A Songbook for Big George

Walking up the cobbled stone street the noise of Byres road slowly fades, a busker belts out an Oasis song while a smoker stands at the entrance of a bar, he's looking on in deep appreciation of the street fayre in front of him. The smoker throws a few coins on to the buskers ruffled up leather guitar case before opening the door to head back to his pint, momentarily the sound of a hundred conversations drift out from the packed bar before falling silent again as the door closes keeping in the heat and revelry. For me I’ve only got a few more steps along the lane before heading through the double doors of Jinty McGuinty's and all at once I am content.

The drinkers queueing at the bar behind me 4 or 5 people deep all looking for space to try to shout in another round – bar manager Caroline controlling it expertly as always.

Waiting my turn I take a quick look round to the fireplace where George is serenading the packed pub with his stories and songs, he greets me with a wide eyed beaming smile and a gentle nod, I know I've been welcomed into the pub. He gestures down to his half finished pint, just to let me know he needs another freshly poured beer brought over when I’m ready.

The walls are decorated with the literary gems of Ireland. Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde and WB Yeats are remembered through their social commentary from yesteryear. Mixed with the modern score from artists like Christy Moore, Shane MacGowan, Jim Croce and many many more........... It’s all too perfect.

This is where I went for years, this is where I grew up, this is where I go now to remember my brother George. 

Sometimes I close my eyes and for a fleeting moment I hear his voice, I see his smile and feel his warmth again.

There isn’t a day goes by where I don't miss him.

Those years following George from pub to pub across Glasgow, and if I could get the time off work, across Scotland too are cherished memories. They were an education for me, and an opportunity to embrace the beauty within folk music, from it's picture perfect lyrics to the touching melodic arrangements that accompanied every heartfelt tale.  These songs don't just linger in your head, they settle in your soul.

George's wife Carolyn dropped off his gigging guitar to me last year. I had hoped I could maybe pick up the guitar and actually learn to play it properly this time, but so far I haven't got very far. In amongst the guitar case was an old song list that George handed round at the bars and clubs he played so that people could request songs – the list wasn't extensive, probably only covering a small clipping of his regular material.  A very early version of a playbook.

The list got me thinking about the songs George would sing and the variety of genres it crossed over. Digesting the content of the playbook I created a playlist on Spotify of the tunes I would hear George perform in my younger days, like all good playlists it has become a fluid score of not only the songs George sang, but those I would hear in the bars where he played and in the car travelling between venues.

Simply called Big Geo Songlist it has become my go to soundtrack when I am ironing, cooking, driving or spending time with family and friends. The biggest compliment I can give it is that both my children are tuned in to it regularly.

So, I thought I would share it with you to hopefully bring back some memories of your own and help toast my brother and our friend George.

Big Geo Songlist

A year in the life of this Celtic fan 1997 - 98

As the 1996/97 season drew to a close Celtic started to fall out the race for the Scottish title.   The reality of our city rivals equalling our 9 in a row record had just about been confirmed.  A small glimmer of hope remained that some silverware could be salvaged through the Scottish Cup.  A semi-final replay against Falkirk at Ibrox stadium on Wednesday 23rd April 1997 would represent our last chance to maybe secure a token of success for the season.

On a night when the weather conditions were awful Celtic lost 1-0 to Falkirk which pretty much ended our season.   I sat near the front of the Govan Road stand at Ibrox with my future wife Linda that night and  we were both soaked through in the incessant rain.  When I got home I went to sleep hoping to waken up from a bad dream. 

I became un-well overnight with flu like symptoms and I deteriorated over the next few days.   I was admitted to Glasgow Royal infirmary on Saturday 26th April with a suspected stroke, but after multiple tests, scans and examinations the doctors discovered that I had contracted Bacterial Endocarditis which was stopping my heart from functioning properly.  Broken hearted if you like.

For the next 2 weeks, I would drift in and out of consciousness and was given intravenous antibiotics, but it became clear that the drugs were not going to be enough to help me fight the infection. My consultants visited me around the 6th May to confirm that I would need emergency life saving surgery.

On the 9th May 1997 I made my way to theatre for open-heart surgery, undergoing a pulmonary valve replacement.  I spent the vast majority of the day in surgery as the surgeons tried to repair the damage done to my heart.  The following day my condition worsened and I went into cardiac arrest, I would need to go through further emergency surgery that day to save my life.   My family and my girlfriend Linda were given the news that the next few hours would be crucial.

I would spend another 10 days in intensive care as my condition slowly improved.   I was moved back to a ward in the hospital 2 weeks after surgery and began my post operation rehab, it was then that I found out Rangers had equalled our 9-in-a-row record and that our coach Tommy Burns had been sacked as Celtic manager.

I was discharged from hospital in early June to continue with my recovery; thankfully I had a big family and supportive girlfriend to see me through those early months. 

On the 3rd July the Scottish sports writers started to make some noise on the radio suggesting a new manager was on his way to Celtic Park, I took a trip to the stadium with my brother Benny to see Wim Jansen unveiled as the new boss.  To be honest, I hadn’t heard of him as a player or a manager.

Plenty of players came & went over the course of the next few months, Paolo Di Canio left for Sheffield Wednesday, we made some new signings like Craig Burley and Darren Jackson.   However, it was the arrival of a forward from Wim Jansens former club Feyenoord that helped spark the team. 

A slow start to our league campaign meant we would have play catch up on our rivals..  A battle of Britain UEFA cup-tie against Liverpool seemed to lift the players and the club but it wasn’t enough as we lost the tie on away goals.  

A last minute header from Alan Stubs secured a draw at home against Rangers, a result that would prove incredibly valuable at the end of season.  November ended with a League Cup Final visit to Ibrox, the scene of our defeat to Falkirk earlier in the year & where my serious illness seamed to start.

My brother George managed to secure me a ticket for the match and I watched on as Celtic beat Dundee Utd 3-0 to win the League Cup for the 1st time in 15 years.   The euphoria of winning that day reverberated around the Ibrox stands; a trophy that had been out of our grasp for so long was coming back to Celtic Park, but our main aim must be to stop Rangers reaching 10-in-a-row.

Every match had the feeling of a must win game, none more so than the traditional new year derby with our city rivals.  My brother-in-law gave me his ticket for the match that day.   Celtic controlled the match from start to finish and we were rewarded with a fine two nil victory, both goals superb and both coming from new players signed by Jansen.   Celtic had won their first new-years day derby since 1988 & were back in the race for the title.

As the league season came to an end, the pressure on both teams was beginning to tell.  On the 2nd last weekend of the season Rangers lost to Kilmarnock at Ibrox, a result that gave Celtic the chance to win the title with a win the following day against Dunfermline.  The tension got to the players and we could only earn a draw loosing a goal in the last few minutes to finish the match 1-1.  The League title would be decided one week later on Saturday 9th May – the 1st anniversary of my life saving heart operation.

I didn’t have a ticket for the match against St Johnstone and in the age before wall-to-wall TV coverage, my dad and I were left listening to the radio for updates.   All Celtic had to do was to win the match at home and we would be Scottish champions for the first time in 10 years.

Within the first 3 minutes of the radio commentary we were celebrating the news of a goal for Celtic through Henrik Larsson.  However nerves on the pitch meant that Celtic struggled to add that 2nd goal that would give us some breathing space.

News came through from Tannadice that Rangers were winning against Dundee Utd.   If Celtic slipped up the league would be lost to our biggest rivals.

I’d had enough and couldn’t listen anymore, so went to my room and hoped for the best, I was switching the radio on and off checking for the score and turned on the radio just in time to hear the commentator describe Harald Brattbakk scoring the 2nd goal for Celtic securing our first championship in 10 years.

I went downstairs to see my dad crying with delight and we cheered and sang our way through the final 20 minutes of the match.   When the final whistle blew a huge cheer was heard across the east end of Glasgow as Celtic fans celebrated winning the Scottish title.

The 9th May will be etched in my memory forever.  In the space of a year my damaged heart had been repaired thanks to the commitment of NHS staff and my broken heart had been mended with the delivery of an unexpected title victory thanks to the management of Wim Jansen.

I may not have known much about Wim Jamsen prior to his arrival at Celtic, but by the time he left the club in 1998 I knew he had joined a long list of Celtic legends, to go along with his already legendary status the earned as a player and manager with Feyenoord.