Football finance expert David Low was in the room in 1994 when the bank’s deadline was met with only EIGHT MINUTES to spare.
Fergus McCann came through when the old regime examined the boardroom carpet.
With the club financially secured, the Bunnet then set about, quite literally, laying the foundations to ensure that Celtic would never be in that position again.
Like everything else, he promised the wee man was good to his word.
By the time he left, Celtic Park had been rebuilt into what it is today. i.e. the biggest stadium in Glasgow.
This was just more than bragging rights. It was an in-built financial advantage that would, in time, force Celtic’s city rivals to self-destruct.
It is not a coincidence that the EBT decade started when the new Paradise was open for business.
Since the new Celtic Park was completed, it has usually been green and white ribbons on the league title trophy.
As regular readers will know, there has been a litany of stadium issues across the city.
It was one of those rare occasions when Mr David Cunningham King was caught out telling the truth.
In 2017, when he was chairman, he referred to the stadium that John Brown played for as “dilapidated”.
Even if Ibrox gets all new and shiny, it will still be considerably smaller than Celtic Park.
Therefore, I had a slight chuckle when I was sent this today.
If you really must, you can read it here on the Daily Radar.
Apart from all the cultural issues around sharing a stadium with the Ibrox klanbase, this would mean Celtic was giving up their in-built financial advantage.
Moreover, it is something that the Parkhead club enjoys over their neighbours at the start of EVERY new campaign.
I understand that there ARE plans that would extend the capacity of Paradise to 75,000, complete with an underground drive-in entrance for players to bring it up to Champions League final standard.
However, that’s for the future, but someone known for watching every penny thought it worthwhile to spend money on architects several years ago.
I’m sure the wee man who saved Celtic in 1994 would approve.
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Share a stadium with that bunch of cheating bastards!!! Aye, right!!!
That would mean sharing the home changing room. A week wouldn’t be long enough to fumigate it after they’d been in. How would the attendance split go for derby games?
I wonder sometimes at the people who can find fault with Fergus McCann. It’s like getting saved from drowning and then criticising the Captain’s beard, his clothes, “cut of his jib” or the fact a made some money by coming out to rescue you.
Had it been Celtic who went under there would be no clamour by Ibrox and “the powers that be” to resurrect them, even for financial gain and they and their fans in the media would still be dining out on it.
What a job the man done for us. If he was still around at Paradise a few years back there would be none of the ‘Sevco’ same club nonsense or all the ‘anti-Celtic ‘ news over the years , Sevco? they’d probs be Glasgow Rovers or whatever . Mr McCann at minimum deserves a stand named after him .
The man took no bs , not even from our star players at the time ‘3 amigos etc ‘.
He set new standards at Celtic and we’re all the better for it 🍀
So that clown ants his beloved Rangers to share a stadium with a team he hates, has said are a disgrace to Scottish football and ho wouldn’t attract investment because of the behaviour? this is them grasping at straws and it just goes to show what an absolute financial s**tshow those morons are in. I wouldn’t share a public toilet with those mogadons
What an amazing idea. Celtic pay for it and Rangers stand to benefit. Maybe a merger is his plan b?
Thank you Fergus
Gentlemen and ladies and others out with, sourness clutching as “the rangers” have NO sustainable business or business plan, with no access to legitimate credit therefore would be reliant on Celtic to achieve the financial requirements of this fantasy. EPL is a “trigger” to divert from reality. By the time “the rangers” pay their immediate debt they need two or three champions league qualifications to get on an even keel not withstanding a poor squad in player trading model
Of all the nonsense swirling around in recent weeks, that takes the biscuit. His beloved Sevco are clearly in financial difficulty so putting out a non story like this is nothing more than preparing the ground before the accounts drop into public view. In a round about way Souness is telling the Sevco fans there’s no money here. A reality they better get used to living with.
Does anybody remeber the time when Wallace Mercer proposed an amalgamation of Hibs and Hearts?
Aye, it went down like a lead balloon with both sets of fans.
I don’t get all bleary eyed when it comes to “The Bunnet” when he went back “home” he did so with a huge financial reward for his endeavours. He also got the wrong side of some serious Celtic men who found him, at best, abrasive. He forms a bit of a dichotomy for me.What i will say about him was, he never lied to us, and he delivered on what he said he would do, even If it was in his own inimitable manner.
He also got in about the powers that be, which was long overdue. There’s a story about him that always makes me laugh, like most of these things it’s probably been enhanced, and a bit of poetic license applied, none the less the basis is true.
When plans for the new stadium went into the public domain, the inevitable outcry ensued about the effect on the local community. If you can remember the environs surrounding Celtic Park back then, well, let’s just say it wasn’t the best area.
When the framework went up a specific complaint went in that people’s TV reception was being effected by the extensive steel framework, a collective compensation claim
was duly placed, and a settlement, to many people’s surprise, was agreed.
The big day arose ,anyone seeking compensation was to queue up on the appointed Sunday morning at 9 am at the old ticket office and they would be dealt with and duly paid, upon proof of residency in the agreed catchment area. The claimant’s duly gathered in an orderly fashion and the queue went down and around the block.Just before 9am two stewards came out of the main building with a large sign and placed it at the head of the queue. It read “All claimant’s must produce a current and valid TV license” . The reaction started as a low grumble and worked it’s way down the queue, it soon developed into a full scale throng of protest.Plod was in attendance and eventually as reality set in ,the majority grudgingly dispersed. The Bunnet had been watching this unfold from the main building. Job done.. The timing of the sign being placed i think is particularly telling, he was nobodies mug.
My granny stayed in Stamford street during that time to say it was run down is a tad generous to say the least
Feck thought it was April the 1st
When I saw that
I wonder where Souness pulled this one from. Ridiculous. Makes you wonder if he was out up to it
If it’s all about building a structural financial advantage over your rival then only a fool would hold back on enlarging the south stand.
I didn’t agree with everything he did, and I have correspondence between us to prove it.
But the bottom line is…
He did save the Club …he put it back on a secure financial footing…and for that he gets my eternal thanks.
My worry, however, concerning this article is….
Surely if by merging a stadium with Sevco guarantees a financial windfall…then our Board will not hesitate to do it.
Making money, by any means, would appear to be their over-riding priority….as standing up for the Club, against honest mistakes and Sevco supporting officials, isn’t.
Last week’s VAR decisions bordered on “corrupt” …. but once again our Board chose The Sound of Silence.
So don’t be surprised if the “joint venture” appeals to our Board.
What a load of rubbish. As “dollar driven” as they are they know this would be suicidal.
I would have thought that their decision not to back the Res.12 guys in their quest for justice would have been suicidal…. Or not formally protesting John Beaton’s drinking with Sevco supporters after a Glasgow Derby game might have been suicidal…Or not commenting on last week’s VAR nonsense would have been suicidal…But guess what?
Thanks to a “compliant” Celtic support they get away with all sorts of stuff….So why would this be any different ?
Have a good day.
In all my years of reading stupid comments on the internet, “So don’t be surprised if the “joint venture”appeals to our Board.” is by far and away the stupidist. Congratulations.
Either that or you’re a hun, whose board might jump at the idea…
For the avoidance of doubt….I saw my first game at Celtic Park in 1957…and subsequent finances and circumstances permitting…I had a Season Ticket spread over 38 years…which I gave up last year in protest at the Board’s lack of support to the Res.12 guys…So I hope that nails ” The Hun ” comment.
And why you think our Board is above “making money” from this proposal is beyond me…They have proved, time and time again, that money is everything to them…Ask the Res. 12 guys for starters.
Have a good day.
I wouldn’t worry as the idea if a fantasy. Who would want to go into business with Rangers? Can you envisage the two clubs sharing anything? It’s one thing not standing up to Rangers and the SFA over rules and procedures, its another to consent to a plan which would remove the ommercial advantage you have over your biggest rival.
First up…I assume you mean going into business with Sevco..??….
And if you think that removing a commercial advantage over your biggest rival is more worrying than exposing bias and corruption…then you are part of the problem.
Have a good day,
What a sickening thought” but history of the previous boards proves you correct
Will always be grateful to Fergus, David and the rest of the team for saving my club and then laying the “foundations” to make sure it would be safe for me, my children and future generations the debt owed is huge. Thank you to them all, even though they made us wait all day in the rain back on that great day the club was saved.
We as Celtic supporters have a lot to thank that guy for
Should have the North Stand renamed in his honour