Dempsey: Time to face fans Dermot

DERMOT DESMOND has been urged to come to Scotland as a matter of necessity to personally sort out the internal warfare between the club and its supporters which threatens to disrupt Celtic's season.

- BY HUGH KEEVINS

And the man who is pleading with the Irishman to assume control of a dispute that threatens to escalate beyond today’s fan disruption of the game against Kilmarnock is Brian Dempsey.

The former director who, along with Desmond and Fergus McCann worked to complete the takeover of Celtic in 1994, but has now expressed “sadness and disbelief” at the extent to which relationships between the club and its supporters have descended into disharmony and chaos.

Fans will stay outside Rugby Park for the first 12 minutes of Celtic's game this afternoon by way of protest after passing an overwhelming vote of no confidence in the club's board.

Dempsey worries about the effect that will have on the team on the park.

APPEAL Desmond

"It has to be counter productive to have that happen if you're Brendan Rodgers and the Celtic players," he said.