Fresh Celtic AGM rumours spark response from supporters group

Celtic supporters group responds as online AGM rumours spark fresh debate

Celtic’s plans for this year’s AGM have become a talking point after former Hoops striker Frank McAvennie claimed the club could be preparing to hold the meeting digitally.

McAvennie made the claim on his Let Me Be Frank podcast, suggesting he had been told that Celtic’s upcoming AGM would take place online.

He also linked the reported move to the chaotic scenes at last year’s meeting, which was eventually brought to an early end following protests and angry reactions from shareholders.

However, Celtic Supporters Limited has now pushed back against the idea that the club could simply move the AGM onto platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

The supporters group argues that there are still unresolved legal questions surrounding fully virtual AGMs and says Celtic could not simply decide to remove the traditional face-to-face meeting without the necessary shareholder approval.

Under current UK company law, AGM notices are required to specify a time, date and place. Whether a completely virtual meeting satisfies the requirement for a physical “place” remains an area of uncertainty.

The UK Government is currently consulting on proposals that could provide companies with clearer legal powers to hold fully virtual shareholder meetings. However, that consultation is still ongoing and does not mean the proposed changes are already law.

Celtic Supporters Limited therefore believes the club cannot simply switch to a virtual-only AGM without taking the appropriate steps.

The group also stressed the importance of shareholders being able to attend the meeting in person and question the Celtic board directly.

For Celtic shareholders, that could make this year’s AGM particularly significant given the tensions that surrounded the previous meeting.

Emergency rules introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic previously allowed companies to restrict physical attendance at shareholder meetings, but those temporary measures have since expired.

There is also another hurdle if Celtic wanted to change its articles of association to specifically permit virtual-only meetings. Such a change would normally require a special resolution backed by at least 75 per cent of votes cast.

Celtic have not announced that the upcoming AGM will be held online, meaning McAvennie’s claim remains unconfirmed for now.

The club has yet to formally reveal the date and precise attendance arrangements, so supporters will have to wait for the official AGM notice before knowing exactly how the meeting will be conducted.

The speculation comes after last year’s AGM descended into disorder, with protests and jeers eventually forcing proceedings to be abandoned.

That history has inevitably added extra interest to the latest rumours, but for now, there is no official confirmation that Celtic intend to replace the traditional in-person AGM with a fully digital meeting.