Reid ready to take over reins at Celtic

The former Home Secretary, John Reid, is to become the chairman of Celtic, replacing Brian Quinn, who is to step down from office at the club's AGM on 19 November.

Reid, 60, a lifelong Celtic fan and a regular in the VIP seats at Celtic Park, where journalists have been known to yell at him for obscuring their view as he returns late from his half-time refreshments, will stand down as an MP at the next general election.

Given that Reid will join Celtic's board on 1 October as an independent non-executive director and as the club's chairman-elect, and bearing in mind that Quinn will depart in mid-November, political rune readers may assume an election election will be over by then, allowing Reid to concentrate on football instead of his role as an MP.

"Like every schoolboy who supported Celtic, I always dreamt of pulling on the Hoops and scoring at Celtic Park," Reid said. "I never made it as a player, but this is certainly the next best thing."

Celtic entertain Dundee United this afternoon, when the midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura will be missing with a knee problem, which also makes him a doubt for the visit of Milan next week. The SPL leaders Rangers travel to Motherwell at lunchtime and third-placed Hibernian host injury-stricken Kilmarnock.