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FORMER Celtic striker Davie Provan has slammed current chairman Ian Bankier for his comments about Scottish referees at the club’s AGM on Wednesday.
Bankier was asked by a supporter about incidents involving officials Bobby Madden and Nick Walsh, with the Parkhead chair admitting the contentious calls were a “source of deep concern”.
When pressed on whether he had concerns over Walsh, who will officiate Saturday’s League Cup semi-final between Ange Postecoglou’s side and St Johnstone, Bankier continued: “We don’t run the SFA.
“We are a member club of which there are others and we get our shout, we get our say.
“You can’t expect us with a flick of the wrist to tell the SFA what to do and what not to do. We don’t run the game.”
Provan, appearing on the Go Radio Football Show, questioned the “grandstanding” from Bankier as he urged the Celtic chief to provide clarity on the cause of his concern.
“Where I do have a position is Ian Bankier criticising a referee before a game,” Provan said.
“What is that about? That’s grandstanding, that’s all that is. It’s just trying to appease a section of the support.
“Is he trying to say the referee is biased or…? What is he trying to say here?”
Provan went on to criticise majority shareholder Dermot Desmond for not attending the AGM and called for “new blood” on the Parkhead board.
“I don’t think it’s a good look,” he said of Desmond’s absence.
“I know Celtic is a small part of the Desmond business empire but with the amount of people that care about the club, I think he could make an effort to turn up and show his face.
“It would go down well with supporters.
“It just doesn’t look good when he’s skipping it. As for Ian Bankier saying he’s going to back Postecoglou… I’m not sure the supporters pay too much attention to what Mr Bankier says.
“I would really like, in the fullness of time, to see more support influence on the Celtic board.
“A lot of them have been there for too long. They failed the club recently, failed the club badly by getting complacent.
“The board as well as the team needs new blood.”
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