Michael Nicholson 'shrugs' at Celtic transfer quip by Brendan Rodgers as fan summit intel goes public
The Celtic Fan Collective held a showdown with the board on Monday and the fallout is rumbling on
Chief Executive Offer Michael Nicholson "shrugged his shoulders" when asked about comments from Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers about "club signings"
Peace talks were held on Monday night between the board and a selection of representatives from Hoops supporters clubs under the Celtic Fan Collective banner.
Following the sitdown the club held their hands up over the summer window and Champions League failings in a club statement - but raging punters vented their anger after the meeting with a fresh protest.
Minutes from the meeting have now been made public, with the Fan Collective putting Nicholson and Chief Financial Officer Chris McKay on the spot over Rodgers' comments that summer recruit Shin Yamada was a "club signing".
Hayato Inamura has also disappeared from the Celtic first-team plans after his arrival just months ago having been described by the boss as "part of the investment of the club."
Minutes from the meeting show the fans requested to know who is responsible for transfers as well as "who ‘values’ players and agrees commercial terms."
McKay "explained that a multi-disciplinary approach is taken. This approach is led by the football department who identify players, with the executive team concluding transactions."
Celtic Supporters Association member Joe Gallagher asked if all signings were sanctioned by the manager, which the minutes note Nicholson confirmed.
Martin Gemmell of the Fan Collective then asked why Rodgers would refer to some recruits as "club signings" to which Nicholson "shrugged his shoulders."
A statement from the club accompanying the minutes read: "Following Monday evening’s meeting with supporters at Celtic Park we are pleased to share the agreed minutes.
"The club welcomed the opportunity to meet with a broad range of fan representatives and groups, to listen and discuss their concerns directly.
"We understand that the club has not been where we all wanted it to be and we recognised the importance of working together in a constructive and positive way to find a way forward without negatively impacting the team.
"As outlined in Tuesday’s meeting summary, outputs from the meeting included a commitment to seek to ensure supporter involvement in meetings with Police Scotland regarding the Fairhurst Report, the review and development of supporter engagement processes, and progressing a new safe-standing working group.
"This meeting is part of our ongoing commitment to engage meaningfully with supporters, building on existing dialogue and working together.
"While views may differ, we all share the same fundamental objective – the continued success of Celtic Football Club.
"We were pleased to host this meeting and thank supporters for their attendance and involvement in these discussions. The club intends to invite the same groups of supporters to a further meeting in due course."