Celtic chairman Peter Lawwell hit back at a journalist turned blogger over a "highly personal question" in a tense exchange at the club AGM.

The meeting was held at Celtic Park this morning with a section reserved for shareholders to ask questions to those at the top table.

One of those to step to the microphone was former Joe McHugh, a prominent Celtic blogger who previously worked for the Daily Mirror as a journalist.

The blogger questioned chiefs over the appointment of Mark Lawwell as head of recruitment citing "three disastrous transfer windows" and the departure of the "chairman's son".

Mark Lawwell - who helped bring Ange Postecoglou to Celtic - joined the club from the City Group. He served for two years before leaving "to pursue fresh challenges".

Suggesting Lawwell was "sacked", McHugh questioned the "jovial" nature of the appointment of Lawwell at the club's last AGM.

The blogger said: "Last year, you were quite jovial when asked about the appointment of Mark Lawwell as the head of recruitment.

"After three disastrous transfer windows, when did you first get concerned about the performance of the chairman's son? And at what point did you decide that you had to sack the chairman's son?"

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Chairman Lawwell was quick to respond as he called out McHugh over the "highly personal question" and stated the blogger has an "unhealthy obsession" with him and his son.

He said: "Can I first come in. This is a highly personal question.

"Joe writes a blog and Joe has got an unhealthy obsession with me and my son, that's the background. So I'm not going to give this question any credibility by answering it.

"I will pass to Michael, if you keep that in mind, where Joe's coming from please."

Michael Nicholson and Brendan Rodgers then intervened to shut down the question and defend Lawwell.

Nicholson stated:  "This is a meeting to discuss Celtic. It's not a meeting to discuss unwarranted personal attacks on any of our colleagues or former colleagues.

"Last year I wasn't jovial, I was very serious about the decision that we'd made to bring Mark to the club. Those decisions we stand by.

"The collective that we worked with over the last period of time is, as I say, a collective responsibility. When Mark decided to leave to pursue other opportunities, we were sorry to see him go.

"Brendan and I worked very closely with Mark. And as I say, that's not jovial, that's a statement of fact. So fair enough."

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers then defended Lawwell adding: "Can I just come in on that... Mark done a fantastic job here at Celtic. Every player that comes into here will not succeed. 

"I think if you look at Mark's influence on bringing in Ange Postecoglou was huge. If that was his only contribution to here, then he did a fantastic job. But he didn't. He was influenced from bringing in other players, like Ali Johnson and some of these other guys.

"All the players won't work out that come in here, and I know that as a manager and as a coach.

"My experience of working with Mark was second to none. He decided to go down a different route, and I respect that. But I also sit here and he's defence because he's a massive Celtic supporter. Like Peter, from a Celtic family, who want nothing but the best for Celtic.

"Sometimes in that role as recruitment, like it is as a manager, you bring in a player, and it just might not quite work out for whatever reason. But finally, what I do know is that his intention was for the very, very best for Celtic. And for that, that's why I will defend him."