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 The bank could still have withdrawn the overdraft the same day, which would have made him an unsecured creditor with no chance of a return.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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SFFS
breaks the record..
Hat trick Messi 4-1 Barca
United are a shambles tonight . Gifted huns three goals. Kenneth is slower than me and I am 64. Pernis is awful. Kenneth wants to move on at the end of season
Brechin , Berwick, Crawley , Carnoustie juniors all in for his signature
So they can do it when it doesn’t matter. Where were these hun world beaters at the weekend?
Congratulations to Lionel Messi on breaking world record. Hattrick tonight. 68 for the season.
SffS
Messi eight hat tricks this season
voguepunter
If they end up in Div3 tonights attendance would seem like a bumper crowd!
just incase
Pernis is not a bad keeper
He really isn’t
How many tvs sorry pvs does it take to burst an XL hoops top……..
If I was the suspicious type, I would be looking for irregular betting patterns tonight.
celt55 on 2 May, 2012 at 20:24 said:
If I was the suspicious type, I would be looking for irregular betting patterns tonight.
That is uncanny, was just going to post the same thing, no team can be this bad.
Does this first half mean the huns bottled it at the weekend or is that reserved for us only?
I’m sure the media will point out that they can’t do it in the big games, ahem.
Today i have watched, Ukrainian, Russian and am now watching an English EPL game and all of them were / are utter gash. I think with the addition of a couple of experienced old heads the current Celtic squad would do ok in the EPL – mid table no problem.
Don’t believe the hype CSC
Houston is a SFA employee.
Derby Hun need 2nd spot for further deadline dodgy largesse.
He’s a Cupid Stunt and no friend of ours.
HH
Algarvian on 2 May, 2012 at 20:26 said:
celt55 on 2 May, 2012 at 20:24 said:
If I was the suspicious type, I would be looking for irregular betting patterns tonight.
That is uncanny, was just going to post the same thing, no team can be this bad.
share on F’book or Twitter
Me too! Passing the ball straight out for a corner? Hmmm… of course, as any student of Italian football could tell you, it is this stage of the season, when games are meaningless, that odd things happen…
In all seriousness, they were papped out of every competition and threw away a 15 point lead but we are the bottlers!
New away strip ordered. Unfortunately won’t see it in the post until July. Just in time for 115F summer days in Ohio. On another note, just found out this morning that I’m off to Australia on business first week of June. E mailed Paul67 for Sydney Tims e mail address but he does not have a current one. Can any of you bhoys who know or chat with Sydney Tim ask him to contact Paul67 with info so I can touch base for local information. Thanks in advance.
Derby = Der
whitedoghunch-can i have your email addy,to contact you on a different topic?
Apollo 13 to Houston,
They’ve nothing to play for, you have!
Evening fholks.Wee question.All the bhoys and ghirls watching huns game,they must have Sky,right?So why choose thems over Barca???????
Yours in puzzlement.
Lifted from twitter
Messi has now scored as many goals this season as Arsenal :)
Modric scores the kind of goal that if I were in charge of football would be given two goals. A stoatir.
Blatter109
Last Year
Final score:- Dundee United v Rangers 0-4 ( Steven Whittaker*2 penalties, Nikica Jelavic, Kyle Lafferty)
Referee Willie Collum sends off three players for Dundee United as they are convincingly beaten 4-0 by Rangers at Tannadice in the SPL. Mihael Kovacevic, Sean Dillon and Morgaro Gomis were all red carded for Dundee Utd in this 4-0 loss for Peter Houston’s side. Steven Whittaker scored two penalties for Rangers, but missed the third
Raymac . Vinny’s is the place to go for the good people – 1/2 mile along the road from Sainsbury’s, not sure it will be on.
If you are driving, nip out to Cowie Bowling Club. I’m sure there will be a group of good guys in there for something (although not checked, as I’ll be at game)
smo8
They’ve nothing to play for,you have!
I love it when they say they’re,”playing for pride”!How can a club who have robbed all the other clubs in the league;robbed the taxman;conned the fans of other clubs;who rejoice in singing about paedophiles, have any pride?
BABASONICOS71 on 2 May, 2012 at 20:38 said:
Evening fholks.Wee question.All the bhoys and ghirls watching huns game,they must have Sky,right?So why choose thems over Barca???????
Yours in puzzlement.
I don’t have sky, I’m watching it on betfair live video, same as I will be watching our game tomorrow night.
SOAL
i remember that charade well
3 pens in a meaningful game and 3 dismissals ……not a snowball`s chance in hell of that ever happening in our favour
SAOL,
That was the game that Gollum gave a penalty for Jellyfish being tackled about 4-5 yards outside the box.Gollum at his (simply the)best.Grrrrr……
Algarvian,
Humblest apologies brother.
The ones with Sky though,what’s their excuse?
It was the 0-4 game where Collum sent off all the players and gave them 3 pens
Are the Ibrox faithful still planning to invade the pitch at 72 min?
Willie Golem is the huns not so secret weapon…never known a team to gain so much from a referee.
wonkyradar
Norris has given them 5 pens in 3 games this season
Collum is in (notso) good company
Sort the referees, Sort the problem.
BABASONICOS71 on 2 May, 2012 at 20:46 said:
Algarvian,
Humblest apologies brother.
The ones with Sky though,what’s their excuse?
Well I’m sure they can speak for themselves, but I tuned in hoping Dun Utd would turn them over, plus to see how many had walked away, also to see if their protest, sit in whatever, took place.
algarvian
i assume your reasons are the same as all CFC fans
i`d be suprised if many got beyond the 20 min mark
personally i enjoy watching the huns get turned over
Baba
you pays your money &
you takes your choice…. o))