Celtic duo Frank McAvennie and Derek Whyte have revealed contract talks with the Parkhead club in their playing days that will resonate with today’s fan.
Whyte and McAvennie were part of the legendary Hoops squad who won the league and Scottish Cup double in Celtic’s centenary season in 1988.
The low-balling negotiations appear to mirror Celtic’s handling of this summer’s transfer window as the Parkhead club in the 90s looked to save as much money as possible while investing in the first-team squad.
And to give an insight to how the contract talk went back then, McAvennie and Whyte shared how they were treated by a penny-pinching Celtic board with a story that seems all too familiar.
Frank McAvennie and Derek Whyte reveal Celtic’s cringey contract talks
The Celtic board have come under fire this season for failing to invest in the first team properly with their well-documented summer transfer negotiating skills.
And it appears that McAvennie and Whyte had a similar situation when they tried to get the best deal for them at Celtic in the 90s.
When asked if he let others negotiate his contract on his behalf, Whyte told the Let Me Be Frank Podcast,”No, I was there. I wanted to be there. I wanted to hear what they were saying.
“When you look back, you were actually embarrassed by it. You’re asking for virtually nothing, Macca. You know that and they’re saying, ‘No that’s too much’.
McAvennie replied, “Embarrassing. Back then they relied on everyone being supporters. Celtic relied on that.
“You’ll play for the colours, you’ll play for the jersey, that’s where it all came from. Celtic relied on that.
“Oh God, when we were playing in the 90s, the money they were getting at Rangers… I know it was money they never had, it doesn’t matter.
“You’re playing against them and you know they are getting four or five times your wages.”
Whilst Celtic’s players are paid more handsomely these days than players of the past, the current board seem intent on saving as much money on transfer fees as the previous board in the 90s did with wages.
Frank McAvennie and Derek Whyte’s success at Celtic
Many Celtic supporters will look back on the 90s and shudder as it was one of the darkest periods in the club’s entire history.
Too many trophyless season’s to count, Celtic also almost went out of business in a decade that was frought with fan anger, board mismanagement and lack of on-field success.
However, Whyte and McAvennie did get a small taste of silverware at the club and here is what both players won at Celtic.
- Frank McAvennie: Scottish Premier Division: 1988, Scottish Cup: 1988
- Derek Whyte: 2 x Scottish Premier Division: 1986, 1988, 3 x Scottish Cup: 1985, 1988, 1989
Both players are regarded as legends for what they did in Celtic’s centenary season and it’s saddening to hear how little that Parkhead regime valued them during their time at the club.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
