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 The bank could still have withdrawn the overdraft the same day, which would have made him an unsecured creditor with no chance of a return.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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The Radio Nacional lassie dispatched to the Plaza de Cibeles, where Real Madrid celebrate their triumphs, comes onto the programme all excited.
Presenter – How many people have turned up in the square, Blanca?
Blanca – Ooooh. At least 200.
Two hundred? What kind of support is that? The huddle in Central Station had more than 200.
Sounds like a lot of people are heading down there now.
Opus Dei Freemasons in the Catholic Church.
pedrocaravanachio67 on 2 May, 2012 at 23:06 said:
Yes we did start off with a confessional re MIB. Absolute no gloating and payment was prompt. You see he lives in an affluent area now :-)
Need to go to bed, as up at 04:30
HH
CRC
Miki67:
Our hero Whytey is Oliver Twist to Wild Bill’s Satan…but then if this surreal Jodorowsky situation of der hun runs to form…Oliver Twist could be Satan…anything is possible at this juncture in time.
Are we going to see Ibrahim before the season ends?
Anyone watched him in bounce games?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1CaN4thI5w
Dublinbhoy
Your use of “definitely” is unmerited there. Let me assure you I know Opus Dei people who are very far from being fascist or right wing.
In fact, an Opus Dei sympathiser is a greatly venerated Celt, and rightly so, and no one could fairly label him with either of your epithets, even without the “definitely”.
Just in from the pub……. And i met thommo, shook hands and thankd him for a great season. Then met neil….,,, many thanks, it was a pleasure. In the presence of a celtic legend and manager i felt important….. Many thanks
Wish i had the baws for a picture to show off., wish i had the baws to accept ur offer to join ur company….. Mayb another time
Neil if ur reading
ta
would like to see Pavel and young Tony get a run out tomorrow and maybe Dylan also. Really looking forward to the game especially the pre-match entertainment with the Thai Tims.
Celts 4-0 winners.
Goodnight & Godbless
HH PC67
Celtic first:
There was more than 200 doing the conga in my cousins living room at Castlemilk on Sunday…
What is a hun? Nothing to do with religious or political affiliations.
A hun is a rankers fan. Simples!
Being a ‘good guy’ and member of Opus Dei is liike being a ‘good’ mason or a ‘good’ hun.
Some one been talking about me ?
How was wee Craigie ‘the only one’ who knew about the non-payment of bills? No one else knew!!!!! So how can the bears be punished? Was the MBB up early every morning, waiting for the mail to arrive, so he could stuff the red final reminders into the loving cup so Greigy, Hitchcock, Baldy et al wouldn’t know? Crafty wee Craigie! Lucky there’s no computerised finance system down Ibrokes way, otherwise EVERYONE would know!!!
…as explained by Billy Dodds, the voice of reason and integrity (2 contracts)
All getting a bit heavy and I have an early start, so I’m Joe the Toff.
One last point. Timbhoy2’s equating Opus Dei with freemasonry is also unfair. You cannot be a freemason and in good standing with the Catholic Church. So, leaving aside what Leo XIII was confronted with and addressed, in the mid-1980s, the Vatican confirmed “the irreconcilability of Masonic principles with the Catholic faith, on the gravity of the act of joining a lodge and on the consequences which arise from it for receiving Holy Communion”.
Members of Opus Dei go to Holy Communion every day.
That’s a circle that won’t square.
I will send my servant Silas to slay the enemy both Der Hun & Dan Brown
silith csc,
So why would someone want to turn a political discussion into a religious discussion ?
I know almost nothing about Opus Dei but see that some love to label people when they have different views or religion than them.
Unfortunately that happens here sometimes.
Timbouy2 ?
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on 2 May, 2012 at 23:29 said:
So why would someone want to turn a political discussion into a religious discussion ?
=============================
Hmm. Yes, only a HUNdecover interloper might attempt such a banal and lame attempt to upset the mood of the blog…
Bhoys,for those gamblers among us who fancy we will score
more tomorrow night than the huns scored tonight,
6-0 is 80 to 1
7-0 is 200 to 1
has to be worth a few quid at least
Sandy Jardine…discuss?
Hala Madrid !
C A M P E O N E S
BABASONICOS71 on 2 May, 2012 at 22:34 said:
Son of Warsaw on 2 May, 2012 at 22:24 said:
Wonderful
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is it ok to cry when you’re a 41 year old mhan and sober?
That was so uplifting.Those wee bhoys and ghirls could put a smile on the world.
Thanks for that bhud.
Mes que en club right enough.
:-)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Well , if it’s ok for a 41yr old , then it must be fine for this 42yr old to have tears streaming down his face after watching the videos of those wonderful children.
I’m so proud every day to be a member of the Celtic Family , but there are just some times when it takes your breath away.
Massive respect and admiration for everyone involved in working with the Thai Tims , and those who helped make this trip possible for them.
Anyone seen the film about Opus Dei attempting to assassinate De Gaulle?
Opus Dei of the Jackal. :-)
I’m here all week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUjI3tslL_4&feature=related
canamalar
Enjoying Tenerefe?
Hope the song in some way atoned for my ‘joke’.Religious jive’s not really my thing but i’m not too hot on secret organisations either.
Anyway,if anyone’s still not watched the Thai Tims link from earlier you really,really must.Posted by warsaw.I’ll try and find it.
Ffs iv just met lenny!.
not one you have said, ” magic fab great guy”. All i gt was opus dei this opus dei that.
Come guys i met lenny!
TET,
Magic, was talking to a couple today who chose one of the resorts, told me everything was at least twice the cost of the wee toon, smug as copulation I was :0)
Turns out this is where the Spanish come on holiday, hence it’s also choc a block with crusties
Here it is;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MErYm2qmJMM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Totally uplifting.If you’re not moved by these wee dudes you’ve not got a soul.
Zbyszek…Was the Polish Euro squad announced tonight? Can’t see, to find it anywhere.
El Mad
no, I’M Neil Lennon “i’ll never walk alone” (fourstonecoppi ) on 2 May, 2012 at 23:45 said:
Ffs iv just met lenny!.
not one you have said, ” magic fab great guy”. All i gt was opus dei this opus dei that.
Come guys i met lenny!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tremendous fhella.How long before you wash your hand? ;-)
No seed ever sees the flower.
wonkyradar on 2 May, 2012 at 23:49 said:
No seed ever sees the flower.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Derivation mo chara?
canamalar
Never been there, one day maybes.
Every day here is a holiday :>)
Beer or vino ?
wonkyradar
One of my cactus plants flowered yesterday, it has eight flowers on it, rather chuffed I am, it only flowers every 20 years apparantly, my old neighbour is rather envious :>)
gonnae sumdy point out to the survivalists that if 43 “people” or 43000 “people” or 43million “people” turn up at Das Brox then it is of no benefit to the away team (ie, “the rest of Scottish football” aka “the diddy teams”) as the home team keeps all the cash.
Jardine: he has his faults, which he continually repeats; neither fear or shame can cure him.
And he want’s a few seeds from it….