By Mark Pirie

Copyright irishmirror

Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond could intervene to “take a lead” in the ongoing dispute between supporters and the board.

This comes from Hugh Keevins, with tensions simmering between the Bhoys’ faithful and club officials ahead of the Premier Sports Cup encounter with Partick Thistle.

Celtic supporters have been left incensed with the board over insufficient investment during the summer transfer window.

The postponement in securing players like winger Sebastian Tounekti from Hammarby prior to the vital Champions League playoff against Kairat Almaty – which resulted in the club’s elimination from Europe’s premier tournament on spot-kicks – has prompted some fans to demand major changes at boardroom level.

Supporter organisations have orchestrated demonstrations against the leadership in recent weeks – whilst Brendan Rodgers’ squad maintained their encouraging beginning to the Premiership season against Kilmarnock, reports the Daily Record.

The manager was far from impressed with an unidentified Parkhead insider – labelling them “cowardly” after allegations that Rodgers was plotting a departure from Celtic.

Keevins believes the chief could relieve pressure on his fellow directors by making a public statement.

Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Keevins commented: “Dermot is always referred to as an absentee landlord, and he doesn’t come here very often.

“It was normally on Champions League nights, and there are none of those to come.

“You can’t have this situation where the manager is being briefed against in a newspaper, where the manager comes out and says it was a cowardly act and whoever did it should resign, and supporters are arranging demonstrations at Rugby Park.

“Dermot Desmond has been wonderful for Celtic, for 13 years he put money into the club and been wildly successful.

“But there are a lot of things going on at the moment that are deeply unsatisfactory.

“And I don’t think it would be beyond imagination for Dermot Desmond to come here and take a lead and speak to the fans.”

It would be the first time in three years that Desmond has spoken openly in a wide-ranging interview if he was to speak directly with the punters.

The atmosphere around the Premiership champions was markedly different when he made a rare appearance on Celtic’s club TV, with Ange Postecoglou on the cusp of clinching a first title in Glasgow.

However, rising tensions could prompt a change in approach from Desmond.