Dermot Desmond Interview

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/celtic/u/dermot-desmond-celtic-have-great-future.1394133094

 

Most interested in what he means by the club being "visionary in developing internationally".

 

I like his moustache

 

I know people can't take to him because he doesn't put his own money in to Celtic which he is quite right to do as we should be able to support ourselves without the aid of a billionaire. Look at man city and Chelsea, they'd be buggered if their owners decided they weren't interested anymore and * off.

 

I think Celtic are at the forefront in pushing for a EuroLeague. Lawwell's having been appointed to an organization which regularly uses it as a threat against UEFA only convinces me of that fact even more.

 

I think DD has invested plenty of money in Celtic . With the ownership structure that we have the only way that he can invest more money in Celtic is by the club having another share issue and he buying them . That would dilute existing share holdings and give him and his son an even bigger share of the ownership. This wouldn't be good for the club, as if he decided to sell his large % of shares then the value of the club would fall dramatically . Chelsea and Manchester City have a different type of ownership and their owners were more interested in laundering money than anything else .

 

Yes I think the long term view/plan is to play in a "new" league if/when this happens, I hope we maintain a Celtic team playing in a Scottish league.

 

Season ticket renewals obviously round the corner then.

 

How did he become the majority shareholder then?

 

The shares are an asset to him remember. He will no doubt get the majority if not all of his money back if he ever chooses to sell them.

 

He has still put his money in the club. He has no guarantee on his money. I am sure he could have found other ways to invest his money that would give him a bigger return.

 

* DD

 

Think I heard Brian Dempsey say the other night on the radio that DD had ploughed plenty of his own money into Celtic.

 

Why? The guy ploughed over £8 million of his own money into the club and without it and Fergus we'd most likely not be where we are now- one of the best run clubs in Europe.

 

I was talking about people wanting him to spend his own money to buy us players.

 

We're lucky to have guys like Desmond and Lawwell at the Club. Quite worrying what it will be like in 20 years when they've probably moved on as at the moment they are two of the best at their jobs in British football, from them to the next major shareholder and CEO it will be a step down.

Does Desmond have kids? would be good if they took over his shares.

 

He is only interested in the balance sheet, he won't help the team go to the next level, even although he is a Billionaire, no that's up to the supporters acording to him and Lawwell !!!

As for those who claim he has already invested well in Celtic, you must be music to his ears, time to wake and realise that Dermot bought his shares and has not invested much since. Compare him to many other chairman in terms of investment in their team, he has done next to nothing, however he has gathered a few nice bonuses along the way !!!

 

If by the next level you mean getting into the last 16 of the CL regularly, that based on our current income / expenditure ratio is almost impossible. Or would you rather we went down the Huns route and tried to buy success in Europe?

The CL is full of teams with enormous amounts of debt who run the very high risk of going bust once their sugar daddy's get fed up with their latest toys. Virtually every other club that has a bigger income than ourselves have done nothing in Europe, so just what is the next level and how are we meant to achieve it?

How has he not invested well when he put his money where his mouth is to save us for from being another Sevco. In my opinion without guys like DD we simply wouldn't exist today.

 

No, * him in a good way, guys a legend

 

Owners subsidising their clubs is how clubs end up in the *. The smartest way to run a Club is within its own means, as we are run. Desmond doesnt get bonuses either he is paid £25k a year for being on the board.