Despite Celtic already qualifying from their Europa League group with two games to go and sitting top of the Scottish Premiership, it was a far from harmonious AGM with manager Neil Lennon also coming under fire following his remarks on fan group, the Green Brigade, as reported in The Scottish Sun.
The Green Brigade have been suspended from Parkhead for the immediate future following recent UEFA sanctions, the latest involving the use of pyrotechnics at the ground.
Following a statement from the fans group there appears to be no room for negotiation with them calling gate Celtic board “vindictive“.
Lennon’s throwaway comment hasn’t gone down well with Hoops fans when he said:
“We want the Green Brigade back ASAP – but in the right manner. It’s fair to say we could have bought a player for that amount of money and it’s all going to Uefa”.
Was Lennon right to criticise the Green Brigade?
Yes
No
Celtic fans reacted to the manager’s comments on Twitter and weren’t happy given the manner in which the club failed to qualify for the Champions League and the salary of chief executive, Peter Lawwell.
So Neil Lennon towing lawwell line #celticAGM that #greenbrigade cost @CelticFC players. No only people cost us players is board. Its all too convenient blame others deflect from their failings yet penny pinching failed get us qualified #ChampionsLeague #celticfamily #Celtic
— @CelticBhoy1888 (@Celt_Bhoy1888) November 28, 2019
“Canny believe we’ve grown old enough to see the unrepentant Neil Lennon turn into a bootlicker”
— Mire CSC (@TheMireCSC2002) November 28, 2019
Very sad to see Neil Lennon go along with ‘Green Brigade have cost us a player’ line re 500,000 euro fines. We have £40m sitting in bank and spent £4m on Bayo and Shved in January of this year. We have one of the top 50 highest paid Chief Exec’s in Europe, maybe top 25.
— Joe McHugh (@videocelts) November 27, 2019
It’s the Green Brigade’s fault we missed out on John McGinn. We clearly ringfenced the cash for fines. Ban the lot of them 👎🏼
— Chris O’Shea (@Jorchiso) November 27, 2019
Lennons a puppet that’s why he’s there
— greenhillsbhoy (@Paulmullen4) November 27, 2019
How many players did he cost us with his performance against Cluj?
— Paul McQueen (@queenmachine67) November 27, 2019
Lennon has credit in the bank with Celtic fans but on this occasion he maybe should have chosen his words more wisely, especially when the man sitting next to him is one of the highest paid executives in European football.