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John Keane: the only man who stepped forward

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Few Celtic fans could reflect on what they have done for the club with as much satisfaction as John Keane, the former director, who died yesterday.  In 1994, when the Bank of Scotland gave Celtic 24 hours to repay their borrowing or face administration, Keane was one of a group of Celtic supporters who had engaged ‘the old board’ with a view to brining about a regime change.

The board resisted, but when faced with the inevitable, they looked for help.  John Keane was the only man who stepped forward.  As I understand, he paid a banker’s draft for £1m into Celtic’s Bank of Scotland account.  This put the club in credit, Keane had no claim on the money or the club, it was completely an act of faith.  The board, in theory, could have continue to trade, but they immediately opened negotiations with Keane, Fergus McCann and others.

John joined the board when the new regime, headed by McCann, took control.  As one of the largest shareholders in the club, his influence was larger than his public profile.  The Irishman remained on the board as a non-exec and eventually honorary chairman until 2019.

Football is full of blowhards who like to shout about others, but very few of us did what was necessary to prevent our club from collapse.  Without John’s £1m, a brutal administration would have followed the next day and Celtic’s history since then would be very different.

Those who knew him and worked with him held him in great affection.  Our thoughts go to his son Mark and the family.

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  1. Turkeybhoy on

    Money for transfers.

     

    Abada = 10 ,000,000

     

    Frimpong,10,000,000. Pending

     

    Oh=4,000,000

     

    Lagerbielke= 4,000,000

     

    Kobayashi,Welsh,Yang,Haksabanivic,, say another 10,000,000

     

     

    £ 38 million without touching a penny.Would buy us Jota,KT,a,CH,Idah,Bernardo,Dubravka..

     

     

    Makes you think.

  3. lets all do the huddle on

    Money for transfers.

     

     

    Abada = 10 ,000,000

     

     

    Frimpong,10,000,000. Pending

     

     

    Oh=4,000,000

     

     

    Lagerbielke= 4,000,000

     

     

    Kobayashi,Welsh,Yang,Haksabanivic,, say another 10,000,000

     

     

    £ 38 million without touching a penny.Would buy us Jota,KT,a,CH,Idah,Bernardo,Dubravka..

     

     

    Makes you think.

     

    —

     

     

    indeed.

     

     

    its as if we have been Red Bull-ified

     

     

    they exist as a profit making marketing organisation whose public face is an over-priced and rubbish soft drink.

     

     

    definite similarities with us raking millions in for players and then charging fortunes for our champions league tickets when we havent spent anything like enough on players to compete at that level.

     

     

    im sure the dividends must be good though

  4. Celtic Mac on

    Both Graham Souness and Roy Keane stated that Scotland should have shown more “aggression” against Germany. But the one player who did, Ryan Porteous, not only got a red card, but gave away the penalty that led to us going in 3-0 down at half-time for his double footed onslaught on Dundogan.

     

    For his efforts Porteous has just been awarded a two match ban. Meanwhile both pundits continue to live in the past, and in the past…….

  5. clunks on

    A good chunk of that 38 million is assuming we get

     

     

    Lagerbielke= 4,000,000

     

     

    Kobayashi,Welsh,Yang,Haksabanivic,, say another 10,000,000

     

     

    And thats 2 million for the above 4 and another (who???) plus 4 million for lager lager…….

     

     

    Not to mention how they structure the transfers……

     

     

    Very rare that the full amount is paid up front

     

     

    and take the other 24 million and wonder how much is paid upfront???

     

     

    Possibly we get 40% of the 34 million in cash and payable now

     

     

    Thats around 13,6 million available out of the 34 million you pushed forward available to spend

  7. lafan on

    Breaking news.

     

    Bbc reporting that the euros is being cancelled,

     

    Trophy being awarded to engerland

     

    As they are that good.

  8. clunks on

    CELTIC MAC

     

     

    I hate to agree with sounass and keane, but we were rather meek

     

     

    Very little in terms of (controlled) agression or even a basic level of desire

     

     

    As for porteous, stupid tackle – sounass had many like that – if he was around nowadays he would have to seriously reign it in.

     

     

    I do not think he would have made it today (keane included) as the aggression and dig was what allowed them to dominate and then play

  9. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Good evening CQN.

     

     

    Just reading back after being out most of today.

     

     

    Nice leader Pablo.

     

     

    Followed by a stream of heartfelt sentiments …

     

     

    … with the usual stuff from the rebel without a completion date interspersed.

  10. Celtic Mac on

    clunks

     

     

    We never laid a finger on the Germans.

     

    Couple of years back Bayer Leverkusen beat us 4-0 at Celtic Park (3-2 away) in the CL

     

    Thing is though we were in the game for the first part of the first half, missed chances and ended up 2-0 down.

     

    Second half we have a great spell, do not get a goal, end up losing another two goals.

     

    You could say it went from bad to wirst….

     

    Scotland were never never in the game, any tackle we made was too late

     

    But we got there as soon as we could…..

  11. clunks on

    Celtic Mac

     

     

    We never managed the time

     

     

    First 15 mins, all about containing, quietening the crowd and not conceding

     

     

    Feck, we lost a goal

     

     

    Ok, next 10 mins

     

     

    all about containing, quitening the crowd and not conceding

     

     

    Fecking feck……

     

     

    Ok lets get to half time without anymore goals

     

     

    Porteous…….PORTEOUS.

     

     

    You listening??

     

     

    Be Cool

     

     

    15 mins later

     

     

    Sorry boss…

  12. Tom McLaughlin on

    During the domestic football season, posters thought the team with the highest budget should always win.

     

     

    Now during the EUROS it’s all about population.

     

     

    Why do they even like football?

  14. clunks on

    Tom

     

     

    Cos we got the highest budget baby!!!

     

     

    lol

     

     

    Lurking huns

     

     

    Yer teams deid

  15. garygillespieshamstring on

    When the commentators talk about “the number 10 position” do they mean the inside left position in old money or is it something from the Kama Sutra?

  16. clunks on

    GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING

     

     

    Maybe thats why mccoist always exshclaims thats its

     

     

    SHENSHATIONAL, ABSHOLUTELY MAGNFISHENT

  18. Greenpinata on

    Quite a few of us watching the Belgium game thought the hand ball decision to disallow the goal was wrong.

     

     

    Arms give momentum in running jumping etc.

     

    Maybe to remove constant controversy players hands should be tied to the body.

  20. clunks on

    GGH

     

     

    Sue Barker slipped a finger after biting her nail

     

     

    Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuee

     

     

    Ma arssshhhhhhh

  41. clunks on

    About the above Elizabeth My Dear

     

     

    https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-story-the-stone-roses-song-elizabeth-my-dear/

     

     

    As the title suggests, this chiming ballad sets out to topple the head of the British monarchy, by pointing her to the curtains that await her beyond the end of her lush, luxurious gardens.

     

     

    Inspired in part by the spirit of the protests of May 1968 in Paris, the band were inspired to create a song that espoused the virtues of a republic, free from the shackles of a dynasty that had subjugated citizens according to the boxes they were assigned to.

     

     

    “lan had met this French man when he was hitching around Europe,” Squire recalled.

     

     

    “This bloke had been in the riots, and he told Ian how lemons had been used as an antidote to tear gas.

     

     

    Then there was the documentary – a great shot at the start of a guy throwing stones at the police.

     

     

    I really liked his attitude.”

     

     

    “Tear me apart, and boil my bones,” Brown cries out, the emotion brittle and tangible. “I’ll not rest, Till she’s lost her throne.”

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