'It is the core of the support who have lost patience,' Bernard Ponsonby

The bold Bernard is in the news this week after he delivers a speech on what it means to be Celtic where he tackled the current issues at the club head on – and all at an official Celtic Foundation event apparently.  He starts by telling the audience to forget about the ultras protest because it is in actual fact much bigger than that. It’s easy for to frame this as Ultras and perhaps those ‘vultures’ podcasters in the (banned) Celtic fan media versus the Celtic Board with the rest of the support stuck in the middle and indifferent to the debate on how Celtic should look as a modern football club.

At the charity event, Ponsonby was an invited guest alongside Sean Fallon Jr. and former Celtic striker Brian McClair. Here’s what he had to say and you can watch the video of the speech below.

Bernard Ponsonby’s Celtic Speech in Full…

“Forget the ultras groups, they are statistically insignificant in terms of the worldwide fan base. It is the core of the support who have lost patience. Sack the board is a slogan, it’s not a strategy.

“The obvious way to sack the board is to vote directors off at an AGM, but everyone knows that the numbers aren’t there. And there is little point in sacking one set of directors to be replaced by another set of directors unless the business model changes.

“I want change, but I’m not blind to the fact that change of itself comes with risk.

“If Mr Desmond remains, I suspect nothing much changes. It’s not clear to me who would take over if he decides to sell up, and whether new investors would actually get what the support is all about.

“The last 25 years have been a period of unparalleled dominance, and frankly, you would have to be blinded by irrationality not to pay tribute to many of the people who have been in leadership roles in the club because they have overseen that period of sustained dominance.

“But the repeated failures on the European stage and the inability to defeat teams with vastly inferior budgets are a sobering reminder that domestic dominance is not what the support craves.

“Now we all travel, and I’m always struck that there is a soft spot for Celtic in many other countries. This is partly down to the mystique that the unique history of the club evokes. But it is primarily down to the people who support the club.

“The best ambassadors for the club are those who support the club. What does Celtic mean to me? Not trophies or European Cups or even Quadruple Trebles. Yes, they bring excitement and joy. But what this club means is bigger than the material. This dinner is an aid of the Foundation.

“The Foundation, above all else, is the spirit of this club, and it is bigger than winning any trophy. To help a family in need, to make a difference to those less fortunate than ourselves, for me, that is the very essence of what it means to be Celtic.

“There is an almost spiritual quality to the club, which is why it is ultimately for all of us an affair of the heart. I am never happier than in the company of fellow supporters. For over 130 years, the support has defined the club. The support is indivisible from the heroes on the pitch.

“We all feel it, and we all get it. There is, of course, one thing that would relegate the ill feeling, and that is success on the pitch, particularly in Europe. It is a truism that boards are always the target when things go wrong. It is the same at every single club.

“The communication simply has to be better. Whoever the directors are. And absentee landlords and their offspring reading the Riot Act simply will not do it.

“Season ticket renewal is about soon, and for the first time in my life, I have actually questioned if I will renew. I know I will, but the fact that I even have to ask the question speaks volumes. I hope for better days ahead.

“When Tommy Burns became manager of the club, he said at his first press conference that he wanted to put something back that had been missing, and he said that thing that was missing was Celtic. Amen to that.

“I would like to thank the club for inviting me tonight, and it is a great pleasure to share a table with Sean Fallon Jr. and Brian McClair. Sean Sr. was widely regarded as a great gent. Someone who made me feel proud that he represented our club.

“Brian was a great player for us. My favourite goal, the third against Sporting Lisbon on the stroke of half-time when we overcame a two-goal deficit on November 2, 1983.

“It is also my favourite Arthur Montford commentary, and if you have not seen the game, check it out on YouTube. That was a magical night. I left the ground utterly buzzing. Only defeating Barcelona for the club’s 125th anniversary made me feel higher.

“Great games and great times. They seem a world away from this season. The turbulence will settle, and what will be will be. Whatever happens, we will still be there in spirit and in song. Players, managers, ambassadors, and heroes.

“But the greatest accolade you can ever have is to call yourself a supporter. Hail, Hail, and here’s to better days ahead.”

Here’s the video on Bernard Ponsonby’s brilliant speech. One thing that has been noted about the Celtic Fans Collective is that it needs a Celtic supporter to front the Collective, to lead from the front and to be the face and the voice of the campaign for a better version of our football club. Perhaps we have found our man!

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