The Hoops owe a debt of gratitude to Coventry City for John Hartson’s incredible five-year tenure with Scottish powerhouse Celtic from 2001 to 2006.
The Welsh striker fared brilliantly for the Highfield Road-based Sky Blues after signing a pay-as-you-play contract with them in 2001 after leaving Wimbledon. Hartson managed to score six goals in 12 games for Coventry, a team that was fighting relegation from the Premier League. However, despite standing 19th in the league, Hartson was unable to prevent the Sky Blues from dropping to the lower division.
Due to his impressive achievements in a subpar team, Hartson attracted interest from other teams. With the help of the Sky Blues’ relegation, the Scottish powerhouses were able to step in and purchase the striker in the summer of 2001 for a reported £6 million. Hartson may not have been available to Celtic had Coventry City stayed in the Premier League; in fact, the Scottish team owes the Sky Blues’ relegation for their ability to sign the Welshman.
John Hartson played brilliantly for Coventry City in a struggling squad.
After Wimbledon was demoted to the second division of English football at the conclusion of the 1999–00 season, John Hartson played for the first half of the 2000–01 season at the First Division team. Hartson’s desire to return to the top division of English football was evident, and in 2001, he moved to Coventry City, fulfilling his dream. Hartson took a risk by signing a pay-as-you-play contract, which meant he wasn’t guaranteed a salary, but it also demonstrated how eager he was to play Premier League football.
It turned out to be the appropriate decision as well because he scored six goals in 12 Premier League games—one every other game—while playing for a team that placed second last in the league.
It was unfortunate that Hartson joined the team so late in the season since he could have kept them up if he had stayed at Highfield Road the entire time. But, once Celtic made a £6 million offer for him, his chances of playing in the First Division with the Sky Blues quickly vanished. Considering that Coventry had just recently joined the club, it was not an awful amount of money.
Celtic discovered a club legend thanks to Coventry City’s relegation.
John Hartson moved from Coventry City to Parkhead in the summer of 2001 when Celtic made an offer for him, indicating his desire to play football at the highest level. The Swansea-born striker spent the following five years with Celtic, where he rose to legendary status and helped the team win three SPL titles, two Scottish Cups, and a Scottish League Cup. In addition, he was a prolific goal scorer, tallying an amazing 105 goals in 194 games. To this day, Celtic fans still adore him.
He averaged 21 goals a season during his five years at Parkhead, so it’s no wonder he’s considered a modern-day Celtic icon. Hartson’s form north of the border suggests that many Premier League teams were kicking themselves for passing up the opportunity to get the big Welshman. The Hoops can credit Coventry City’s relegation for signing Hartson in 2001.
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