Parkhead chief Peter is the best in Europe for ex-SPL exec Rog
PETER LAWWELL is the best chief executive in European football, according to the man who used to run Scotland’s top flight.
Roger Mitchell not only endorsed the Celtic chief executive after the Scottish champions posted profits of almost £19 million on Monday, but can envisage Lawwell and Brendan Rodgers putting down such secure roots that the future of the Ladbrokes Premiership will be green for years to come.
The former SPL chief executive says Lawwell has done his job so well off the pitch, that Celtic will definitely win a record 10 titles in a row. He also believes that if Lawwell and Rodgers want to leave a real legacy, Celtic’s name could be inscribed on the trophy for the next 20 years.
Mitchell oversaw the birth of the SPL in 1998 as its first chief executive but if the landscape of the domestic game has changed since those heady days, he is comforted by the fact the club he supports, Celtic, are swimming against the tide as the 52-year-old watches from his home in Italy.
The remarkable £61.2m turnover from the first six months of this season, thanks to the injection of Champions League revenue and increased season ticket sales after Rodgers took over as manager last June, is tangible evidence.
It is the payback, says Mitchell, for Lawwell’s sensible running of the club since he took the role in 2003. More importantly, Mitchell no longer sees Lawwell being poached by a wealthy English club.
“I think Peter Lawwell is now at the point in his life where he can see things differently and he has the chance to really leave an important legacy at Celtic,” said Mitchell. “And I am convinced that legacy will be 10 in a row for the Celtic fans.
“If Peter Lawwell and Brendan Rodgers stay at Celtic Park, then I cannot see any other team winning the Premiership. They could close it off for Celtic for the next 20 years.
“For me, Peter is the best football chief executive working anywhere in Europe. And these new figures from Celtic show that.
“It is not just my view. Recently Barcelona’s hierarchy made positive comments about Peter because of his work with the European Clubs Association [ECA], which Peter is on the board of.
“When Peter took over at Celtic in 2003, it was a different business model. Celtic had just reached the Uefa Cup final but Peter knew that was not sustainable. He had to make changes. That was not easy.
“Fans have expectations, especially when you get to European finals, but Peter had to change Celtic’s financial model without Celtic stopping being successful.
“He turned them into a selling club and downsized the wage bill but managed to keep Celtic competitive on the pitch. They qualified for the Champions League, more often than not, and with different managers.
“In my day at the SPL, Celtic would have got between £2m-£3m from domestic television revenue, which is pretty much what it is now. The EPL clubs would get £20m-£40m. Now the
EPL clubs get £120m. That is why the Champions League money is so important to Celtic.”
If England is the Promised Land for players and managers, the same has to be true for a chief executive. Yet, Mitchell feels Lawwell will be immune to any offer from an EPL club.
“There was speculation a few years ago about Peter moving to Arsenal,” he recalls.
“I am sure Peter has had many offers but he’s a Celtic man and I am sure he wants to make this club a great one.
“I think the chance of Peter leaving Celtic is smaller than at any time in the last 14 years. He has a good manager and both can leave a historic
legacy at Celtic.”