inside story on this potential shake-up!

The recent Champions League exit has ignited a fresh wave of discontent among Celtic FC supporters, culminating in a significant push for reform within the club’s governance structures. Veteran football figure Duncan Smilie, a former chairman of Partick Thistle, is at the forefront of this movement, announcing his intention to stand as a trustee for the Celtic Trust, aiming to amplify the voice of disillusioned fans.

This renewed call for football reform harks back to pivotal moments in Celtic’s history, reminiscent of the “Celts for Change” and “Save Our Celts” movements of the 1990s. These grassroots initiatives were instrumental in mobilizing fans and ultimately facilitating Fergus McCann’s takeover, wresting control from entrenched family dynasties and demonstrating the potent force of supporter engagement when unified.

Smilie, alongside business partners David Low and Peter McGowan, plans to leverage the Celtic Trust as a modern “virtual soapbox.” Their objective is to unite diverse segments of the Celtic FC fanbase – from young ultras to long-time season ticket holders and international supporters – under a single banner, fostering a collective power capable of driving substantial change.

A key aspect of their strategy involves empowering existing shareholders and actively tracing dormant shares held by past generations. By potentially reuniting these shares with active supporters or acquiring them for the Trust, Smilie envisions increasing the Celtic Trust’s legal and influential stake in the club, ensuring the board is legally obliged to consider fan perspectives.

The growing fan protest stems from a pervasive feeling that the club’s controlling shareholder, Dermot Desmond, and the board remain largely impervious to supporter sentiment. Despite regular chants of ‘sack the board,’ meaningful dialogue or transparent engagement with the fanbase appears to be a rare occurrence, reinforcing a sense of helplessness.

Critics point to the club’s inconsistent fiscal policy and transfer market dealings, often perceived as reactive rather than strategic. Decisions such as significant outlays on players like Michel Ange Baliwisha and Marcelo Saracchi, particularly after crucial European failures, are seen by many as symptomatic of a broader issue in club ownership and management.

Further exacerbating fan frustration is the conspicuous silence surrounding the results of a comprehensive fan survey conducted a year ago with the University of Strathclyde. Billed as a crucial opportunity for supporters to shape the club’s future, the lack of communication on its findings is widely viewed as dismissive and arrogant, fueling the demand for greater accountability and transparency from the club’s leadership.