Mark Pirie of the Daily Record stopped just short of dusting down the cracked Celtic crest but there was no disguising his glee as he reacted to the imminent arrival of billionaire owners at Ibrox.
Knowing the intended market for the Record there was only one road to go down. Put together the combined IQs of Keith Jackson and Hugh Keevins with the creativity of Pirie and you have a guaranteed blockbuster.
Almost 100 replies to the tweet is mission accomplished as the good news for loyal bears is matched with impeding doom for Celtic.
The last decade of Celtic success has been devastating for the Record, daily sales hover just above 40,000 for a publication that was shifting 500,000 a day when Dave Murray created the back pages.
Last night’s story provides hope for the despondent bears, sick of reading about Celtic’s success on the park and the growing financial gulf off it.
Jackson ticked all the boxes with his yarn, it was spookily similar to the Whyte story from 2010 when front loaded investment was promised in the squad as Walter Smith prepared to step aside for Ally McCoist, with Murray sneaking out the back door.
The £30m asking price was diluted down to one shiny pound six months later, Jackson was factually correct on Whyte’s takeover but the detail was off the radar with the consequences greater than any Celtic fan dared to wish for.
Celtic jeopardy laid bare amid ‘radical’ 49ers takeover talks with Rangers as Patrick Stewart put on noticehttps://t.co/JEf3KctBF2 pic.twitter.com/wvBdiPxBzE
— Daily Record Sport (@Record_Sport) February 19, 2025
Not content with having a Keith Jackson WORLD EXCLUSIVE to share with readers Pirie decided to back it up with the seal from Keevins.
The Radio Clyde shock-jock was in the building when Jackson and James Traynor shared the good news from Motherwell in 2010.
For someone that has lived off the O** F*** sharing trophies the last decade has been a living nightmare.
News from his old colleague Jackson was greeted with delight as he reacted live on Super Scoreboard.
Pirie had the happy task of putting the jigsaw pieces together:
Hugh Keevins reckons that Celtic’s dominance of Scottish football would be at risk should the US led takeover bid of Rangers backed by the San Francisco 49ers succeed.
Record Sport revealed in a mammoth exclusive that top-level discussions over a multi-million pound investment began before the turn of the year – and they are now understood to be at an advanced stage. One of the key men behind the proposal is Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe – the man in charge of the NFL giants’ investment arm, 49ers Enterprises – is part of the consortium that would look to restore the Light Blues as a challenger to Celtic.
With mega-money spending potentially on the table, Mail Sport columnist Keevins reckons that a deal would change the “complexion” of the Scottish Premiership going forward. He told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard: “That kind of thing would come under a radical solution. Rangers at the moment are going nowhere, and they look at Celtic and they see a team they can’t begin to compete with on or off the park at the moment.
“If a takeover of that magnitude were to happen, that changes the complexion. Rangers can’t get anywhere unless they get some money. They can overhaul the squad, and be a stronger proposition than they are now.”
If.
If Jackson is head-hunted by the New York Times as Chief Sports Writer and decides to take Traynor and Keevins with him to his lucrative new role.
Over the coming days the story will be diluted, the bright new dawn as the flagship of the San Francisco 49ers will give way to a glorified Leeds United Reserve side.
UEFA’s Financial Sustainability Rules aren’t covered in Jackson’s story or the SFA rule that limits joint ownership bids to having a 29.9% stake in the Scottish club.
Trying to run a sustainable football club from Ibrox won’t go down well with Record readers and Ibrox fans. As Mike Ashley discovered although the Sports Direct tycoon had the last laugh with Castore kit exclusively available through his various online outlets.
On March 5 the Record will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of Dave King’s Revolution!
Probably the worst and most pathetic article you’ve ever written, and that says a lot
Aye I’m sure some yanks with about 150 other projects will care enough about rangers 😂
— EoinRL 🍋 (@RlEoin) February 19, 2025
I can feel Keef’s pain.
— The Big Cup (@lisboninthesun) February 20, 2025
Multi million pound takeover ……you can buy Dave Kings majority shareholding for buttons , and the money goes to him not Rangers .
— 𝚁𝚎𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚁𝚘𝚌𝚔 (@disgracelands9) February 19, 2025
— Andy Borland (@AndyBorland4) February 19, 2025
Funny how this all came out after issuing 18 million new shares. Would be like their gullible fans to fall for it would it? 😂
— DougieBhoy🍀 (@DougyBhoy1888) February 19, 2025
Must be some bad stuff on the horizon with this level of deflection!🤣🤣
— ..Murdoch, Auld and Hay.. (@deejays19671) February 19, 2025
Doesnt count when its the Mark Pirie cheerleader though
— MoJo (@MoJo79406505) February 20, 2025
Daily Ranger, please someone, anyone help our Team 🤣🤣🤣
— Celtic Collectibles (@CollectCelticFC) February 19, 2025
Geez peace. The nonsense is off the scale
— Daizen van Coupon (@DaizenMcka14681) February 20, 2025
Mark Pirie, the Record and Hugh Keevins, if its negative towards Celtic, print it or say it. Wealth off the radar, comes to mind.
— Mitch (@Mitch111078) February 19, 2025
Celtic jeopardy?
— SevilleSurvivor03 (@SSurvivor03) February 19, 2025
Jackson can keep writing Rangers propaganda, we’ll keep picking up doubles and trebles
— Mostly Here For The Football (@OrielCelt) February 19, 2025
Pity SFA and SPFL haven’t any financial fair play rules but whilst if there is any truth in this takeover (49ers likely see a cheap purchase option here) it could drastically alter domestic competition they’ll be snookered by European FFP rules re wages to turnover
— Wullie🇮🇩 (@auchenshoogle_) February 19, 2025
Tell me about the new share issue deflection with new takeover bid what a journalist you have he must be known as pinochio
— kate dunbar (@katedunbar61) February 19, 2025
Can taste the desperation
— B (@BrianMcVeigh7) February 19, 2025
If I was a betting man should I put money on what you say? 🫵🤦🤣 pic.twitter.com/362X3UKsSq
— Baldy Ketchup Wanker ‘I DON’T DO WALKING AWAY’ (@KetchupWanker) February 19, 2025
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