Celtic fans have had to deal with the whole 49ers Enterprises takeover saga at Rangers for months.
Now that the deal is done, the Ibrox support is getting all giddy about wrestling with Celtic to be the top dogs in Scotland.
Indeed, Celtic fans have no reason to be worried about Rangers yet. All that’s happened so far is that the south side club have a bit of financial stability, whereas the Hoops have been fiscally stable for decades.
However, would Celtic fans like to have overseas investors like Rangers have? Not according to former Hoops captain Andy Lynch.
Why Celtic fans ‘would always be eager’ for the club to stay independent
Andy Lynch captained Celtic between 1978 and 1980. Over his seven years at the club he won three league titles and two Scottish Cups.
Lynch was the man behind an overseas consortium that tried to buy Liverpool for £400m back in 2010 and he believes that Celtic supporters would never accept the club selling their roots like the Premier League side almost did back then.
Lynch told The Herald Sport, “The Liverpool takeover bid happened around the time that foreign investors had really started buying into big English football clubs.
“Just look at the Premier League now. So many of them are owned by overseas businessmen or investment funds. That is even true in the Championship and down the divisions down south. Now it has happened at Rangers with this takeover.”
“The way that Celtic go about their business is still preferable for me.
“They are self-sufficient, enjoy consistent success, post profits every year and have money in the bank. They aren’t reliant on anyone to bankroll them.
“I don’t think Celtic could go down the route that so many other clubs have, I don’t think the fans would ever allow it.
“You never know, of course. If they were to lose a few titles then anything could theoretically happen. At the end of the day, money talks. If they ever found themselves unable to compete, maybe the outlook would change. But I do think Celtic supporters would always be eager for a Celtic fan or fans to remain as the major powerbrokers.”
Of course, Liverpool are now owned by John W. Henry, the American businessman, and his company Fenway Sports Group after the Premier League club were forced to sell after racking up £350m in debts in the richest league in the world.
Celtic’s financial stability and what it means for foreign investment
Thankfully, Celtic’s successful business model means that the Parkhead club would most likely never need foreign investment.
Since Fergus McCann put his vision for the club in place in 1994, Celtic’s financial power and dominance of Scottish football has increased year on year.
Champions League football, winning silverware and a successful player trading model has helped keep Celtic financially stable for decades now and that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon regardless of what’s happening across the other side of the city.
The Rangers takeover changes the landscape slightly but the reality right now is that until the Ibrox club appoint a manager, overhaul their first team and become financially sustainable, Celtic will continue to dominate Scotland.
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