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How should Fergus McCann be recognised at Celtic Park?

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Fergus McCann Celtic newsAt the end of the short walk up Kerrydale Street on approach to Celtic Park we are met by the sight of three of Celtic’s most favoured sons.

Jimmy Johnstone, Celtic’s greatest ever player and rightly commemorated at the stadium, Jock Stein, our greatest ever manger marking the clubs European Cup win in Lisbon. Lastly, but by no means least our clubs founder Brother Walfrid.

Walfrid’s great work almost came undone in the 1990’s when our club was faced with closure. Our saviour then was a man called Fergus McCann. Who can forget the back page images of the undertaker and his hearse at the front doors of Celtic Park and the Daily Records customary cracked Celtic crest.

Is it not time the club showed some thanks to Fergus by some sort of permanent fixture at Celtic Park? Fergus was a saviour to Celtic. Despite the unpopular sacking of Tommy Burns in 1997 and his part in the whole Wim Jansen fiasco a year later, siding with Jock Brown in a dispute with the man that stopped 10-in-a-row.

Many people will remember Fergus for what he didn’t do. Like offer improved deals to Pierre Van Hooijdonk, Paolo Di Canio or Jorge Cadete. But Fergus’ better judgement was proved. Pierre tried the same old trick at Nottingham Forest, Paolo did the same at Sheffield Wednesday and Cadete done it everywhere he went (except Partick Thistle of course).

Perhaps the thing the supporters didn’t like was the fact that we were constantly out bid in the transfer market by our irritable neighbours. But he did break Celtic’s transfer record three times. Firstly with Phil O’Donnell then Andreas Thom and followed by Alan Stubbs. While Rangers were spending £4m on people like Duncan Ferguson, I’m sure wee Fergus had a snigger to himself as Craig Whyte pushed through his £1 purchase of that club.

But lets remember what he did do. Saved our clubs from the brink of bankruptcy and provided us with a 60,000 seated stadium. He’s even helped shape the clubs financial security we are in today. Yes, he made alot of money from his spell at Celtic but he invested alot of his own money.

He even ousted Jim Farry from his position in the SFA. Despite the typical resistance we’ve become accustom to and their attempts to sweep it under the carpet depite all evidence proving that Farry held up Cadete’s registration so he couldn’t play against Rangers. The supporters were equally to thank for their part in numerous share issues. I for one will never forget sitting up watching TV late when the announcement was made that Fergus had saved our club.

I think it’s time the club commemorated this man permanently at Celtic Park. Be it by way of a plaque on the front door or renaming the South Stand the Fergus McCann stand. Surely some measure should be taken to have a permanent fixture to thank this man for the work he done in saving our great club.

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  • jocky bhoy says:

    A stand is a bit OTT I think, statue is in outer space Larsson is more beitting of one of those. Maybe in honour of his financial input we could have the accounts department’s office named after him ‘o)

    Joking aside, we have a rich history at Celtic and we can’t be offering stands and statues to the recent admin guys when legends don’t have them…

    What McCann did was PHENOMENAL especially in light of the Huns recent travails and the financial black hole that is the EPL, but name the boardroom after him, that’s where he won his battles…

  • jocky bhoy says:

    “Larsson is more befitting of one of those”

  • SFAGTFCSC says:

    Through Fergus came the re-development of Celtic Park as we see today, without Fergus would we even be at Celtic Park?
    Would we be able to name stands after the Lions & Jock Stein?
    I would love to see the North Stand named after him, thats what his time at Celtic left us, Celtic Park as it remains today.

  • braebhoy says:

    Build a statue 20 foot high for all his quirks he was and is a celtic man through and through they all talked he done the buisiness and put his money up front and we are here today with a great stadium and a solid base in which to move on
    when the bubble bursts in england and other places with there huge debts and false positions we will be in a good position to take advantage

  • cardiffbhoy says:

    Fergus spent 5 years at the club. He stepped in and rescued us from the financial mess created by the Kellys and the Whites, and he built us a great stadium. He didnt do it to have stands named after him, or to get a statue, he did it because he loved the club, and he knew it was a good business proposition.

    He has had his reward. Plenty of others have contributed more to Celtic than he, and haven’t been recognised by stands or statues. In fainress to Fergus, he is not a megalomaniac like Murray, and I doubt he would want to be recognised in such a way in any event.

  • Hector Schutzch says:

    Well video celts he is a wee man with specs, with a bunnet atop a bald head, and has a funny acent you can’t miss him!

  • Hoopstroops says:

    Ok let’s all wear a bunnet to the game as a mark of the respect we have grown to have for the wee man!

    • hammy1967 says:

      I’m afraid Rangers have bettered that. They sometimes get 50,000 bunnets at games

  • Joe says:

    Personal feelings towards McCann by some fans are immature and childish, as we’d expect to read from huns, not Celtic fans.
    A stand may be over the top, but recognition? Absolutely. He has earned it. The first to have the balls to out Farry and the part he played in making sure rangers reached and equalled our nine in a row. A feat that would never have happened otherwise. This is so similar to the goings on of today with Peat, Dallas etc all playing their part in making sure rangers won the league this season. Fergus deserves recognition, as does Lawwell and Reid. But Fergus started the trend of standing up for ourselves.

  • fergus was maligned by the anti-Celtic press and misunderstood by a lot of the fans…He made us 5 promises and kept every one. Often described as Canadian, Fergus was a Scot od Irish parentage, a typical profile for a Celtid fan. His father was my headmaster at St. Modan’s, Stirling. The “bunnet” ousted the (mis) management teamwho made not only our football team but our great Club and its stadium into a joke. Fergus deserves to be remebered for posterity. He didn’t always get the PR element correct but he sure got the sums correct. Thank You Fergus.

    • Joe says:

      I was at St. Modans too. His old man was the Rector then also. Fergus was in my brothers class at St. Modans and it was not until many years later that he saved us and helped us all retain our dignity and values for the best club in the world. Sure, we have other legends. But Fergus was special.

  • gerrym says:

    if fergus is to get recognition leave it for the next generation it’ far to soon to be talking
    legends in his case, maley mcgrory mcneil etc are legendary status at this time

  • Max says:

    Lets not forget the substantial bronze plaque in memory of Tommy Burns.

  • Dan'aidh says:

    Dont have any problem with Fergus being recognised but would prefer to see some recognition of Willie Maley & Jimmy Mc Grory done first.

  • conor88 says:

    to date no living man has a statue at celtic park and rightly so we can comemerate what fergus did after he dies just like everyone else as thats the way it should be fergus can commemerate fergus by comeing to as many matches as possible not a statue or a stand he is his representation

  • Lallybhoy says:

    What some people seem to have forgotten with comments such as ‘Plenty of others have contributed more to Celtic than he’ is that if it wasnt for Fergus, there would be no Celtic Football Club in existence today, period. There was nobody else at that time willing to put their money where their mouth was and step forward to rescue us.

    For this very reason I believe he is as important and integral to Celtic history, as Brother Walfrid himself. Walfrid was the man who found Celtic, but Fergus was the man who saved Celtic from extinction.

    I am sure that a life without Celtic is impossible to contemplate for most of us, and it is thanks to Fergus McCann that this terrible scenario didnt become reality.

    I have never posted before, and this opinion will probably get alot of criticsm, but this is a subject i feel very strongly about.

    Hail Hail.

  • roosky says:

    Fergus McCann answered Celtic’s call in our hour of need. I find it unacceptable that Celtic have not already given him proper recognition for what he done for us.when he came he stated how long he would stay put up the money when others were thinking and talking about it he rebuilt the stadium on the original site when others were wanting to take us all over the country.

    During his stay he stood up for celtic and did not allow anyone or organisation to take liberties with us.he left us when we were on a sound financial footing feeling good about ourselves and ready for any challenge he then kept his promise as he always did and left when he said he would .it would be the right thing to honour him while he is still alive .come on celtic do the right thing before its to late.

  • jbhoy says:

    name all the bloody pillars around celtic park in his honor!

  • stephen says:

    McCann’s the Man!

  • Stephen Cain says:

    Fergus was abused by the Scottish media and a few Celtic supporters fell for it.
    Lets not forget this was preINTERNET days now we know the Scottish media back only one team and hopefully they,ll soon be gone.

    Hail Hail Fergus the man who rebuilt Celtic.

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