Dec 17 (Reuters) - Scottish Premiership club Celtic's chairman Peter Lawwell said on Wednesday he was leaving by the end of the month, blaming abuse and threats during a tough season on and off the pitch.
The 66-year-old's resignation comes at a turbulent time for Celtic: Brendan Rodgers quit as coach in October after a poor run, and in November shareholders halted an Annual General Meeting with boos, red cards and chants of "Sack the board".
"It is with sadness that I announce my decision to stand down as Chairman of Celtic FC," Lawwell said in a club statement.
He served as chief executive at Celtic for 18 years until 2021 and returned two years later as chairman. Current director Brian Wilson will be his interim replacement.
"I believe that my 18 years as Chief Executive and three years as Chairman at the Club have shown my ability to meet and overcome challenges on many fronts, but abuse and threats from some sources have increased and are now intolerable," Lawwell added, without specifying those sources further.
"They have dismayed and alarmed my family. At this stage in my life, I don't need this. I cannot accept this and so I leave the club I have loved all my life."
FANS UNHAPPY WITH BOARD
While Celtic have won the last four Scottish league titles, fans are unhappy with their lack of progress in Europe and have staged protests throughout the season against what they see as the board's lack of investment in the transfer market.
Rodgers' resignation came after the club slipped to eight points off league leaders Hearts, along with an early exit from the Champions League to Kazakhstan's Kairat Almaty, and was met by strong words from Celtic's largest individual shareholder, Dermot Desmond.
Desmond described Rodgers' words and actions as "divisive, misleading, and self‐serving" , which led to a "toxic atmosphere around the club and fuelled hostility towards members of the executive team and the Board".
There was an immediate upturn in fortunes under interim manager Martin O'Neill, who won all five league matches during his return to the club, but new coach Wilfried Nancy has lost his first three games since arriving two weeks ago.
Nancy's first test was a home match against leaders Hearts, which Celtic lost 2-1. They then suffered a 3-0 home defeat to AS Roma in the Europa League followed by Sunday's 3-1 loss against St Mirren in the League Cup final.
Celtic play Dundee United later on Wednesday and are six points off Hearts but with two games in hand.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
