Lawwell can’t afford to slip up with Celts’ stance

RESTLESS, disgruntled Celtic supporters complain of feeling neglected and shortchanged by the club — with Peter Lawwell first in the firing line. To that end, the chief executive embarked on a PR offensive this week. But the one question he has yet to answer is also the one many Celtic fans want answered most. Where, precisely, do the Parkhead club stand on the issue of Resolution 12? A group of determined Celtic shareholders are pursuing the SFA over a conviction Rangers should have been denied a licence to play in the Champions League in season 2011/12 due to outstanding tax liabilities. Celtic, it’s argued, were done out of a place in UEFA’s blue-riband competition. You might expect the Parkhead club to be screaming from the rooftops about this but the Scottish champions have had four years to go to town on the SFA. And they have shown no public inclination to do so. If they go nuclear, it becomes a major story. Yet another civil war in Scottish football. Sweep it under the carpet and their own fans will start screaming blue murder. Lawwell speaks of a statement soon, outlining the club’s stance. But make no mistake. For Celtic’s chief exec, this is like juggling live hand grenades. One slip and it all goes off.