The travails of Celtic continued yesterday and the club board - the football board that is - met for five hours yesterday to discuss the departure of director Willie Haughey.

After earlier confusion, Haughey tendered his resignation to the club through his lawyer, but still refused to accept the allegations being laid at his door by managing director Fergus McCann of leaking stories to newspapers.

The Haughey affair seems to have become so central to the club's thinking that a proposed meeting with under siege manager Tommy Burns was postponed.

Burns, whose own future has been open to question, was scheduled to meet the directors yesterday. Instead, the five-hour meeting concentrated on the problem of the director who had left.

I understand that other directors feel a sense of disquiet over the entire handling of Haughey's departure. And the Glasgow businessman, who put up #1m of his own money to help the rescue operation, will remain a source of embarrassment to McCann. As a major investor, Haughey's continued presence at Celtic Park is guaranteed.

It remains to be seen whether his allies on the board will follow him out of the club, or remain to fight his cause from within.

There is no doubt that the board are divided.

Haughey spent yesterday at his Glasgow home receiving messages of support from supporters' associations with whom he has worked closely since becoming a director following the revolution which sent the old Celtic ''families'' into the wilderness.

Initially, he refused to accept the resignation letter he was being asked to sign. Despite that, Celtic announced that he had left the club.

Yesterday he did so, but only after consulting his lawyer and allowing the official resignation to go ahead.

Celtic responded with their own statements. Managing director Fergus McCann said: ''Mr Haughey last night (28/4/97) tendered his resignation through his lawyer, Jack Gardiner, to Celtic's lawyer, Kevin Sweeney.

''As for other allegations, jibes, and general attempts to discredit Celtic, and various other individuals, I do not feel it is appropriate for Celtic to be dragged into a public slanging match.

''It is felt that it is in the best interests of all concerned, including Mr Haughey, that the circumstances surrounding his departure are not disclosed.

''The plc board of Celtic unanimously agreed the action required, and the fact is, Mr Haughey is no longer a director of Celtic.''

Then later the club's public relations officer, Peter McLean, added: ''It is not an unusual response in Mr Haughey's position to aim to try and discredit individuals. I fully support the statement and line taken by the club reflected in Fergus McCann's comments.''

Celtic supremo McCann may hope that the five-hour meeting yesterday has ended his problems. If he does so, he will be wrong. There is more to come. Probably much more.

This is not simply about ''leaks,'' this is surely about the manner in which the club is being run and the on-field problems which continue to plague them.

The supporters have a voice now, they have a vote now, and they will make themselves heard.