The fallout from Celtic’s meeting with the supporters’ groups continues, and those inside the room are continuing to tell their side of the story.
Dykes says he went in hopeful, ready to listen and to see if genuine progress could be made. But what he experienced instead left him questioning the quality of leadership at the top of the club.
The meeting, which came after weeks of fan unrest and an open letter backed by thousands, was meant to open communication and rebuild trust. Instead, it seems to have deepened frustration, with Dykes describing it as flat, poorly handled, and lacking any sense of authority.
Simply put, his verdict echoes what supporters across social media have been feeling — Celtic’s hierarchy came up short when it mattered most.
He said: (Celtic Exchange), “I went into that meeting with no trepidation. I thought to myself, right, this is positive. Let’s go in, let’s hear what they’ve got to say.
“Let’s start to build something in terms of communication flow. That was my take going in. Did we get that in that meeting? Absolutely not. Nowhere near it.
“What I heard was nowhere near leadership, nothing like what I would expect from a leader of this football club. Their presence, their content, their communication style — it wasn’t good enough, nowhere near good enough.
“They couldn’t command a room of 20 Celtic fans. How can they command a negotiation with somebody who knows you’ve got £100 million in the bank and wants millions more than you’re prepared to offer?
“The communication has to be effective — and it wasn’t. They didn’t cover themselves in glory at all.”
11th February 2024; St Mirren Park, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, Scottish Cup Football, St Mirren versus Celtic; Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson in the stand
Dykes’ comments hit home because he was there, he saw it all first-hand and isn’t dressing it up. His honesty sums up what plenty of supporters are feeling right now, fed up with a board that seems miles away from the heartbeat of the club.
With big games ahead and the AGM on the horizon, this criticism isn’t going away. The message from Dykes and the fans is simple enough: they’re not backing off, and every move the board makes from here will be under the microscope.
