With the bets off on who will win the SPL and SKY wanting a slice of the party action on April 1 against St Johnstone ceremonial matters are being debated.
Celebrating the title tends to come in three parts these days, there is the actual clinching of it on the park, or perhaps off it this season, the trophy presentation then the flag day at the start of the following season.
Who should be involved in the different ceremonies has sparked quite a lot of debate on-line with the name of Fergus McCann at the head of most debate. The Anglo-Canadian is still something of a mystery figure to Celtic supporters, sticking to the letter of his deal, coming in for five action packed years then returning to Canada and barely having any contact with the club.
In July 2010 he turned up in Boston for a pre-season friendly, in 2005 he returned for the unveiling of the Brother Walfrid statue but retains a very much hands-off approach to all matters Celtic after his stint re-shaping the club
On Twitter, there was a tongue in cheek comment about how it would be great to have Campbell Ogilive unfurl the league flag at Parkhead next season. I have to say that is of course, if we do actually win it. Mr Ogilvie, who was a director at Ibrox when they had an open sectarian signing policy and a powerful man in the SFA, is sure to get a lovely warm reception at Parkhead – we’re a club open to all.
I suggested that perhaps Fergus McCann would be a better option – if the club could get him and if he wanted to. Or what a relative of Tommy Burns or someone else connected to the club?
There’s a few reasons as to why I think that it would be good to bring back Fergus and there are also a few reasons as to why others might not want him near Parkhead again.
I am of the opinion that it would be nice to bring back ‘the bunnet’ and give him a thank you, round of applause and show appreciation for the fact that he put his money where his mouth was and was the man who put up the money to save our club.
Now, I don’t want go into much detail about the history of Fergus simply because I don’t know a great deal about it, I was 11 years old when Fergus took over the club but I know that he said he would build a team capable of challenging for Scottish honours, he rebuilt the stadium and stopped the club from going out of business.
As far as I am concerned, I wouldn’t have had a team to support if it wasn’t for his actions.
When he was under pressure to spend more money and to keep up with Rangers spending, he was strong enough to say no and run the club within our means.
He was also one who introduced ‘Bhoys against Bigotry’, I could go on but I just feel that he done so much for the club that we should get to show our appreciation.
I remember during the unfurling of the flag the season after stopping 10 in a row, that some fans were booing Fergus so I have to assume that the fans who did this will disagree with what I am saying here? If so, why? I can’t understand that view at all so would like to hear what folk have against him.
Yes, some folk, including me were upset to see Wim Jansen leave just a few days after winning the league. Of course, we will never know the full ins and outs of that story but is it maybe that Wim felt he couldn’t work with what Fergus was allocating as a transfer budget ? If so, then given the Rangers FC (in adminstration) situation, it’s safe to say that Fergus was correct to keep strong control over the purse strings.
After saying that I think it was a good idea, I have also been reminded that Fergus was the one who brought us Jock Brown to the club, can we ever forgive him for doing that?
If nothing else, it got Jock off the telly so I can maybe forgive him.
If I had one criticism of Fergus, I think that he may have been around for too long. He said that he would be there for 5 years and the last season, not a great deal happened so maybe all his work was done in 4 years so should he have went earlier?
Should he have spent more money to build on the league win. Should he have done everything in his power to stop Wim Jansen from leaving?
Should Fergus have brought in a better manager than Dr Jo Venglos after Wim Jansen? There’s a few things that some may argue he could have done, no body is perfect and I’m not saying that Fergus was but for me at least, the good outweighs the bad with him.
It also could well be that I am just clinging to the past and we should be looking forward and leaving Fergus where he currently is, in the history books of the club.
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I was at school with Fergus Mcann, St. Modan’s High School Stirling.
He is a lot older than I so I didn’t know him a6t school, but my cousin Eddy McGloin was in his class, and in later years when the mystery “Bunnet” appeared on the Celtic scene it was Eddy who alerted me as to his identity.
More importantly, Fergus’s father was the headmaster. Every Friday the Parish Priest ceelebrated Mass in the assembly hall. I was a long serving altar boy at St. Mary’s and served at the Friday Mass every Friday, as did the heidie, (“wee Baldie” we disrespectfully called him behind his back.)
In my opinion as a Celtic fan and shereholder Fergus was an outstanding chairman who not only took on Rangers, but also saw off the SFA and the anti-Celtic Scottish football gang, (media,administartors etc, including Jim Farry.) But I take delight in plagiarising the old Scot’s saw..”Fergus Mcann! I served mass with his faither!”
AYE..let wee Fergus unfurl the flag!
i usually a lurker, my dyslexia knows abounds. this guy saved our club and we should the pay him to unfurl the flag………season ticket north stand upper 404 t 28
he feckin built it