Allan MacDonald

In April 1999, Fergus McCann departed at the completion of his five-year stint, with Allan MacDonald, a former British Aerospace managing director, succeeding him as chief executive.

• When he took over as chief executive, he was aware that Celtic had to get away from their image of being tight with money.He immediately extended Henrik Larson's contract and put the striker on a reputed £23,000 a week.
• MacDonald also had the vision to see that a European League would one day be set up - and he was adamant that Celtic had to be at what he called "the top table" in Europe.
• However, the decision to bring Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes to the club backfired - both gone within a year.
• He was also roundly condemned for his decision to hire a psychologist to assess the performance of referee Hugh Dallas during the controversial Old Firm clash in May last year.

However, after a UEFA Cup exit to Lyon and Old Firm defeat, MacDonald found himself having to face the media to defend Barnes' inexperience at management level. Two months later, MacDonald axed Barnes after the disastrous Scottish Cup home defeat by Inverness Caledonian Thistle and ordered Dalglish back to Glasgow from a holiday. With the end to the poor season approaching, MacDonald was at the head of the chase to find Barnes' successor and raced off to Spain to talk to Guus Hiddink. Eventually, however, it was genial Irishman O'Neill, who took command as MacDonald unveiled him at the start of June.

MacDonald believed that, if Celtic wanted success, they had to spend like their neighbours across the city, who spent £80m on new players over the last 10 years of dominance. Parkhead chiefs needed to increase their own investment in playing staff to reap the rewards off it, argued MacDonald. However, fiscal statements proved the MacDonald era was as disappointing off the field as it was on it when a £6m loss was announced last month.