Celtic have announced that club chairman Peter Lawwell will step down after more than 20 years of service.
An official statement was shared on Wednesday evening stating that Lawwell’s resignation will take effect from December 31.
However, despite the unprecedented domestic triumph, the Parkhead chairman’s resignation will be greeted with joy by many Hoops fans. This begs the question: how is success defined at Celtic?
Peter Lawwell steps down as chairman
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 17, 2025
Why did Peter Lawwell resign as chairman of Celtic?
Celtic’s season has continually gone from bad to worse. A disappointing summer transfer window, elimination from the Champions League qualifiers and the resignation of Brendan Rodgers led to a massive fan protest at the club’s General Meeting.
Anti-board demonstrations have since become the norm on match days, with many calling for the group to be replaced.
Citing an increase in “intolerable” abuse, Lawwell made the decision to resign.
How long was Peter Lawwell at Celtic and what did he win?
Peter Lawwell has been Celtic’s non-executive chairman since January 2023. He previously served as CEO from 2003 to 2021.
During Lawwell’s tenure, Celtic won 38 trophies and five domestic trebles – including a world record four trebles in a row.
He also oversaw the development of the club’s training center in Lennoxtown.
In December last year, Celtic also overtook Rangers as Scotland’s most successful club – a swing of 24 trophies since Lawwell first passed through Parkhead gates.
This all sounds great, but could it have been better? When Rangers’ liquidation saw them restart in the lower divisions of Scottish football, Celtic had a free hit in virtually every domestic trophy.
Despite consistently winning the league in those years, regular cup disappointments to the likes of Ross County and Inverness made it clear that this was a poor Hoops era.
The biggest disappointment of all was not winning a record-breaking tenth straight league title in 2021. With Rangers in the state for so long, Lawwell’s Celtic should have left them in the dust.
Instead, a poor manager appointment and a lackluster transfer window culminated in Lawwell’s first major sacking and a season to forget. Rangers, down and out for so long, won the title at the expense of Peter Lawwell.
Celtic’s best and worst signings under the tutelage of Peter Lawwell
Celtic followed a simple transfer strategy under Peter Lawwell: buy low and sell high.
The approach for years was to buy relatively unproven players at a low cost (up to £5 million), develop them and sell them for a higher fee.
It’s a similar model used by teams like Club Brugge and Ajax, who want to compete with the wealth of Europe’s big five leagues. It made Celtic strong financially – they have £77m in the bank.
But for every big-money sale like Matt O’Riley and Nicholas Kuhn, there were twice as many duds like Albian Ajeti and Mo Bangura.
There is a feeling among fans that transfers under Lawwell have been too inconsistent. Sure, you’d come across a Virgil van Dijk every now and then, but far too often Celtic’s scouts came up short, indicating poor leadership at the top.
How is success defined at Celtic?
Celtic fans want two things: domestic dominance and European progress.
Despite the misstep of 2021, it’s fair to say that Lawwell has largely delivered on the former – especially in the Rodgers and Postecoglou eras.
And while the Bhoys might have enjoyed success in Scotland, continental football was a different, and scarring, beast.
Celtic have not won a European knockout match since April 2003, six months before Lawwell became CEO.
Club update. pic.twitter.com/Xl68pRdxq4
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 17, 2025
The European misery was only compounded by defeats in Champions League qualifying against the likes of Maribor, Cluj and Kairat Almaty – clubs of a caliber far below that expected of Celtic.
These early-season continental disappointments often coincided with lackluster transfer windows, furthering fan disapproval of Celtic executives.
If the Hoops want to be a modern and progressive club in European football, competing consistently in the Champions League is a must. The only way to achieve this is to build a team that can compete with the elite. Far too often the Hoops fell short of this standard under the leadership of Peter Lawwell.
What does Lawwell’s departure mean for Celtic?
Looking ahead, Peter Lawwell leaves behind a financially stable Celtic, but that’s where the positives end.
There are big question marks surrounding the new coach, Wilfried Nancy, who is already failing in his long term to-do list if he wants to succeed in Glasgow. Reinforcements in January are needed if the Hoops are to retain their Scottish crown.
The relationship between fans and the board will remain as sour as ever. For many supporters, Lawwell’s head is just the first to roll. The protests will continue.
Only time will tell whether Celtic will progress without Lawwell – and that progress will be measured against more than two decades of domestic dominance and the hope of stronger European progress.
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