Former Celtic midfielder Charlie Mulgrew believes there is an easy way for Dermot Desmond to fix the divide that currently sits between him and the club's fans.
Desmond is not a popular figure among fans due to the way the club has been run over recent times, and there has been a clear lack of communication that has made any and all gripes worse.
Fans feel they are not being heard amid the ongoing frustration, and Saturday saw a protest from some fans, which saw tennis balls thrown onto the St Andrews golf course where Desmond was trying to play.
Statements were issued and the situation quickly blew up to a viral storm, which ultimately isn't a great look for anyone, although the Celtic Fans Collective will be pleased that their protest made a media impact.
Speaking on The Breakdown podcast, former Celtic midfielder Mulgrew said: "I’m not going to tell him how to do his job because Dermot is a billionaire and he’s an amazing businessman – better than I’ll ever be. I’m only looking at it as: what would I do if I was Dermot? For me, it’s an easy fix.
“You get the Celtic Fans Collective, the Celtic fans and people from the main groups – as many fans as you can get together who want to speak – and you speak to the fans.
“You fly in tomorrow, get everybody together and say, ‘It’s not me versus you, it’s us. We’re in this together. 'I’m sorry for this or that. This could have been better and this is the reason we did this. I apologise. What do you think we can do to make the club better?’
“You don’t let the tail wag the dog. You don’t say, ‘Everything you tell me, I’m going to do.’ That’s not how it works. But what you do is listen to opinions, take them on board and try to move forward together. Celtic is nothing without the fans.”
Ultimately, this Celtic situation simply isn't going to be fixed without some sort of communication. If the club don't want to speak to the Collective, then select a cross section of season ticket holders and engage in communication with them.
Some steps have been taken towards that, but it has been a slow and clunky process. Why not open communication channels completely? Celtic don't have to let fans dictate their decision-making, but explaining their decisions to fans would at least go some way in erasing the divide.
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