The fight against a disease which takes young and old goes on

It is the indiscriminate nature of life that can shock us the most. Liam Miller, 36, is critically ill with that most feared of diseases, which has taken so many in our families, and our own CQN community. Legend has it that Sir Alex Ferguson came to Celtic Park to watch 17-year-old Vincent Kompany, but was blown away by Miller, who got on the end of an incredible move to score, as Celtic humbled Anderlecht in the Champions League.

This may or may not be true, I suspect Ferguson knew about Miller before travelling north, but the player’s potential was irresistible, either way. He was the brightest graduate of the Celtic youth system since Paul McStay – delivering on the same level Kieran Tierney is now.

Ferguson offered a contract five time more lucrative than Celtic and Liam was off to Manchester, as Celtic fans bemoaned the apparent futility of a development system that took years between producing players of quality, only for them to leave after delivering for a few months.

For Liam, that was the high water mark, he never against reached those levels. Let’s hope he wins his fight against a disease which takes young and old, often as a consequence of a genetic lottery. Decades of fundraising and education (including by many on here) have made a real impact on survival rates, but much still needs to be done. And for goodness sake, don’t sacrifice your life for the tobacco industry.

NEW CQN PODCAST OUT NOW!

A Celtic State of Mind presents its 23rd instalment of insightful discussion into the culture of Celtic Football Club, the city of Glasgow, and fans of the reigning invincible Scottish champions.

Paul John Dykes is joined by Bafta-winning documentary director, John MacLaverty, and Scottish comedian, Phil Differ.

John’s Lisbon Lions documentary – Glasgow: 1967 – is an incredible celebration of Celtic’s European Cup win 50 years on.

Phil has been a staple part of Scottish comedy for decades, and has worked on such iconic productions as Scotch & Wry, Naked Video, City Lights, Rab C Nesbitt and Only An Excuse.

The CQN Podcast has gone from strength-to-strength over the last few months, and there are many more guests lined up in the months ahead from the world of sport, music, film, art, broadcasting, literature and politics.

NEW FROM CQN BOOKS! JIM CRAIG – RIGHT BACK TO 67, THE LISBON LION DIARY, ORDER A SIGNED COPY NOW!

ORDER YOUR SIGNED COPY NOW AT CQNBOOKSTORE.COM