Celtic fans have been discussing Dermot Desmond’s significant 1999 interview after it resurfaced on social media.
The interview, conducted by Stephen McGowan for The Celtic View magazine, came in a crucial moment as Fergus McCann prepared to depart and make Desmond the club’s biggest shareholder.
The headline quote from the interview was his claim that Celtic are bigger than Manchester United. He declared that the board’s ambition was to make the club the biggest in the world.
Some things from the 90s have aged better than others… but this is up there with the worst.
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How Dermot Desmond’s 1999 Celtic interview has aged
On the structure of shares at the club that still exists 27 years on, Desmond said: “Buying Celtic outright was never a consideration for me and neither will it be.
“It was agreed some time ago by the board that it is in the best interests of the club to have a broad-based stable of shareholders and that remains the case.
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“The board’s ambition in all of this is not only to make Celtic FC the biggest football club in the UK or Europe, but indeed the world.
“That is our aim, but our continuing financial success is dependent on performances.
“It was clear from the start Fergus planned to divest of his shares in five years and we were all aware of the manner he wished to achieve that.”
He went on to claim: “In five years time Man Utd will probably have a bigger turnover than Celtic but I believe we are potentially and intrinsically bigger than them.
“Fundamentally, Celtic have an audience worldwide which can be far bigger. We have fans in Scotland, Ireland, France, Europe, Australia, America and Canada. The market is there.”
Whilst we don’t know if these are genuine opinions held by Desmond or just hollow attempts at grand statements, they contrast damningly with what his son Ross said on his behalf at Celtic’s AGM earlier this season.
There’s no disputing that Celtic being on a par with Man Utd has become virtually impossible, but as the club has built up unprecedented cash reserves, they have turned to all kinds of excuses for failing to reach their self-stated standards of being “world class in everything we do.”
Agree or disagree?
A critical moment for Dermot Desmond at Celtic
Throughout the last 27 years, Desmond has never been the most popular figure at Parkhead – but he is now under more scrutiny than ever.
After a summer transfer window that was damning on every possible front, his bombshell response to Brendan Rodgers’ resignation indicated absolutely no self-reflection whatsoever.
The Celtic Fans Collective has initiated various forms of protest throughout the season, with supporters pushing for “real change” at the top of the club.
We might hear chants of “sack the board” from the terraces every week, but in real terms, it’s the era of Desmond that needs to be sacked off.
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