Off to the East Side of Glasgow! American rapper Snoop Dogg weighs up investing in Scottish champions Celtic
By JOHN DRAYTON
PUBLISHED: 19:34 GMT, 18 November 2012 | UPDATED: 19:34 GMT, 18 November 2012
I bet you didn't expect to hear this news today. American rapper Snoop Dogg has bizarrely said he would like to invest in Scottish Premier League champions Celtic. The 41-year-old superstar, who has made no secret of his love for football, has been a fan of the Scottish side since he was pictured with a Celtic shirt in 2005. Snoop has said that the passion shown by the fans when Celtic beat Barcelona 2-1 on an historic night in the Champions League may have persuaded him to splash the cash and buy shares in the club.
No 1 fan: Snoop Dogg, pictured posing with a Celtic shirt in 2005, is considering investing in the club
He said: 'I got a lot of interest in soccer. It’s not a new thing for hip hop stars to invest in sports teams but it is a new thing for hip hop stars to invest in soccer teams. 'I didn’t catch the whole Barcelona game but I watched the highlights. I know Barcelona are a big deal, and it shows Celtic are a big deal as well. 'I see how passionate Celtic fans are about their team and I could see myself making an investment if any of the board wanted to sell. 'I haven’t really thought how much. I don’t need to run a soccer club but enough of a percentage to get me on the board so I can be heard.
'I want to bring a bit of Snoop to things. 'I am passionate about my sport. The boxes at Celtic would never be the same once I have hosted a party there.' Snoop Dogg, who has sold more than 30million albums worldwide, asked his friend LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham about Celtic for advice, according to the Daily Record. Snoop says that the former Manchester United star gave him the nod of approval when it came to investing in the Glasgow club.
Star quality: The rapper says he would like 'to bring a bit of Snoop to things' at the Glasgow club
'I asked my man David about Celtic and he was like, “yeah, teams don’t come much bigger.”' However, the rapper doesn’t believe Beckham would be persuaded to move to Glasgow should Snoop buy shares.
'I would try and sign him up for a season but he is pretty happy over here. LA is home for him and his family now – but I would have to at least make that offer to my boy. 'We have lunch when we can, so next time, you know, I am going to speak to him about it. Never say never.' The music producer and actor’s favourite player is Greek international striker Georgios Samaras.
Passion: Snoop Dogg believes Celtic proved they are a 'big deal' by beating Barcelona in the Champions League
He said: 'I like Samaras a lot. He looks like a proper athlete and is a pretty dangerous player. If we are to go far in Europe, he needs to play well.' But why Celtic? Snoop says he simply loves Britain and its food, including a curry house in Scotland. He added: 'I love Scotland. I am so happy my UK ban is up. I love British Indian restaurants, man – but the best one I ever had was in Glasgow. The food blew me away, man. 'When I am away, I like to stay in hotels and have people look after me. But if I had investment in Celtic, that’s a different story. Maybe I would look for a crib over there.'
