My introduction to the Celtic Foundation

In the opening months of 2018 I had eureka moment sitting in a bar in central Glasgow. As a fundraiser for the British Heart Foundation along with family we had organised a number of events, from quiz nights to a 5-a-side tournament raising roughly £10k along the way. However, I was inspired by the actions of the Paradise Steps Group who raise funds for a number of charities by running up & down the steps in some of the most famous football stadiums in the world. I had heard about their exploits at Celtic park & wondered if I could challenge myself to do the same, albeit walking every step.

I approached the Celtic Foundation to discuss options of working with them to raise funds for the BHF & of course the Celtic Foundation by completing the challenge of walking up & down every step in Celtic Park. In early May 2018 after a few months of training walking up & down steps outside Hampden Park & at Kelvingrove Park, I along with 9 colleagues, friends & family started the challenge.

To attend a sell out match at Celtic Park under the lights with the fans singing in unison is truly an incredible sight, but to enter the stadium when every seat is empty & all you have with you is the support of your fellow fundraisers the stadium is as intimidating as it is inspiring. With the early morning sunshine lighting up Paradise our group made their way through each if the steps determined not to let the opportunity pass us by. Lisbon Lions , North Stand, Jock Stein, Main stand & safe standing sections were all conquered with the knowledge that £8670 had been raised which was split equally supporting the amazing work carried out by both charities.

I then attended a Lisbon anniversary celebration along with family & a good friend from the BHF, the function was held in the Kerrydale Suite at Celtic Park & there I met a number of the volunteers from the Celtic Foundation & was amazed at the passion & dedication each of them had for the charity each going a long way to making the charity successful in changing lives here in Scotland & across the world.

Fast forward to April 2019 when I received an e-mail from the Celtic Foundation inviting me to take part in the Magners “Goals for Good" match to be played on the hallowed surface at Celtic Park. This was obviously an opportunity I could not turn down. 

As a child I loved nothing more than playing football, but with a serious heart condition I was advised by my consultants when I was 9 years old that I would never be allowed to play at any level. I couldn't play for my school or join in with friends in local teams. My footballing was restricted to local matches at the park with friends & often interrupted by multiple breaks for me to get my breath back. 

My condition known as Fallots Tetrallogy meant I was born with 4 separate defects of my heart & by the age of 9 I’d had 4 life changing heart operations, 2 of these before I was 9 months old. I have had 3 pulmonary valve replacement surgeries, one of these when I was 19 when doctors fought to save my life during a long period in hospital, so to be given an opportunity to get changed in the home dressing room, walk down the tunnel & take part in a match at Celtic Park was a dream come true. The night itself is a memory that will live with me forever & again following in the charitable origins of the club the event itself raised a further £20k donated by Magners to the Celtic Foundation. 

Like most fans my interaction with the Celtic Foundation involved buying a ticket to the charity matches held at the ground or making a donation on “Badge Day" at the end of the season, but the last 2 years has given me greater insight to the work carried out by the charity & impact it has both locally & around the globe.

Legendary Partnerships - Billy McNeill & John Clark

A little under 2 years after that famous 7-1 rout over our old rivals at Hampden Park in October 1957 when Celtic won the League cup for only the 2nd time, the club found itself again in a period of transition. The nucleus of a world class team was beginning to take shape (they just didn’t know it yet) with some players making the move from reserve to first team. 

A young John Clark made his debut at 18 years of age in a 5-0 victory away to Arbroath on 19th October 1959. This match is special on 2 counts, firstly at the time this was the youngest ever Celtic team to take the field with an average age of just over 21 years old. Secondly it was the first time that both John Clark & Billy McNeill played a first team match together. That partnership blossomed under the tutelage of Jock Stein less than a decade later. When Billy was scoring hugely significant goals against Dunfermline, Vojvodina & Racing Club on the way domestic dominance & European glory John Clark was at the heart of the Celtic defence, the extra insurance that allowed the rest of our greatest team, in the words of Bertie Auld “to entertain”. 

When the time came for Celtic to change the management team in the late 70s, it was a natural choice for “Cesar" & “The Brush" to lead the club into the new decade. The new management team celebrated with fans as further victories came in the form of 3 League titles, 1 Scottish cup & 1 League Cup. Both men, seen as legendary figures in Celtics history & indeed the Scottish game continued their involvement with football, Billy as an analyst for TV & John as Kit-Man at the club he served most of his life. Ambassador roles for two truly magnificent club servants followed allowing both men to maintain their interactions with the club on match days & at Supporters Club gatherings around the world. 

John perhaps is the only man to have been involved with Celtic during each of our 6 Treble Winning celebrations , either as player, kitman or club ambassador & was filmed for an advert detailing his dedication to Celtic. 

In recognition of the service given by our greatest ever captain a magnificent statue was unveiled at the foot of the Celtic Way. The iconic moment where Billy McNeill held aloft the greatest prize in European club football, forever sculpted in praise of Cesar. Billy & his family were there to celebrate his achievements, but sadly the effects of his condition reminded us all of the frailty of life. 

Throughout the latter years of Billy's life John continued to be that very rock that Jock Stein asked him to be during the clubs rise in the 60s, but it was no longer on the football pitch or in the dugout. He remained at the side of Billy and his family diligently walking and caring for Billy during his rare public appearances. 

As far as partnerships go, the Lisbon Lions were blessed in every position & permutation, both on & off the field, “total football” before the term was coined years later. However, the level dedication to each other as the years passed only became greater & role in which John Clark played then & now can never be overlooked.

Legendary Celtic Partnerships - The First Great Celtic Team

Over the years Celtic have had their fair share of dominant sides in Scottish football. Jock Steins side of the ‘60s & ‘70s were consistently involved at the business end of European footballing campaigns and built sides to secure 9 league titles in a row. Our more recent 9 in a row & Quadruple Treble triumph cements our place as the predominant domestic club side of the 21 century.

If you rewind just over 100 years we find the original super team of Scottish football. From season 1904/05 through to 1909/1910 Celtic secured 6 leagues titles in a row & became the first team to secure back to back League & Scottish Cup doubles. This record breaking Celtic side had a prolific strike force throughout their history making period of success. Alec Bennett, Peter Sommers, Davie Hamilton, Jimmy McMenemy & Jimmy Quinn led a dynamic front 5 that appeared to score at will. 

The legendary status of this forward line finds its roots in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park in 1904 when Jimmy Quinn scored a hatrick to win the cup for Celtic against their city rivals Rangers. Trailing 2-0, The “Croy Express” scored three unanswered goals to secure the trophy & launch Celtic into a sustained period if domination.

The first of 6 consecutive league titles was won in the most dramatic fashion the following season, when a play-off match between Celtic & Rangers would be required to decide the League champions of Scotland. Celtic won the match 2-1 at Hampden park with goals coming from McMenemy & Hamilton.

The league & cup double was secured in 1907 as Celtic beat Hearts 3-0 in the Scottish cup final, 2 of the goals coming from Peter Sommers. The first back to back double followed in 1908 after a thumping 5-1 victory over St Mirren in the Cup Final, Bennet, Quinn, Sommers & Hamilton all helping themselves to goals in the match. These players could be relied upon for the big matches by scoring goals in the matches that mattered.

Over the course of their careers at Celtic, these 5 forwards would play a combined total of almost 1500 matches, scoring 559 goals. Their achievements & teamwork helped to deliver 6 league titles in a row & a record that stood for over 60 years, until another great partnership arrived to lead Celtic onto domestic & international success.

Legendary Celtic Partnerships - Kelly & Maley

Since our formation in the small parish hall of St Mary’s in the Calton in the late 1800s Glasgow Celtic have flourished & grown, first as force helping the impoverished people of the east end of the city, then as a successful footballing side in the Scottish game & across Europe.

The direction of the club both on & off the pitch has been driven by individuals, families, friends players & legendary figures . Over the last 14 decades a number of greats have helped cement the clubs place in world football. All of these accolades & honours were achieved as a team, but that’s not to distract from those players who had a little bit extra skill, craft & gallus style that entertained the masses on the slopes of Celtic Park over the years, there is also room for the men who struck up a partnership in different areas on the pitch & in the club management to take the team & the fans to new highs of footballing glory.

In this series, I will look at a number of partnerships over the decades that have ensured Celtic have stayed at the forefront of Scottish football & punched above their weight in the elite European club competitions. 

James Kelly & Willie Maley 

It is difficult to think of the footballing side of Celtic without these 2 key figures leading the club through our early years. 

James Kelly & Willie Maley were on the pitch as Celtic took their first strides into the new footballing world on the 28th May 1888, with Kelly scoring as Celtic beat Rangers 5 goals to 2 in a friendly match. Both men played their part just 4 years later when Celtic overcame Third Lanark to win the Scottish Cup for the first time.

The pair would spend over 40 years together serving the club, initially as players & then as board member & manager respectively. During their time at Celtic Park an incredible 17 league titles & 13 Scottish Cups were secured. This partnership guided Celtic through their formative years, achieving many firsts including 6 in a row & the first Scottish league & Cup double. However, their partnership wasn’t all about the silverware, the ethical stand point which is still true today was forged during their tenure. 

A quote as simple as “It's not the creed nor his nationality that counts. It’s the man himself" from Maley ensured Celtic would not be hamstrung for years by a narrow minded signing policy & ensured an open mind for finding the best players & managers available throughout our history. 

The Kelly family name would continue to be heard around Celtic Park for over 100 years as the family controlled the fortunes of the club through the many highs & the difficult lows of our first 108 years.

Celtic were blessed with a number of strong leaders in those early years & they all played their part in building the foundations of the club we follow today. Willie Maley & James Kelly built on those strong foundations & helped propel the club into 20th century & on to unrivalled success.

Celtic Centenary Team - A Tribute to Billy McNeill

In the summer of 1987 Celtic found themselves in the very unusual position of finishing behind their city rivals in the Scottish top flight. Not since the end of season 1977/78 had Celtic finished behind Rangers in the league, but the 2nd half of the 1986/87 season had saw Celtic give up the title they had won in dramatic fashion at St. Mirren park the year before. A lead at top of the table in early 1987 was gone by mid-March & the title was lost in the penultimate match of the season. To add to the disappointment of ending the season without silverware, Celtic also lost a number of key players throughout the team. Davie Hay was sacked, Brain McClair, Mo Johnstone, Murdo McLeod & Danny McGrain all left for pastures new.

The Celtic team were needing a major overhaul & the club were stumbling towards their Centenary season celebrations without someone to lead & manage the team. 

When the managerial announcement was made, the emotional heart strings that run through Celtic Football Club were pulled on as our greatest ever captain returned to lead a team in need of a renewed Will to Win. Billy McNeill’s decorated playing career with Celtic had propelled the towering centre back to legendary status across the footballing world, 9 Scottish League titles, 7 Scottish Cup wins, 6 league cup wins & of course captained the team who conquered all in front of them to lift the European Cup in Lisbon in 1967. Under a spell as manager in the late 70s & early 80s Billy delivered further success with 3 league titles, 1 Scottish cup & 1 league cup. Celtic had not just appointed a manager, they had appointed a natural leader, a winner & a man who knew the Scottish game inside out. 

The rebuild process got underway with the arrival of Andy Walker, Billy Stark & Chris Morris. Mick McCarthy had also made the switch to the east end of Glasgow in a deal sown up prior to Cesar’s return to Glasgow. When the final piece of transfer business was complete Joe Miller & Frank McAvennie were added to an attack minded team, built to entertain The Celtic Way. The squad inherited by Billy already had some strong characters & Celtic minded players. Roy Aitken, Tommy Burns & Paul McStay would all play a part in what became a memorable season. 

Billy McNeill moulded a team of winners in that most spectacular of seasons where Celtic achieved another milestone as they became the first club to win the league in their Centenary year. The dream double was achieved in typically dramatic style with 2 late goals from Frank McAvennie to overcome Dundee United at Hampden Park. 

When you listen to the players as they reminisce about our Centenary season, the praise of the boss who guided them to the triumph is unending. A motivator & leader. An inspiration to those he worked with. Billy on the other hand was always modest in his self appraisal. 

For all the fairy tale stories woven in to the fabric of Celtic Football club, Billy McNeill is centre stage for so many of them. The iconic figure of our Captain of Captains, Manager & Ambassador will forever be embedded in the hearts & minds of Celtic fans throughout the world.

25 years of Oasis

In the spring of 1994 the winds of change began to blow through the UK music scene. The singles chart had been dominated by a varied selection of tunes ranging from Mr Blobby, Doop & Chaka Demus. The album chart gave a more rounded view of the balladeers of the music industry with Meat Loaf, Bryan Adams, Diana Ross & Mariah Carey featuring heavily. 

I , like many other music fans had been left devastated by the death of Kurt Cobain in April ’94. A UK tour that had fans at fever pitch following the release of “Nevermind" & their meteoric rise to fame in the early 90s will always be one of the big what if moments for music fans of that era. However, as history shows the music doesn't stop after the untimely death of special talents & lyricists. 

In early May a quirk in the musical timeline saw Scottish rock band Stiltskin head up the singles chart with “Inside", the success of the song may have been helped along by the link to a Jeans advert shown at the time – all of the songs linked with these adds went to number one. Around the same time the 3rd release from Blur “Parklife" bounced into the number one slot in the album charts. However, In the background a musical phenomenon was noisily gathering pace. 

The legendary Manchester music scene of the late 80s & early 90s had delivered some if the most iconic bands, musicians & dancers in the UK. The Charlatans, Happy Mondays & Inspiral Carpets were all part of the cultural musical movement headed up by The Stone Rose’s, however musical differences, drink & drug fuelled sessions would see these bands lose their place at the top of the musical charts to the new wave of Grunge music imported from the United States. The 24 hour happy people refused to Stand Still, they kept the faith & awaited a Second Coming. They didn't have to wait too long. 

On 11th April Creation records released a single from their newly signed 5 piece band from Manchester. To the vast majority of the UK the release went under the radar reaching number 31 in the singles chart, but Oasis were already well on the road to superstardom. A heavy schedule of touring throughout the UK had already seen the band make a huge impact in the hearts & minds of a fan base that wanted more. 

As word of the band started to spread in mainstream music circles the band played their first set on Top of the Pops with their 2nd single Shakermaker. This track peaked at number 11 in the charts, but now the band had been given some primetime exposure. The trademark swagger, attitude & style of a band ready to conquer the music scene was there for all to see. 

In August 1994 Oasis released their 3rd single Live Forever making it into the top 10 in the UK singles chart, the band were now perfectly placed for the release of their debut album. In late August Oasis released their album Definitely Maybe to huge critical acclaim. The album became the fastest selling debut album in UK music history at the time & everywhere you turned you could see & hear the influential sounds & styles of the reformed & re-energized Manchester Music scene. 

A UK tour closely followed as did the 4th single from the album Cigarettes & Alcohol, all the while Oasis continued with their confident takeover of UK music. I was lucky enough to see & hear the rise of a musical sensation as a 16 year old culminating in 2 unforgettable performances from the band at the Glasgow Barrowlands in December 1994.

In the final weeks of 1994 “Whatever" was released & entered the charts at number 3 cementing Oasis place as the pacesetters of the new guitar based indie soundtrack of the mid 90s.

Jock Stein - The quiet start to something special

They often say that with the benefit of hindsight your vision is 20/20. For the 20000 match goers congregated on the slopes at Celtic Park on a wet December day in 1951 they may well have changed their whistles to cheers at the announcement of a new signing had they known what the future held. 

Jock Stein was making his debut in the Celtic defence following a move back to Scotland from Llanelly for a relatively small fee. To say the Celtic support was underwhelmed by the signing would probably be an understatement. At the time we were struggling to put the ball in the net, most fans would have been looking for a striker to help improve our position in the league, but in truth we were also losing goals & games that we shouldn’t have been. During November a 2-1 defeat away to Stirling Albion was closely followed by a 4-0 loss at the hands of Queen of the South at the home of the Doonhamers. The team needed a strong head to help steady the defence. 

Stein had made his name in the Scottish game as a strong defender with Albion Rovers in the late 40's, playing just under 100 matches for the Coatbridge side. In 1950 Jock swapped part time football of Cliftonhill & life in the coalmines of Lanarkshire for a professional contract with Llanelly in Wales, but just one year & 44 matches later Stein found himself back in Scottish Football in the East End of Glasgow. 

With 7 players from the 1951 Scottish Cup winning side on the field at kick off the Celtic team was full of big names, but not so much big performances. The fans that made the effort to attend the match in some dismal weather were treated to an enthralling match with superb “inside-forward" play & great goals. 

 Celtic were 2 nil up by half time, thanks to two goals from young forward James Lafferty. James had made his debut 1 week earlier at Celtic Park, and these goals were his first for the club. St Mirren would pull a goal back midway through the 2nd half through their inside-forward Tommy Gemmell. 

 The entertaining match would finish 2-1 to Celtic with Collins & McPhaill taking the plaudits for the home side & Gemmell receiving praise for St Mirren. There was even special mention for Jock Stein in steadying the Celtic defence. 

The season would end in disappointment with Celtic being knocked out the Scottish Cup by Third Lanark & finishing 9th in a league of 16 teams. However, the purchase of an unfancied centre back that season would have an incredible effect on the club in the years to come, it also ignited a friendship that would reshape the history of the club as Jock Stein & Sean Fallon coached the team to an unparalleled period of success in Scottish & European football just 16 years later.