A FORMER Celtic director has stepped in to save a stage play charting the Scottish Premier League Champions' 110-year history. Glasgow businessman Brian Dempsey made his move after talks between the club and The Celtic Story's producers stalled.
Mr Dempsey donated #200,000 to allow the play, first staged 10 years ago to mark Celtic's centenary, to go ahead at the city's Pavilion Theatre in July. The biggest commercial production in Scotland this year, the musical will star Dorothy Paul, Dave Anderson, and Jimmy Logan.
Mr Dempsey, who quit the Celtic board when chairman Fergus McCann took control, yesterday criticised Mr McCann and general manager Jock Brown over the sudden departure of head coach Wim Jansen, two days after Celtic clinched their first championship in a decade. ''This is a time to celebrate, but I am very disappointed as most Celtic fans are that Wim Jansen is going,'' he said.
The show's producer, Eddie Crozier, said: ''We were going to launch last week, which would have been a great publicity opportunity, but things that happened at the club undermined that and Celtic felt it wasn't right for them.
''I approached Mr Dempsey and he immediately saw the potential of the show and decided to back us after an hour's meeting.''
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