Dermot Desmond, Celtic’s biggest shareholder, became the focus of a protest during the Alfred Dunhill Links golf tournament in St Andrews, where tennis balls were thrown in his direction.
The balls, which displayed crossed-out images of the 76-year-old’s face, landed on the 15th green during the pro-am event. Pictures from the scene showed security personnel escorting Desmond away from the course.
The Celtic Fans Collective later issued a statement and shared photographs and video footage of the protest.
The group said: “Dermot Desmond has effectively been permitted to control Celtic Football Club while using his wealth to avoid engaging with supporters and being held accountable. Fans used today’s opportunity to make clear that this situation cannot carry on.”
Desmond is the Scottish Premiership side’s largest individual shareholder, but he has faced growing criticism in recent seasons over Celtic’s limited advancement in European competition and disappointing transfer activity.
Following Brendan Rodgers’ departure at the start of last season, Desmond held the former manager responsible for many of the difficulties that affected the opening stages of the 2025-26 campaign.
At Celtic’s annual general meeting last November, which was halted because of protests from supporters, Desmond’s son Ross delivered a statement for his father.
He opened by describing his father as a “lifelong and devoted” Celtic fan and insisted that the board would not allow itself to be “intimidated by hostile and unreasonable” criticism.
Desmond also backed then-chairman Peter Lawwell and chief executive Michael Nicholson, saying efforts to “strip them of their humanity and portray them as villains are disgraceful”.
He later condemned the actions of some supporters in connection with an incident that resulted in a ban for the Green Brigade ultras group, adding: “Those individuals are bullies.”
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