Celtic supremo Dermot Desmond has history with supporters showing their disdain for the way the club is run.
But even back a few years ago the majority shareholder was defiant and stubborn in his views. Stubborn in the sense that he refused to bow to supporter pressure after defeat.
In an interview conducted in the past, Desmond's views then bare an incredible similarity to the issues surrounding Celtic in today's game and the Neil Lennon protests which hurt the club last weekend.
Desmond and chief executive Peter Lawwell backed their manager despite just two wins from 10 matches and a dismal run of form that sees them 11 points behind Rangers, out of Europe and out of the Betfred Cup.
But the ugly, chaotic scenes after Sunday's 2-0 loss to Ross County - where fans wrecked baracades, injured cops and lobbed missiles at officials - had the adverse affect on Desmond than what supporters would have hoped. And it's not the first time.
In an interview unearthed by The Scotsman, Desmond previously spoke of difficult times at Celtic and how he chooses to handle disgruntled fans. "The biggest contradiction about Celtic, and Celtic supporters, is from the minority," Desmond said. "When those same supporters that sing about ‘being faithful through and through’ then boo those at the club that is a complete and utter desecration of that song.
“I totally abhor anyone like that. Real support is when you are losing. Everybody gives me support when I don’t need it. I only want support when I need it. When we are winning matches here, when we are winning trophies or winning the league, there will be people that will come up to me at Celtic Park and give me a thumbs up, smile at me, and tell me ‘good man’.
"We lose a big match and I’m the greatest bollox on the earth. It’s all my fault, all the directors’ fault. But when we win it is down to the manager and team, not the directors. We are beneficiaries of abuse, we are never beneficiaries of praise.”
Desmond has never bowed to fan pressure, and it does not look like he's about to start doing so, either.
“If a million people told me to do something [in a body of] only a million and one, and I was the one and I didn’t feel that something was right, then I would take my own counsel. And they can shout, and they can exhort all they like, and I will not change my opinion if I think it is the right thing for this club.
“Everything that is done from this club from all the board members and the management, we all do it because it is in the right interests. We might not get it right all the time, but we genuinely act without self-interest. When Celtic are enjoying a period of success some people think that is a just cause, requirement, a need. It makes it more difficult to manage expectations. The difficulty is to produce a good team."
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