In an eye-opening revelation, former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has shared how he found out about Mo Johnston’s potential move to Rangers in 1989.
The news sent shockwaves through Scottish football at the time, and McAvennie’s revelation of the situation offers some intriguing insights into the drama that unfolded behind the scenes.
He said: (ACSOM), “I was in France, at his house. We went to see Simple Minds. I was in London and then went to France to see Simple Minds at Nantes Stadium. We were all there, and he said he could be signing.
“He told me in January that he could be signing for Rangers, and Jim had a bet with him, but he never paid him, obviously. He got a million pounds directly deposited into his bank account from Rangers.
“The biggest problem for Mo was that he had his photo taken in a Celtic jersey. Signing for them was bad enough, but getting the photos taken the day before in a Celtic jersey made it worse.”
It’s a revelation that will come as a shock to many, knowing that McAvennie was aware of the potential move to Rangers for so long. It’s hard to imagine that even McAvennie himself wouldn’t have had doubts when Johnston was pictured alongside Billy McNeill in a Celtic jersey.
However, Johnston turned the situation on its head, leading to one of the most controversial moves in Scottish football history – if not the most controversial.
For McAvennie, having played for Celtic over two spells, it must have been incredibly tough to watch Johnston play for Rangers and even score against the Hoops.
McAvennie has always held a special place in his heart for Celtic, even long after his retirement from football. In contrast, Johnston seemed all too willing to cross the Glasgow divide, a move that many, including McAvennie, found difficult to understand, especially given the deep-rooted loyalty that Celtic fans have for their club.
