The Walk with Shay team sent me the next in their series on living club captains and their incredible raffle. The first can be found here, goo luck to all participants.
“The countdown is now on for the Walk With Shay Green Raffle Army prize draw on 25th May 2017 at Paradise. There is still time left to purchase raffle tickets to win our Club Captains of Celtic Away Top, covering 53 years of our Clubs unbroken history and a host of other amazing Celtic prizes, but don’t leave it too late.
Here is the next part of the club captains story”
Captain No 3: Tommy Boyd-November 2014
Tommy was an inspiration as Club Captain and still raises the bar high amongst the Celtic family as a Club Ambassador; giving up free time, and taking part in numerous fundraising events within the club and with the supporters, always taking time to talk to fans, signing autographs etc. Indeed, when we had a few beers in Mollies, he spent the entire night happily being interrupted by fans asking for photos and signatures. He obliged them all without a moan or groan. His wife told us that he loved the attention and was in his element. I had gone to the toilet at one point and a Chelsea fan who was standing next to me as we passed the time of day, asked “Who’s that you’re with? And I said to him joking, “Imagine, not knowing that! That’s Tommy Boyd, he played for your team”. I thought nothing more of it, until the boy appeared beside Tommy, ten minutes later asking for a photo. I later told Tommy, that I had chatted him up in the toilets earlier, for him.
For Tommy’s signature, I got in contact with Tommy’s CQN buddy who agreed to put the wheels in motion to assist with Captain number 3. A couple of days later, I was in the Kerrydale Bar having a pre-match beer with CQNer, TTTT. It was very busy, but who appears in front of me, as if by magic, Tommy Boyd. We had a brief chat and I said to him that I needed a favour as I was looking for him to sign the two tops. He said” Sure no problem”, and gave me his mobile number and told me to call him. The next week after a call, there was Tommy Boyd in my office at work signing the two tops. Tommy still claims to this day that he was the only Club Captain that came to us, to get the Tops signed… At this point, I had told Andy F about my plans and had enlisted his support and help in the search for the 11 club captains. There was still a long way to go and I started to realise that to complete this momentous task, that I would need help.
Captains No 4 and 5: Danny McGrain and Scott Brown-May 2015
Thanks to Andy F, this was a breeze in the park, as he got in touch with Tony Hamilton, CEO of Celtic FC Foundation who agreed to help. We duly and slightly nervously handed the tops into Celtic Park for signing in due course. The tops had never been out of possession up to this date, but we knew that they would be well looked after by Tony.
Danny had taken ill at the time, so we knew he had not been working at Celtic Park, but Tony went out his way to get both Danny and Broony to sign the tops, within a short space of time. The significance and uniqueness of the tops started to dawn on everybody now involved in collecting signatures, but we still had a long way to go to achieve the dream.
Captain no 6: Billy McNeill – March 2015
Billy, I had thought would be one of my easiest signings to obtain given his previous assistance on the Bringing Martin Home and Wee Oscar 4 Life campaigns. It was a joy to be invited into the McNeill household and for Billy to recall various Celtic stories. His wife, Liz was also lovely and they both knew my youngest daughter, Niamh who went to the nursery ran by Billy’s son. In fact, there was many a day when Billy popped into the nursery with lunches for the kids and I would have great delight in telling Niamh, just who the man, that regularly brought her lunch was.
I contacted Liz via text shortly after I had come up with the idea of the tops, but there had been no response. Billy was struggling with his illness and was going through a difficult time at this period. I had sensed that all was not well, and decided to put Billy’s signature on the back burner. It was actually not until the following March, that Liz got word to me, that they were waiting for me to pop in, so Billy could sign the tops. I arranged to pop in and since it was March 17th (St Patrick’s day), I bought 4 cans of Guinness for Billy and some wine and flowers for Liz and took them across. You could tell that Billy was struggling, but as they always did, the McNeill’s made me welcome in their house and we chatted for ages. Billy signed one top and Liz told him that it was a poor signature. I jumped in and say it was wonderful, Billy proceeded to sign the other top. He still regaled some great Celtic stories from years ago, but you could see at times how he struggled to remember and that he had a tear in his eye when he talked about Jinky. I gave him the four cans and he said thank you, to which he then said to Liz, “Am I allowed these?” She replied “You can have one can tonight, due to your medication”. I smiled as here was the legend Cesar being closely marked and had little or no room for manoeuvre.
Little, did I realise, that the signatures I had received that day were probably one of the last signatures given by Billy, due to his deteriorating condition which would restrict him from signing in the near future. It says a lot for the McNeill family that they had went out their way to help us, when this should have been the last thing on their minds at this difficult time, but this was the McNeills’.
Club Captain no 7: Neil Lennon-August 2015
We took a few months out in the quest for the Club Captains signatures, and started to push it again in August 2015. My Dad’s friend was Neil Lennon’s agent’s father (less than six degrees of separation!!) and I had previously pestered my Dad to speak to him to see if his friend could help. Eventually, it all came good and I was to pass the tops over to Lenny’s agent, Martin Reilly, as he was travelling down to Bolton to catch up with Lenny and Johan Mjallby. The tops were duly passed over to my Dad, with the instruction “Lenny only please” and he passed the tops over to his friend with the same message.
I got a call a week later to pick up the signed tops from my Dad’s friend house, and popped in after work as he lived just around the corner. As he brought the tops out, he said there was a little problem and told me that Johan had signed the tops as well, but it was ok as he was a Captain as well. I tried to hide my look of horror and not trying to sound ungrateful and I said “Thank you, but he wasn’t a Club Captain though, but never mind”. I thought “How am I going get around this one? Can I hide or cover it up, perhaps? Maybe even rub it out!” It is amazing what runs through your head at times. I was also struggling to get hold of Roy Aitken, and a crazy thought came into my head for an instant; “Perhaps I could kid on it was Roy Aitken’s autograph?”. As I looked at Johan’s signature more closely, I saw the number 35 next to his signature, I thought “Nope!” And dismissed the mad thought in an instant. This was going to be our Celtic kinder egg!
Part 3 to follow soon.
The countdown is now on for our amazing draw on 25th May 2017 at Paradise, but there is still time left to purchase (or sell) raffle tickets to win our Club Captains of Celtic Away Top, covering 53 years of our Clubs unbroken history, and a host of other amazing Celtic prizes.
Contact us now via:
email walkwithshay@yahoo.com
Twitter @walkwithshay
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Greeninbingleyinoslo,
Thanks for putting that tape up. Saw it a couple of years ago. I was heartened to hear wee Bertie say that Bobby Murdoch is the greatest player to ever play for Celtic. Imo, he’s right. He had everything.
WITS,
Just for you, maybe it should be included in word of the day
regret/rɪˈɡrɛt/
verb
feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over (something that one has done or failed to do).
noun
a feeling of sadness, repentance, or disappointment over an occurrence or something that one has done or failed to do.
REPENTANT do you need me to provide a definition for that too, ffs talk about thrawn.
Now on the provos,
The armalite and the ballot box,
Tell me how did that turn out ?
Let me remind you,
After 30 years of armed struggle the rebels became politicians, the armalite and the ballot box, I mean what’s so hard about this, then again if bamboozled is your natural state then I suppose everything is a haze eh.
Bottom line irrespective of infiltration they forced the British Govt to negotiate and recognise the rights of the nationalist community to self determination, something they spent 39 years fighting for but you must have spent all that time bamboozled eh, aye the MI5 done the Brighton bombing and the MI6 pipe bombing ffs.
Madden having an absolute stinker tonight. Just as well he’s not in line for any important games.
30 even
BSR,
Civilisation is only ever 3 months away from total chaos and savagery.
Sandman @ 06.41 pm.
Unnecessary. Such evil is beyond point scoring.
The first two of our games I remember Bobby Maddening were in 2013 against Dundee Utd at Celtic Park and St Mirren at new St Mirren Park a number of weeks later.
In the United game he awarded a penalty to them after Adam Matthews nicked the ball from Gary Mackay-Steven for what everyone in stadium assumed was a corner to United. No , Bobby awarded a penalty which none of the United players including Gary claimed for. Fortunately Fraser’s exellence at saving penalties stopped United scoring.
At the St Mirren game, he sent Victor off for a yellow card callenge . This was later downgraded to a yellow. St Mirren’s equaliser came when current Hearts player , Goncalves , fell to the ground outside the box from a no contact tackle by Izzy.
Madden has possibly given us a few decisions in our favour but the paranoid in me thinks this done to say he has made honest mistakes in our favour and these things even themselves out.
In the last game against Sevco at Celtic Park , three sevs should have walked, Miller, Holt and Hill.
The no penalty decision was a joke but if he did not award it , he should have awarded us a direct free kick for Hill’s initial pull on Griff , which was as clear as day ,seconds before fouling Griff in the box. Hill would have got a second yellow for the pull back on Griff and the same would have happened if the penalty was awarded.
The dad of one of my son’s former team mates knows Madden. I asked him if it was true Madden was an Ibrox season ticket holder . He replied , with a daft grin on his coupon, ‘naw’ .
I don’t trust Madden at all but let’s hope he has no influence on the game’s outcome.
Canamalar
The question was in response to your statement ” the queen apologised to both”
I asked. Who are both. ..several times. As always you won’t answer. .just bluster and obfuscation.
Yes the rebels became politicians, just like the Stoop Down Low Party that they once despised.
Sad thing is they could have done it after 10 years. Saved an awful lot of lives.
Natknow a chara, thank you. Much appreciated. I always enjoy the educational side of CQN. Lots more boys out there now with some new Celtic related (Nat)knowledge, thanks to you. Hail Hail.
boys = bhoys obviously.
Blimmin’ spellchecker.
Tim malone / Almore,
My 90 minute ‘cup final ticket’ ticket office queue last week gave me an opportunity to peruse the Celtic Hotel plans that had conveniently been placed at 10 minute intervals during the indoor section of my customer experience.
I can confirm that the word cafe is on these plans and from my unqualified reading of these documents appears to be situated somewhere around the present exit to the superstore on the Celtic Way.
WITS
Was the political will there from UK 10 years after the Provos began their campaign?
MWD
MAGWAI on 16TH MAY 2017 9:27 PM
Natknow a chara, thank you. Much appreciated. I always enjoy the educational side of CQN. Lots more boys out there now with some new Celtic related (Nat)knowledge, thanks to you. Hail Hail.
————————————–
No probs dude. If I didn;t have childcare duties this week we coulda met up. But alas….
Next time! :-)
10 years ago today I was attending a conference at Celtic Park – Mental Health & Deafness – when at the coffee break I got talking to one of the caretakers in the Kerrydale Lounge “Something big is happening today” he tells me. “What” I ask. “Dunno” he replies. Catch up with him at lunchtime. “What’s going on? I say. “Can’t tell” he replies. “Come on…There’s a buzz downstairs.” “I know” he says, “but I can’t tell you”. “You know, don’t you – have we signed someone….Who have we signed?” “Can’t tell you, not just now”. “Aw, for feck sake, just tell me”.
“I’ll tell you at the next break”. Bloody tease. Lasted 10 minutes into afternoon session. Catch up with him. “Come on, Who is it?” “Who’d you want it to be,,,and he’s Scottish”. “You said Scottish with a little smile, there…Jeez, it’s Scott Brown, tell me it’s Scott Brown”. “It’s Scott Brown” he says with a smile as broad as the majestic Shannon. Drove home on cloud nine that night. Thank You Scott for a decade of being Celtic.
BT
Scotland lost to England it’s a beaten nation before it gets up in the morning unlike Ireland who won and are still winning and waiting for demographic and irreversible change that has been established since the civil rights marches in John Lennon’s day.
The Scots got gubbed back in the days of Mel Gibson ;-)
Fag end boy blue and white trash unionism exists mainly in working class society but there are Catholics in every prominent job role in Scotland, especially and maybe surprisingly the judiciary in Glasgow and Edinburgh, not to mention education, and the NHS, we even run the country from George Square?
They are everywhere these fenians they are like a plague on society, just look what they’ve achieved.
We won, through education we may suffer Sevconianism just because we support Celtic and are football fans, but plenty of ‘well to do Tims’ and deeply religious Catholics don’t know what we are talking about especially when we say things like…………… Sevco.
Modern Protestants still employ Catholics and vice versa Scotland retains ‘ a we’re all Jock Tamsons bairns ’ ethos lets not be misled by minority groups such as silly billy or Zombie Zombie.
Logging off Night all :-)
BSR
Scotland nobles like Cqn sold out for the penny
These ads are now getting through my ad blocker so it’s goodnight from me
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 16TH MAY 2017 9:36 PM
seconded.
we won.
RPMCELTICFAN
the highest scoring numbers will take some work,
i have an easy one
11. Lennox 301
WITS,
The answer was in the article if you’d bothered your area reading it, to representatives of both nationalist community in the north and south.
“The Queen offered Ireland the nearest the royal family has ever come to an apology for Britain’s actions in the tortured relations between the two countries, in a speech at a state banquet Dublin.
She told guests from the northern and southern Irish communities: “It is a sad and regrettable reality that through history our islands have experienced more than their fair share of heartache, turbulence and loss … with the benefit of historical hindsight we can all see things which we wish had been done differently, or not at all.”
Ten years sooner eh, so your saying thatcher offered peace did she?
Looks to me as usual yer playing the man and not the ball, my silky interpretation skills leaving you bamboozled again eh. Before you start yer bamboozled havering try reading things a couple of times it might save future embarrassment.
10 years earlier 1988 ha ha ha ha, really WITS, put the drink down and go to your bed, too much liquid bamboozlement methinks.
Dealing with thatcher 79 and 88 was not an option, there was no offer on the table until they took the war to the leaders of the establishment, remember warnings of the mainland bombings before that were ignored and the British civilian population were considered collateral damage in the war for “hearts and minds” by the British establishment.
“The Queen offered Celtic the nearest the royal family has ever come to an apology for Rangers actions in the tortured relations between the two clubs, in a speech at a state banquet Dublin.
She told guests from the northern and southern , east and west , dublin, belfast cork and donegal , and every street in glasgow communities: “It is a sad and regrettable reality that through history we, ourselves alone, have experienced more than their fair share of heartache, turbulence and loss … with the benefit of historical hindsight we can all see things which we wish had been done differently, or not at all.”
She continued,
“they stole money from the customs and excise, they did not contribute to the royal household, they are cheats, and as my great great great great uncle james said, once a tim allways a tim”
their liquidation means ones day has indeed come.
Great blog today. Heart warming story.
United and Falkirk was a decent game. Falkirk looked the more capable side.
Canamalar
Finally, thanks for the answer
Both. Referred to north and south.
It shouldn’t have taken 30 years and all those wasted lives to get to the stalemate to which we arrived.
It was obvious by the mid seventies that any sort of military victory by the ira was impossible.
That said, they weren’t the only players and as moonbeams pointed out the political will for a settlement wasn’t there on the British side either.
However to state ( as you did at the beginning of our delightful tete a tete) that the provos won is frankly ludicrous.
As I replied then. .There were no winners only losers
I wonder if it is really true that WE won. Imo, we would only have won if there was a real socialist republic and the SNP are never going to support that. Sure Salmon has reassured Scotland that Independence wouldn’t result in a republic and we would keep the pound. He appeased those who have little or no regard for us after the “shame game” by calling the summit and then introducing that infamous act. For much of Scotland, Celtic symbolise our community and don’t begin to suggest we get a level playing field. There is still a very long long way to go, imo.
The cupfinal referee team are on killie v county at the weekend.
I’ve watched madden at celtic park this season. He patrols from the halfway line on elastic. When our opponents move forward, he’s at the D. When Celts attack, he keeps himself just past the centre circle forty yards from a good view of any incidents that happen.
A cheat.
Tim Malone Will Tell: I like your idea. It would very much be in line with the founding ethos of our club. Things are a good bit better at the stadium now for supporters/visitors but there are plenty of improvements which could be made. A café and museum are just two which I feel should be a priority for the club.
Cathedral View: the club’s plans for developing the area around the stadium are welcome. But planning approval isn’t guaranteed so I hope Peter and the board have a plan B.
Tiocfaidh ár gCafé.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
Just in from a lovely meal and have not read back. However I cannot take offence at your position. There is no doubt that RC’s are equal in every meaningful employment role that I know of in Scotland. I do know that this statement will have some posters on here ” jumping oot the windaes”. Sorry , that is my experience.l
I have, and more pertinent, my father and mother faced blatant prejudice. In the last twenty years I have witnessed Catholics take senior positions in the police, judiciary and local government in a way that was unknown 30 years ago.
This may explain the small resurgence of unionism/ protectionism amongst the fading Orange vote today.
The war is over, just a few idiots to remove from the isolated islands of resistance and the country can move forward.
HH from a warm Lisbon.
Madden…….
hmmmmm….?
looks likkke it might….
be, Brendan’s turn to be…..
singgged on the alter of mibbbery.
there’s only one way to fix the mibbbery…..
Sack the Celtic PLC board….
get a Celtic board….
packed to the brimm with….
Rebellious JUNGLE Orientaded Celtic Supporters….
who won’t sit at the back of the bus…..
but, will call out mibbbery whilst its a live issue….
no more, leaving it for a week, to see if it’ll die doon….
keep on the case till they go on strike again…..
then ban the SMSM when they close the circle….
of their clique, and try to blame Celtic FC…..
then,…….
when the foreign refs are brought in…..
that is when the new board full of rebels should…..
make their move to ensure that, a member of….
the new rebellious Celtic board will sit on any group….
of fellow clubs members who will properly scrutinize….
and, vett any “local” refs validity as to, wherther they…..
qualify and, comply with Scottish refereeing standards…..
of the new, non mibbbery….
non put Timmy to the back of the bus refs era….
these things can be achieved….
you’ve just got want them bad enough…..
or, maybe some prefer to be….
repressed rebels……fae the back of the bus ?
anyway,….
Thoughts and Payers for all
Supporters of Glasgow Celtic.
……..off-oot.
Good evening from a warm eastern seaboard.
Checked the dictionary there.
Found this definition under Captain Courgeous Scott Brown
in·de·fat·i·ga·ble
[ˌindəˈfadəɡəb(ə)l]
ADJECTIVE
(of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly:
“an indefatigable defender of human rights”
synonyms: tireless · untiring · unflagging · unwearied · determined · tenacious · dogged · single-minded · assiduous · industrious · hard-working · unswerving · unfaltering · unwavering · unshakable · resolute · indomitable · persistent · relentless · unremitting
More translations and word origin
COURAGEOUS
Where’s the spell checker when it ‘s needed?
Froth froth froth, it’s frothy maaaaan…
Madden at Hampden will not change the forward movement.
I cannot say if he will cheat: he will want to climb he UEFA rankings and will need to be seen as a safe pair of hands.
As is always the case, it will come down to what is the greater prize for the individual concerned. I remain convinced that our club will “win” one of the two prizes on offer. A treble or an unbeaten season, we will not have both.
Magwai: Great to see you posting. Enjoy your visit to Dùn Èidin.
He’s had over 400 games at Celtic.
Captain. Leader. Winner. Daddy.
https://youtu.be/qMDB8lBLaCk
Kevjungle on 16th May 2017 10.17pm
It was no surprise to me to read your gibberish twelve minutes after I posted a view of the appointed referee for the cupfinal.
See you at Firhill.
SEAN THORNTON on 16TH MAY 2017 7:23 PM
How many of them would know what the Blaauwe Gard were?
KTF
Tifo Sunday
https://twitter.com/mjmxx/status/864593361751212033