Celts Flourish as Chaos Engulfs Ibrox, God Bless Wee Fergus

Celtic v theRangers - Scottish Premiership - Celtic Supporters hold up a Let Celtic Flourish banner during the match at Celtic Park on Sunday September 1, 2024. Photo Steve Welsh

Chaos and anarchy but definitely no rebellion – Watching the chaos that’s engulfing Ibrox and their marauding hordes….

Fergus McCann Celtic director MD with model of new east Stand for Celtic Park

I think back to 1994 and can’t help but see the parallels. False dawns, broken promises, substandard, mediocre players masquerading as heroes and world beaters. But that’s where the similarities end.

Fergus McCann took control

Fergus McCann took control, not to further his own personal standing but to save a club he loved like the rest of us.  Quite simply he was a supporter who had money at his disposal watching his club he had supported as a boy and continued to do so from afar slowly dying and was in danger of slipping into a permanent state of apathy and mediocrity. He put his money on the table to preserve our great, proud history when administration was probably only weeks away.

As history has observed, he slowly evolved the club with shrewd, clever appointments and investors to the board, from people who wanted to save the club to sound business men with a track record of succes who would help him lay the foundations for the continued success we are and have been enjoying ever since.

His contribution cannot be understated.

Fergus McCann Celtic director

As the quote says: 
“Jock Stein put us on the map, Fergus McCann kept us there.”

Jock Stein heading ball upfield December 1955

In 2012 when the club purporting to be the one playing at Ibrox today came into being that self fulfilling sense of entitlement is why they find themselves in the state they are in today.

Everything about it was personal standing and financial gain and now the people on their board today who have a genuine willingness to do well for their club, find themselves shackled by historical mismanagement.

Lording it over third division opposition and competing in the petrol tank cup when paying Premier League wages to their manager and players, living it up in five star hotels when visiting Brechin, Alloa etc. And why?

Because we’re Rangers and it’s the Rangers way.

The penny hasn’t dropped despite twelve years of continued financial mismanagement where they’ve been running at annual losses of twelve million pounds, that’s the Rangers way, spending money they don’t have, spending other people’s money, share issue after share issue to keep the wolves from the door. No thought to the future, their bigger picture where the landscape only extends to the East end of Glasgow.

Philippe Clement, manager of theRangers reacts on the touchline during the pre-season friendly match between Birmingham City and Rangers at St Andrew’s at Knighthead Park on July 24, 2024 (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Where supporter groups act as their media outlet and appoint their managers annually, ie Slippy G, van Bronckhurst, Beale and and now the Belgian Waffler who was their preferred candidate. An educated guess would suggest either Derek McInnes or Kevin Muscat getting their seal of approval for next year.

Brendan’s return 

I think about the re-appointed Brendan Rodgers and how the people in charge at a well run club would have known it was going to split the opinion of our support until such times as he had proven himself to his detractors all over again.

Celtic FC coach Brendan Rodgers looks on before the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD3 match between Atalanta BC and Celtic FC at Stadio di Bergamo on October 23, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Thirty years behind Celtic 

In footballing terms it wasn’t taking a chance of him being a calculated risk, quite simply put, he was the best candidate available to us and the decision to bring him back was absolutely the right one.

“The Rangers” are thirty years behind us in terms of infrastructure and development all because of a supporter we have so much to be grateful to when we consider our successes of today.

Hail Hail and God Bless wee Fergus.

David Early

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Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star

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Celtic in the Thirties by Celtic Historian Matt Corr is published in two volumes by Celtic Star Books. ORDER NOW!