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 The bank could still have withdrawn the overdraft the same day, which would have made him an unsecured creditor with no chance of a return.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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Huge night at the bottom of the SPL.
Mon the Hibs, hate that Yorkston.
1-0 Hibs.
blantyretim
Ha Ha! Notice oldtim67 not making it through tomorrow. He has printed out tickets for the Hearts game though so if you don’t meet up before, he will be there for the big Celebration I am sure!
Hail Hail!
do the huns know Bob Marley was a Cetic fan? They are singing 3 little birds – “everything goin’ be all right”
Look at those empty spaces at Ipox !!! So much for ‘follow follow’
I wonder how many huns paid at the gate tonight?
2-0 der hun
Utd. are a shambles at the back.
D&P willnae make much out of the turnout tonight
2-0 huns ..channel changed
Du`s defence is appalling …..Arab surrender monkeys
Let me tell you, Utd are awful….
Spurs game on now…
utd do not look as if they want to win
Moments ago on radio 5, Ian McGarry of The Sun tried to defend today’s disgusting front page on Hodgsons by comparing Hodgsons speech impediment with Capello’s inability to speak English!!!
How people can buy this crap I’ll never understand.
Celtic mac..
sure we will meet up for that one…
2-0 Hibs ..up ye Yorkson
Dreadful attendance at Ibrox.
So much for not walking away!!!
2-0 Hibs.
Bye bye Yorkston and Masterton…
Nuneaton 1 up at home against Guiesley after 2 mins
Absolute nonsense here, 3-0
2-0 Hibs!
appalling goalkeeping again.
3-0 der hun, ok enough of this pp. Time for another game
Wasting your time bhoys – Serie ‘A’ title decider game/ updates on ESPN.
Juve 1-0
AC Milan 1-0
Cricket ….didn’t,t realise Barca are o Sky2…..that’s more like it
McCann is an outrageous irritant …i`d happily slap him …many times
Cricket ….stupid iPad …..how do I remove auto spell correction ….meant to say crickey….LOL
anybody know why one of the potentially crucial games of the season, newcastle – chelsea, isn’t on?
odd.
Bilbao V Spanish Huns at 21.00 – may be worth a watch?
Old Tim,
Sorry to hear that you are feeling unwell.
I hope you are soon back as the father figure & much respected Capo Mafiosa of the CQN Babbity Brigade.
Remember that you are still only a Bhoy to us auld guys.
Get well soon.
oglah
don’t know if I could watch them win the league..
John keane, still now second to none as a Celtic supporter and a very fine man as well. One of those people that make you proud to be a Celt
blantyretim on 2 May, 2012 at 19:57 said:
who is utd keeper?
Pernis?
aye with a silent “r”
McCoist is such a tool. Going bananas over a couple of meaningless goals.
Fud.
Auldheid you about ?
Congratulations to Lionel Messi. Equals world record of 67 goals in one season.
SffS
See if the huns newco end up playing in
div3, I’ll still be pig sick if they win a game.
Enough……on to Bolton or Barca.
D.Utd do not seem interested.
Bada Bing
I was expecting something earlier…. o))
Messi scores again