CONOR MCGREGOR’S tweet on Sunday night about potentially buying into Celtic down the line has got a big reaction: some positive and a lot negative.
One of Scotland’s leading MMA fighters, Paul Craig believes any move that would see Conor buy into Celtic would raise the club’s profile worldwide. He believes millions of people would suddenly check Celtic out, people who have followed Conor his own MMA career and make Celtic an even bigger brand.
“McGregor is a revolutionary, not only in MMA but in the sporting world,” the Airdrie-born former light-heavyweight world champion said. “He changed MMA for ever.” Craig told RecordSport.
“He was the catalyst. If you are an MMA fan, you’ll have seen MMA fighters come and go. You’ll have superstars and far better athletes than McGregor, far better trash-talkers than McGregor, but McGregor had that ability to market himself and the sport like nobody else. He pushed UFC into the next level.
“It wouldn’t be as mainstream in Scotland if it wasn’t for McGregor. I’ve been in the sport for 10 years – five years in the UFC – and everybody knows who McGregor is. “He’s designed the brand, he’s got the look and the entourage. He’s got that bit of charm and salesmanship.
“He’s a comedian, an athlete.
“He’s the golden goose in our sport and to have somebody like that talking about buying shares in Celtic is something that the club should be excited about.
“If he became involved, the world-wide media coverage would go through the roof. Their fanbase is already huge but they’d add millions to it overnight.
“I remember when David Beckham signed with Real Madrid and they made his signing-on fee back on sales of strips with his name on it. That’s the kind of thing that would happen if McGregor went into business with Celtic. Merchandising would be off the scale.
“It wouldn’t affect season ticket sales because they’re all sold out anyway. It won’t affect Sky or any other media buying up Celtic coverage because it’s already done.
“It will come down to people buying into Celtic worldwide.”
McGregor is a showman and because he is such a polarising figure when doing his MMA schtick – there are people who love him and people who can’t stand him.
It would be bizarre to see the Irishman invest money in Celtic but like most of us who have shares in the club, it would have to be an emotional investment. There’s not much money to be made at Celtic while they’re in Scottish football.
Celtic’s second biggest shareholder [a group called Lindsell Train] have bought into the club to make money. They believe when football restructuring happens and Celtic leave Scottish football, their shares will skyrocket.
Dermot Desmond shows no signs of wanting to sell his shares either and will likely get passed down to his family.
