Apparently, time for Rangers fans to step forward to save their club has passed. For the want of £500k any one or collection of them could have bought an exclusive period as preferred bidder and worked on a rescue but no one stepped forward.
It is perhaps worthwhile reflecting on our hour of need 18 years ago. Celtic had exceeded their agreed overdraft limit and the Bank of Scotland informed the club that unless the account was brought back into agreed limits that day, it would go to court to appoint an administrator.
Back then there were no transfer windows, so players could, and would, have been sold by the administrator the next day. Celtic would have been left with an unwanted shell of a squad.
Word of the impending doom spread around the Celtic business community and John Keane decided to act. He withdrew £1m from his account and paid it straight into Celtic’s account at the Bank of Scotland.
John did this in the hope that he could buy time for the Celtic Movement to pull a rescue together. The bank could still have withdrawn the overdraft the same day, which would have made him an unsecured creditor with no chance of a return. There was also no agreement signed to secure the transfer of the club from the old board, each member of whom would later be dealt with on an individual basis, as shares were sold, or in the case of Kevin Kelly, pledged behind Fergus McCann’s consortium.
John kept his money in Celtic and received a seat on the new board, which he retains. He declined to appear in the publicity photos on the steps of Celtic Park when the club was rescued and although he attends the AGM every year, he remains a quiet and largely unknown figure. He has since invested more in Celtic, money he will never see back, but which has ensured his family can block a Glazier-style takeover of Celtic.
I have spoken to him once or twice, although he doesn’t know who I am, but I have often thought he deserves a standing ovation at the AGM for what he did all those years ago. Maybe this year.
We can only wonder why there was not a John Keane across the city.
Very well done to the Daily Record for their excellent story about CQN’er Tony Conway today. Tony, who now lives in the United States, suffers from motor neuron disease and made the trip back to Celtic Park last year with his Dad, John, and brother, Martin. They spent time with Jinky’s son James and met a host of people at the club, including Neil Lennon and Billy McNeill.
Read it, it’s a great story.
Remember to keep an eye on the signed Celtic shirt being auctioned for Wellburn Care Home, it ends Monday.
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Mullet on sky sports doing his Hun cheerleader.
stupid hun…
Ibroke full – Stupid huns
!!Bada Bing!! on 2 May, 2012 at 19:33 said:
Algarvian-Jardine got a 15 min sales pitch on Shortbread,a typical easy ride from Chick Hun,strangely the question ” ever had an EBT Sandy ?” never asked .
They are never interviewed, it is only party political broadcasts for them, sickening.
Huns playing “simply the best”
HaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
with kerkar as their striker……………
and now “penny arcade”…………
C’mon Ernie
Oh C’mon Ernie
Ernie Ta roo la lay.
MWD
jimtim on 2 May, 2012 at 19:30 said:
I have the same problem…
They still play simply the best at ibrox.
Hilarious! :0)
One Big Transfer i would like to see next season.Parks Buses no longer required, surely our club should have our own bus decked with our clubs colours, always thought that black and gold bus colurs of parks is awful,
Ernie
Maybe you could ask that Q of you took Paul up on his offer.
MWD
Then again having had a look – no its not full – stupid me!!!
If they dont do walking away why is there thousands of empty seats?
Stop the bus that needs a wee wee.
Some Bhoys just talk nonsense.
MWD
Jock ” an act of sheer folly ” Broon getting a shift on Sky now.
What? …… Stadium not anywhere near full ….” we don’t do walking away” … !!!!!!
plenty of empty seats at ibrox
Good to see nobody at Rangers has walked away. Ermm! A few thousand apart.
Stupid duped huns.
MWD
Brian Kennedy is at the huns’ game apparently. I assume Bill Miller isn’t there.
Did anyone ever get to the bottom of that rat Healy’s contract situation? I had heard a while back they he was either owed a big lump sum or a new deal if he played one more game – and he has been an unused sub in every game since.
Summa of Sammi are you in BB,s tomorrow afternoon? I,d like to say hello maybe between 4-5. Hail Hail Hebcelt
They still play simply the best as it panders to the neanderthals. Murray banned it, but not for long. They can`t sing ANY song about their team unless it has sectarian or bigoted add-ons. simples (thebest)
Oglach,
Its half-empty on my TV.
Looks like the peepil have ‘walked away’
What are they singing about the SFA……4 letters
I reckon about 25000 there. No wonder they couldnae raise £500,000 for Duff&Duffer…
Oh dear, the fans that claim to not walk away have walked away.
We shouldn’t wind up the loyal rangers fans about a 1/2 million downpayment ; this will encourage those who control the Rangers Fighting Fund to dip into the millions collected to date.
Travelling earlier today my taxi driver tells me (home and away rangers fan) he and his mates are not renewing season tickets.
If its not ‘fully resolved’ by end of May it’s game over for the yeah from Govan.
Rankers 1st attack they score !!
GK shocking
Have you ever witnessed a keeper go down with such will to save a shot. Ever???
MWD
Very por from Utd. that, shambles of a goal.
Shocking goalkeeping!
They sing f++k the SFA. Have the NO originality whatsoever?
Stupid stupid dupid duped huns
Still think Utd will win…….
Hello again bhoys. TIMABHOUY time for you to take a hike……tube
who is utd keeper?
Pernis?
Hebcelt.
See you in BB’s. A wee full Black Pud & Smoke Salmon would be good to. For full cash return though.
Hail! Hail!
MWD
Paul67
From your last article
Pop go the weasels :)))
I liked it
HH
Can the huns no melt doon aw their trophy’s & go tae wan ah they scrap metal buyers like Pawnstars, then use the money fur the fightin everybody that isnae wan ae uz fund?
Some save, mcgregor.
Utd nearly level mythgregor saves