DERMOT DESMOND REPLIES TO PRESS COVERAGE 
OF HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE CSA

To all Celtic Fans:

I gave an honest interview to the Celtic Supporters Association on 14 November 2005 without any preconditions. I referred in my interview to the unbalanced coverage that Celtic gets in certain sections of the Scottish Press; that the Scottish Press like to create trouble within Celtic; that there would be some form of distortion in the media coverage of my interview; that the papers would find something to create a division between myself and the fans. Unfortunately I was proved right. Anyone who has taken the trouble to read the interview in full will realise how my comments were taken out of context and distorted.

When I have criticised the press before, they retort by saying I should engage with them and give interviews. The unbalanced coverage of my latest interview shows that the press will print what they like, regardless of whether you provide them with material or not.

I will be making complaints against individual journalists and their papers including:

James Traynor, Scottish Daily Record

Gerry McNee, Scottish News of the World

Andy McInnes, Daily Star Scotland and Scottish Daily Express

Tosh McKinlay, Glasgow Evening Times

Roddy Forsyth, Ireland on Sunday

Ally Guthrie, Irish Daily Star

The BBC agreed to amend its website to provide a link to the full interview, rather than just setting out some quotes.

I am now going to clarify what actually was discussed during my interview. The main comment which has been latched onto by the press is that I am accused of saying that Celtic fans are ignorant. I never said that Celtic fans are ignorant per se. What I did say was that it was ignorant for the fans to say that all the problems are resolved by me putting money into the Club, that will never be the case; I said that most of the fans are not financially astute, that the fans have never looked at a balance sheet and a profit and loss statement. How you the supporters spend your money is purely your decision. In the same way that I respect your choice, supporters should respect that I have the same choice as to how I spend my money.

I note that there was no rush by the Scottish Press to publish the positive comments I made about the Celtic fans: how I said we had a good fan base and that "My message would be to continue to be the best supporters in the world. It would be for everyone to work as a team and not to seek division or see it as them and us, we're all working together." I commented on seeing all the Celtic supporters in Seville and their behaviour and seeing the goodwill and the dignity in which the Celtic fans wore the green and white, and how that was a matter of pride for me and also pride in the performance of the team.

As I said in my interview, I am passionate about Celtic succeeding. I said that we have looked at avenues to develop Celtic through the European Commission, into the English Premier League and we continue to do that. We are looking at all of the options for the Club, we have never stopped. I also said "What matters to a Club in my personal view is that its traditions are maintained, that its development is maintained, and it recognises all its constituents because constituents at a football club are the supporters, the players, the manager, staff and the directors".

I will repeat what I said at the end of my interview: "Everything that I have done with the Board at the Club has been to bring Celtic to the pinnacle, that's our goal. We've never compromised on our goal. Everything we do is to make Celtic independent, flourishing and the most successful football club in the world".

Finally I would like to open a debate with you about the journalists who have consistently failed to give balanced coverage of Celtic in the media and who have sought to create divisions within the Club. Do you think they should be banned from Celtic Park? Do you think Celtic Fans should continue to buy such papers?

I would like to thank the Celtic fans who have taken the time to read the interview thoroughly and welcome your honest opinions, whether good or bad.

Dermot F. Desmond

13 December 2005