Kano, Rest in Peace

2068

It is enormously sad news that our friend Kano, Martin Kane, succumbed to his illness this morning.  Kano was an ever-present on CQN for four years, on occasion writing our match reports, until illness struck in 2008.  He was left completely paralysed, eventually only able to communicate through a machine, requiring round the clock care.

He was isolated in hospital in his home city of Perth, Western Australia, lonely for him and difficult for his wife Carolyn and their family, with no realistic chance of recovery.  On hearing this news, CQN reacted in an incredible way.  Our also now-departed friend, Pablophanque, wrote, “We need to get this guy home”, and a campaign started to raise the tens of thousands of pounds required to transform part of his home into an appropriate care facility.

As the campaign got underway I remember being concerned, it was going to take at least £60k and I thought we had no chance of getting close to this.  Pablo (memorably) didn’t want to head the campaign he started but others soon stepped in and the Bring Martin Home got underway in earnest.  Those behind it moved heaven and earth, and within a few months, the money was in place and Kano was back living at home with his family.

The Kano Foundation, a remarkable self-funded organisation which takes kids groups and charities to Celtic games, was established by those running the Bring Martin Home campaign, to harness the expertise and goodwill for on-going good, in Martin’s name.

When I first met Kano’s dad, Matt, who himself is no longer with us, six years ago, I was caught off-guard when he talked about Kano’s life expectancy.  Unable to move he was enormously vulnerable to any prosaic infection.  He suffered a few health scares but fought through them for far longer than many anticipated.

We got him back on the blog briefly, sharing some of his gratitude for the work done and his humour, but he explained the hours it took to compose his few sentences.  He continued to watch Celtic, of course.

This morning our thoughts go to Carolyn and the kids, as well as to his good pal Ramie and those who cared for Martin.  Those who decided to get off their arses and change the world for one family back in 2008 should be very proud of what they did, and the years at home they gave Kano.

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

2,068 Comments

  1. Tom McLaughlin

     

     

     

    14:02 on 10 January, 2015

     

     

     

    BT –

     

     

    Telling them jury duty is inconvenient just won’t cut it I’m afraid, so that suggestion won’t help.

     

    Sorry should have added and explain your phased return to work situation :((

  2. sixtaeseven – je suis charlie

     

     

    14:01 on 10 January, 2015Jamie Lindsay (54) on now, good to see.

     

     

    whit happened tae the youth policy?

  3. BT good advice from Lefty as long as you get in touch and explain things, with a wee bit of exageration, they should be quite understanding. Hail Hail Hebcelt

  4. Pauloantony,

     

    if Ronny Deila can criticise the team performance, and call our half season performance 5/6 out of 10, and John Collins can do similar, then as a paying punter, so can I

  5. DUSHANBE BHILLY BHOY on

    sixtaeseven – je suis charlie

     

    14:01 on

     

    10 January, 2015

     

    Jamie Lindsay (54) on now, good to see.

     

    ——–

     

     

    Oh dear, he’s kicking on a bit at 54.

     

     

    Maybe I could get a game at 57.

  6. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Obviously the guy from Celtic TV likes the hoops bar in Tenerife that’s a few times he has mentioned it

     

     

     

    Free drink I think.

  7. sixtaeseven - je suis charlie on

    DUSHANBE BHILLY BHOY

     

     

    I think you could have added something to our effort today, me too and I’m 60!!!

  8. setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox

     

     

     

    13:59 on 10 January, 2015

     

     

     

    The Lurkin Tim

     

     

    Most of us never saw your bad taste post, so that has nothing to do with it.

     

     

    can you say band & wagon,you’ve only got my word for it…..;-))

     

     

    H.H.

  9. 1-0 win for PSV deserved on chances and general football.

     

     

    Celtic much better in 2nd half. More concerned with injury list.

     

     

    Probably leave those guys out on Tuesday v Sparta Prague.

  10. South Of Tunis on

    blantyretim

     

     

    Sitting on a wooden bench with very little leg room is bound to be bad for your knee .I am sure your GP / Consultant would agree.

  11. DUSHANBE BHILLY BHOY on

    sixtaeseven – je suis charlie

     

    14:10 on

     

    10 January, 2015

     

    DUSHANBE BHILLY BHOY

     

     

    I think you could have added something to our effort today, me too and I’m 60!!!

     

     

    ———–

     

     

    But 60 is the new 30, is it not?

     

     

    Is Jim Melrose still available? Couldn’t be any worse than out current strikers.

     

     

    On 2nd thoughts…..;

  12. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Sot

     

    Thought about that, can’t see the judge being too happy if I stand up every 10 minutes to move around

  13. All over, not too bad in the end.

     

     

    Ronnie and JC next challenge is to sort out the fitness of the support. A lot of big bhoys and ghirls in Maspalomas

  14. Clashcitybhoy…. batter in ….

     

     

    Merely pointing out that it’s a TRAINING match ….

     

     

    Means nothing .

     

     

    After today …. we’re STILL in all three domestic competitions AND Europe.

     

     

    Could be worse

  15. sixtaeseven - je suis charlie on

    FT

     

     

    One-Nil defeat

     

     

    PSV more streetwise than us, and played the conditions better than us.

     

     

    They were cute and we are too nice.

     

     

    Feel sorry for fans who travel to these games – used to do it myself but back then the unwritten motto was “we don’t play friendlies”.

     

     

    Changed days.

     

     

    Enjoy the rest of the weekend, lhas and lhassies.

     

     

    C’mon St Mirren!!!

     

    ;o)

  16. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    Still no creativity in the Celtic midfield leading to no cutting edge up front.Leads to the deffence being put under lots of pressure however,PSV were not clinical up front either so the one goal to nil it finished. H.H.

  17. bournesouprecipe on

    Celtic played better in the second half, against a good side, no idea why we are there, instead of playing in the SPL.

     

     

    Ho Hum CSC

  18. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Game over

     

    Pub time

     

    Phased return to pub as well, well phased return to the bar before any of you jokers say anything

  19. Training match…. roll on the transfer window..

     

     

    Looking forward to seeing a few recruits coming in

  20. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    bournesouprecipe. It is probably lucrative for Celtic to take part and it also gets them a bit more experience against European teams. H.H.

  21. Never seen Celtics training match,watching Liverpool and Sunderland,utter rubbish.Best league in the world ,what a joke.

  22. South Of Tunis on

    blantyretim

     

     

    Would also suggest months of serious painkillers causing inability to concentrate etc but my jury experience indicates that being able to think and follow instruction isnt deemed necessary.

  23. pauloantony

     

    14:17 on

     

    10 January, 2015

     

    Training match…. roll on the transfer window..

     

     

    Looking forward to seeing a few recruits coming in

     

     

    Looking forward to seeing more going out.

  24. Joe Filippis Haircut

     

     

     

    14:15 on 10 January, 2015

     

     

     

    Still no creativity in the Celtic midfield leading to no cutting edge up front.

     

     

    oh, how much fur a Lubo like playmaker

     

     

    H.H.

     

     

    breakthebankCSC

  25. sixtaeseven - je suis charlie on

    bournesouprecipe

     

    I would rather if we had played against St J as scheduled today.

     

     

    But, the trip isn’t really about the two matches we’re playing – it’s about getting away for a week in the sun, giving Ronnie some quality time working on tactics, and recharging the batteries before the business end of the season.

     

     

    PSV better that most SPL teams we meet weekly, so there’s the learning thing as well.

     

     

    It can also show up and hopefully try to remedy our weak points, without actually dropping points (if you knwo what I mean).

     

     

    Gardez la Foi

  26. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon ....The angels are with Wee Oscar in Heaven.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    Kris Commons seems to be very popular with the ssb pundits al of a sudden … Bless them

  27. Didn’t see game but lack of creativity seems to be the continuing problem with the team. We have good strikers but we don’t give them enough opportunities to score. All of our midfielders are too similar and if we are continuing with a 4-2-3-1 formation then we need players to play in the 3.