It's Been Emotional – Brian Quinn
It's been emotional November 08 2007
EMOTIONAL TRIBUTE: Brian Quinn was given a standing ovation by the Celtic supporters at Parkhead on Tuesday night.
He sat huddled inside his black overcoat, mild embarrassment mixed with raw emotion. Brian Quinn's moment had arrived.
The departing chairman's image had been projected on to the big screens at either end of Celtic Park and the fans rose to acclaim him. For the 70-year-old, it was a moving affirmation of his 11 years at the club – seven as chairman – a period in which the club's credibility has been restored both domestically and in Europe.
It also marked a final, thrilling consummation of his relationship with the Celtic fans, a union which has endured turbulent times. It is just two and a half years since Quinn was booed by the same fans as he received a supporters' club presentation at half-time in a league match with Hearts. The vocalisation of their displeasure stemmed from what they perceived as Quinn's strangulating grip on the club's pursestrings. Quinn described it as: "one of the saddest days of my life."
Dermot Desmond, the club's majority shareholder, later expressed his anger at the reaction of the supporters, claiming that "what those fans did to Brian Quinn undermined the whole tradition of this club and also made it extremely unattractive for anyone considering putting money in, including myself."
Quinn's attempts to square the economic circle have since been boosted by the diligent work of Peter Lawwell, the chief executive, and the success of Gordon Strachan in building a team with a far lower cost-base than previous years. On Tuesday night, as the applause cascaded down, Quinn's journey from villain to departing hero was complete.
"When I heard the fans clapping and cheering there was a lump in my throat," he said. "I came into the ground before the game and I was clapped up the stairs and that was fantastic. The Celtic support are the best in the world. When we went to Benfica their supporters clapped ours out of the stadium.
So to have those supporters behind you and thanking you for what you've done was a great thing.
"I've been a Celtic supporter since I was six and used to play football with green and white hoops on, so to be in charge and provide leadership on the board and to take the club from where they were to where they are now has been a great thrill.
"I knew why the supporters did it booed, I was never resentful. It rose out of frustration and the frustration was understandable.
"They had already begun to expect more from the football club than they were getting. So the frustration showed itself. I was the leading candidate. I said to Peter Lawwell before the half-time break if he fancied going out and doing it the presentation. Lawyers say never ask a question you don't know the answer to and I knew the answer that night.
"I took my lumps and that's the nature of football. I don't care which club you're with, it's ups and downs and you have to be able to ride that through and try to see a way forward. You have to have a degree of vision and that's what I've tried to bring to Celtic."
Quinn has fused the ruthless pragmatism of a former governor of the Bank of England with the emotionalism of a supporter. On the one hand, there is the thrill he received from helping to turn cumulative deficits of £40m in the Martin O'Neill era into pre-tax profits of more than £15m earlier this year.
On the other, the goosebumps from on-field success, including five SPL titles, four Scottish Cups and three League Cups. He picks out the club's loss to Porto in 2003's UEFA Cup final in Seville as a particularly bittersweet memory.
"It was abitter disappointment because I thought when we equalised twice it was our night, the team was playing well and Henrik was desperate to win the medal," he said. "So to lose in extra-time to a goal some would argue was preventable was a bit bitter. We all went back to the hotel for what was supposed to be a gala dinner and the atmosphere was funereal.
"On the other side, as an event, a celebration of Celticness it was without parallel in the last 30 years. I left the VIP area and looked across the stadium at the supporters, 30,000 Celtic supporters, 17,000 from Porto. The Celtic supporters were singing You'll Never Walk Alone. Anyone who can't be moved by that needs to go and have a transplant.
It was a wonderful occasion.
"I was in the town with my wife and other relatives for lunch and we had a UEFA driver. He didn't think he'd get back into town to meet me because of the congestion. He gave me his business card which said Julio Ignacio Jesus Jimenez, but he was called Jesus. After lunch the square was mobbed, so I called him and said: Jesus, meet us at the hotel'. Some Celtic supporters heard me and said: we're alright tonight, Brian's talking to Jesus'."
If Seville was the pinnacle of Celtic's European achievement under O'Neill, then Strachan has raised the bar even further by qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League last season. Celtic's victory over Benfica on Tuesday put them on course to equal that achievement again. Quinn has revelled in the re-establishment of Celtic's credentials in Europe.
"Now we're not AC Milan or Barcelona but I think we've raised the profile and the image of Celtic in football terms and that's been very rewarding for me," he said.
"I think we are back as a force in European football. I think people respect us."
Quinn thanks his 'best two signings'
BRIAN QUINN, the outgoing Celtic chairman, has hailed manager Gordon Strachan and Peter Lawwell, the club's chief executive, as "the best two signings I've ever made".
Quinn will step down later this month to be replaced by Dr John Reid as chairman and leaves the Parkhead club in its strongest financial position of modern times. The 70-year-old has worked diligently to make the club more financially sustainable, and has been aided hugely by the contribution of Lawwell and Strachan.
Together, they have reduced the wage bill and built a team on less than half the budget of Strachan's predecessor, Martin O'Neill. "We've got a strong board, we've got strong management in Peter Lawwell, who has been a star, and a strong manager in Gordon Strachan," said Quinn.
"Gordon's style irritates some people, he's a wee bit idiosyncratic, but as a coach there is no better in football. He doesn't involve himself in the financial side or in transfers, he leaves that to Peter. It has been a great division of responsibilities. I would say they are the best two signings I've ever made."
Quinn has enjoyeda more harmonious relationship with Strachan than O'Neill, with whom he clashed over finances. He believes that Strachan can establish himself as a Celtic great to rank alongside the Northern Irishman.
"Gordon is not a rabble rouser, he's not a person who makes speeches but technically he's one of the best coaches we've ever come across. I've every confidence he'll win over the supporters," said Quinn.
"Martin was the photofit and had all the characteristics the fans wanted to see. It was difficult for Gordon to come after a man like him, who left in circumstances which were not ideal because of his wife's illness.
"But Gordon is winning the fans over and I'm sure if Celtic go forward, he will be as important a figure."
(Herald)