Fergus McCann - Celtic Executive (March 1994-April 1999)

In March 1994, expatriate businessman and Celtic supporter Fergus McCann took control of a financially-strained club, in the process ousting a board of directors which included members with long family connections with Celtic. Shortly afterwards, Lou Macari was replaced as team manager by another ex-Celt Tommy Burns. Later that same year, in accordance with Fergus McCann's Five-Year Plan, the club was reconstituted as a plc, a development quickly followed by the most successful share-issue in the history of British football with 10,000 taking up the offer of investing a minimum of £620, thus contributing £14 million towards the re-financing of the club. In April 1999, Fergus McCann departed at the completion of his five-year stint. Allan MacDonald, a former British Aerospace managing director, succeeded him as chief executive.

Links

• Fergus McCann Pictures

Article

• Citizen McCann; Ten years ago the Fergus McCann revolution got under way Sunday Herald Feb 2004

Quotes
'McCann built a stadium. Oh, what a great great thing. Ceaucescu built pretty amazing stadiums, so did Mussolini. I'm in it for the team. It's like building La Scala and having a run of the mill pub-singer perform.'
Jim Kerr, May 1999 (shows that not all were respectful of McCann's efforts)

While other clubs appeared to be able to identify a player they wanted to buy and then just go ahead and buy him, with Celtic it seemed that the process would take roughly the same time as the gestation of an elephant. It seemed that youngish players who are linked with Celtic had become veterans, completer their careers and moved into pub management before Magoo [Fergus McCann] was satisfied enough with the small print to authorise the expenditure.
Alastair McSporran, The Absolute Game Fanzine - 1997

"Some people I know say he's a very nice man once you get to know him. Everyone is entitled to their opinion I suppose!!! "
Mark Viduka on Fergus McCann 1999

'I probably did 15 or 20 years as a manager in those three years.'
Tommy Burns on his three years as Celtic manager under Fergus McCann


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