Peter Grant has never been shy about his love for Celtic, and in a recent interview with The Sun’s Derek McGregor, the former midfielder pulled no punches when reflecting on one of the most critical chapters in the club’s history—the brink of financial collapse in the 1990s.
While Fergus McCann is rightly recognised as the man who stepped in and took the helm during that turbulent era, Grant was quick to shift the spotlight onto the Celtic support, who he credits with truly saving the club.
“Well, for me, I know people talk about Fergus and the way they do, which is fantastic. They needed a figurehead to put a plan in place,” Grant said. “But I still say to this day, it’s the Celtic supporters that saved Celtic. They would never let their club DIE. Never. And that was proven.”
The mid-90s were a precarious time. Celtic were teetering on the edge, financially and structurally, with their future hanging in the balance. When McCann arrived in 1994, he launched a massive share issue. What followed was an extraordinary act of unity and defiance from the fanbase. Thousands of supporters, many of them working-class, bought shares—some even going into personal debt to do so.
“It was a huge share issue, of course,” Grant noted. “And that, for me, is the biggest thing. You can have a figurehead, but it’s the people that suffered on the terraces that saved them. And guys were going into debt to buy shares. You know, and we should never, ever forget that. If you could put a statue for the Celtic supporters around, that’s slightly different.”
Grant’s words carry weight, not just because of his years in the Hoops, but because he lived through the chaos of the era. His quiet insistence throughout the interview was clear—Celtic fans simply would not allow their club to die. There’s an unspoken comparison here too. Just across the city, a different tale unfolded years later when another club faced insolvency and found itself starting anew in the lower tiers.
Celtic’s resurrection wasn’t born of a corporate rescue or fortunate timing. It was forged in the sacrifice and loyalty of its people—those who stood in the cold, poured their savings into shares, and refused to let history fade.
Now, decades on, the modern Celtic squad—managed with stability and performing strongly in domestic competitions—owes much to those who came before. Without that moment of collective resistance in the ’90s, there might not be a Celtic Park packed every other week, or a team competing for top honours.
Peter Grant’s reminder is timely and poignant: the supporters didn’t just save Celtic—they built the foundation the club stands on today. The words carry even more weight as we walk into a weekend where the club could potentially secure a 9th treble in their history.
