The Bunnet- Fergus McCann

it wasn't appreciated at the time but it really has served the club well. I don't remember it at all but he saw building for the future as the important thing above spending now for a quick trophy, thank * Sevco don't have someone like him. For the last 25 years we've dominated overall so he was right.

I think he sold most, if not all, to individuals. When he left Desmond was largest shareholder with about 20% but now owns about 35% after buying off of others rather than McCann.

 

An absolute hero

 

Interesting thread reading back.

Mind * Chemeler? Haha that took me back.

You won't find anyone willing to say they booed Fergus on flag day. History has been kind to him and rightly so.

I booed though. I had my reasons and I always stood by them, even to this day.

However subsequent actions and decades have passed and he is one of our most important figures without a doubt.

That wasn't immediately apparent at the time. There was quite an effort to brand the support bigots. That never sat right with me.

I know this isn't a popular subject with some folk but it's true.

It would be a decent debate if there was actually one other person willing to say they booed and why?

 

https://www.thecelticwiki.com/about...s-mccann/fergus-mccann-bhoys-against-bigotry/

 

In hindsight his approach was 100% right, and it was not that we were penny pinching per say we were just being vastly outspent by the zombies and they were steaming ahead to 9 and 10 in a row so the pressure and anxiety was mounting.

I still remember in our toilet as reading materials all my da's fanzines he had bought and reading through them, wish I could find digital copies of them now, but it was interesting times.

 

Are we having the same conversation? You say he was 100% right then go on to cite examples I never gave. My reasons for booing were for much more than that, rightly or wrongly.

It's quite interesting how little people admit to it though, it was a sizable portion of the stadium.

 

Whatever your memories of the man are you cannot deny he is a died in the wool Tim. He single handedly took on the establishment' and had them running for cover.

 

I dunno haha! I might have been replying to another post it was 5am

 

I had the honor of meeting him in Boston when we played Sporting Lisbon at Fenway Park back in 2010, Very Humble and polite man who was delighted to see the massive amount of Bhoys there that night.

 

Bhoys Against Bhigotry. That was good craic.

Done his bit.

 

I respect your honesty in admitting to booing him. Fair enough.

I remember a lot of fans were * at the way the departures of the 3 amigos played out.

Jock Brown was probably another misstep on Fergus’s part.

Some of media portrayals and character assassinations of him were ridiculous.

Glad he sued Farry for being a cheat and incompetent.

Fair play he made his money on the work he did and set up the years that we are all enjoying now.

 

I don't remember him taking over and what was happening, I only got into Celtic in 95 when I was 10 as I started to talk more to my parents about being Scottish (despite being born and raised in England) so wanted to have a Scottish team as my main team. I only know what I've read and I have the benefit of hindsight.

To me I think he could have handled it better, and probably worded it better but he wasn't trying to be insulting. Although I think I understand why many were unhappy. I imagine people felt unfairly targeted and often just singing cultural songs that weren't about hate. I think our club has always been the club open to all, all religions welcome unlike the Huns. Their fans got away with, and still get away with bigoted songs but any republican song or mantra would be played upon by the media and he knew it. He wanted to let people know the club doesn't accept bigotry. Unfortunately this needed big and swift actions to try and sway the unfair negative spin used by the media and public. It was to help make Celtic more marketable and sellable to companies wanting to use us a marketing tool. Rangers appeared to have bigger sponsors over a decade with McEwan's compared to CR Smith.

 

We need a statue for him or a stand named after him now and not wait until he's dead. I wonder how he would have handled the five way agreement?

 

In hindsight he was approaching the subject from a position of equality. There was no equivalence though.

I'm sure the mission statement still stands proud today, but alongside songs of hope and joy.

 

The most important figure in the last 40 years. More important than any manager or player.

 

https://www.celticway.co.uk/sport/2...visits-fergus-mccanns-famous-celtic-takeover/

 

“I always remember on the way out Fergus said to Michael Kelly: 'Goodbye Mr. Kelly, I hope I never meet you again.'"

- David Low
​

Sounds like will be an interesting edition of 'A View From the Terrace', this Friday.

Although the 30th Anniversary of 'The Rebels Have Won' isn't until March, but all that time leading up to that, were dark days - both on and off the park, dark days indeed.

Totally agree with the assessment of @SkyeCelt - McCann is one of the few true Immortals of the club. By Immortals I mean, as long as Celtic exists, those 4-6 at most that it is impossible of telling the story of Celtic without talking about them, and in McCann's case, with all due respect to everyone in the years before and since who have played their part, the Bunnet is undoubtedly the single most important single figure in Celtic's history since the days of Jock Stein.

 

83rd birthday yesterday. Hope he's in good health.