Celtic yesterday confirmed Norwegian striker Harald Brattbakk will join next week from Rosenborg - and promised him the largest soccer stadium in Britain to display his talents.
Managing director Fergus McCann chose the announcement of Brattbakk's signing for £2 million sterling on a four-and-a-half-year contract to outline how the final chapter of his own five-year plan will come to fruition.
Brattbakk's arrival has long been mooted, but McCann chose an update on Celtic's financial progress to reveal the forward's arrival after his final Champions' League game for Rosenborg against Olympiakos next Wednesday.
Because of a pre-contract agreement, regardless of the result of that match, Brattbakk will sign and with 127 goals in 148 league games for Rosenborg, he promises to deliver the strikepower the Celtic support crave.
Brattbakk has shown his European pedigree this season, including a superb goal against Real Madrid last month, and his quality fits the club's ambitious blueprint for the future.
When Canadian-born McCann took over at Parkhead in March 1994, the club were facing bankruptcy with around £9 million of debt and support in a crumbling stadium dwindling.
McCann promised he would stay for five years until the summer of 1999 - and he yesterday reiterated he still plans to step away from all he has helped created, ideally with his shares being offered to the fans.
The transformation of the club under McCann has seen only two domestic trophies, the second being last week's Coca-Cola Cup win, but off-the-field at least, Rangers have been caught.
Celtic have spent a total of £30 million on Parkhead, the latest and final £7 million going on what will be known as the Jock Stein Stand behind the West End goal of a ground which once finished will hold 60,000.
"We are a financially secure operation listed on the alternative stock exchange with 40,000 and rising season book holders, again the largest in Britain. We have come a long way in a short time," McCann said.
He added that he is determined to keep his pledge of departing the club in the summer of 1999 with the intention of offering existing shareholders first refusal on his holdings.
"Ideally new investment will come from those within the club and be shared among the fans, but I would appoint a replacement as managing director, a skilled professional who shares Celtic's interests," he said.
"I have not dedicated five years of my life to hand over to the wrong people - the club is on an upward curve."
Meanwhile, former England under-21 international Jamie Stuart faces the prospect of a lengthy ban from the game after becoming the fourth Charlton Athletic player to fail a drugs test.
Stuart, a 21-year-old defender who made four appearances for the under-21 team, tested positive for cocaine and marijuana.
Stuart has already been suspended by the first division club and will soon be charged with misconduct by the FA, who are becoming increasingly concerned about the situation at Charlton.
Terry Venables denied last night that he had quit as chairman of English first division strugglers Portsmouth - only hours after the club had claimed that the former England coach "is no longer with us".
Venables blamed a "lack of communication" for the series of events which has seen fellow Fratton Park shareholder Martin Gregory decide not to transfer a 51 per cent shareholding in the club to the Australia coach.
Venables, who heard the news in a solicitor's letter late on Thursday, said: "As of now I'm still the chairman of the club until such time as I choose different. I expect to make a decision on my future at the club by the end of the weekend."
