Sean Fallon was known as The Iron Man, a hard left back at a time when pretty much all footballers were hard. I met him and his wife Myra at their home a few months ago to prepare an interview in advance of his autobiography, which is due for release soon, the hard-man reputation could not have been further from the character of the person.
He was the most generous spirited man I have been in the company of for years. Myra is a force of nature, unquestionably the wind in his sails. You have never met a happier couple.
The stories he told about how Celtic were transformed from a sporting irrelevance into one of the most powerful and feared clubs in Europe were incredible. His story was one of huge and dramatic achievement. You and I are the beneficiaries.
The players he signed are legendary. Kenny Dalglish, who was in tears in Sean’s home the night he agreed to go to Liverpool, Danny McGrain, a person Sean could not speak highly enough about, and countless more. He was a committed Celtic man but took no pleasure in the death of Rangers, such was his generosity of spirit.
Sean described Jock, himself and Sir Robert Kelly as a three man team who had the vision to drive Celtic forward. He believed that when Sir Robert died in 1971 the club’s loss was significant. Nothing was the same again.
His own parting from Celtic, in 1975, was far from satisfactory, but if he told me once, he told me 10 times, “I don’t want a single word said against Celtic”. The club that you and I recognise is the creation of Jock, Sean and Sir Robert. They transformed an amateurish football club into a legendary movement. He, more than anyone I ever met, never wanted a figurative goal scored against this legend.
Today we have lost one of the architects of all we hold dear, a man who achieved the Miracle of Lisbon. His insights reach back into the depths of our character. His decision to author an autobiography is a gift to you and me. I’ll share many of his anecdotes between now and when it’s published.
My sincere condolences to Myra, son Sean and all the family. We have lost the man who was our greatest living legend but they have lost a great husband, father and grandfather. A remarkable life has come to an end.
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Sad news – but what a life to have lived and what a legacy to leave others.
RIP Sean
Paul
You most poignant and moving piece.
Thats why your the boss !!!!
Tank you Sean, RIP
Good afternoon CQN
God Bless Sean Fallon RIP
Thoughts and prayers for your family
Hail Hail
Southampton sack Adkins…..lunacy
The EPL is eating itself up …..madness
My greatly missed eldest brother John loved Sean Fallon.”A proper player,a proper man.”were his words.The sort of man who stood up for the downtrodden and weak.We look now at the likes of McCullough and Black and shake our heads.Picture them against Bertie Auld,Sean Fallon,or Davey Hay–I would pay good money for that.Someone said that what decent people say about you after you have departed this Earth is the best obituary.
There may not be enough room for Sean Fallon’s.
Paul67:
A sad day indeed, a good tribute to a good man, “The Iron Man”, may God Bless his Soul.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Posted on the official club Youtube channel a couple of hours ago. Sean Fallon on This Man Craig
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhqfXnRxCuQ
HH
Paul,
Words sometimes can mean so little…..
But those were indeed, lovely words about Sean…… so saddened by this news.
A great man indeed, who lived his dream……
My thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time.
Sean….YNWA…..
HH
son of gabriel
12:53 on
18 January, 2013
Sorry mate, after I posted I was going to come back on and say ignore that post of mine.
Sorry all.
Paul if your about just delete that post from me regarding Hately.
Cheers.
Tribute to Mr Fallon from Maleys Bhoys
http://maleysbhoys.com/2013/01/18/a-hero-lost-a-legend-immortalised/
RIP Sean Fallon
Just logged on to see the news.
Read bits and pieces about the man through the years and it was obvious he loved the celts .
Looking forward to his book coming out.. Any idea of rough date paul ?
On the ozzy outback for nxt 7days so wont get on much to read the countless stories of our iron man.
Raise the roof tomorrow bhoys.
Rip sean
Forever in our hearts
BRTH – Earnie Shavers – what a read; brilliant
RIP Sean Fallon
Heard great stories from Dad and Uncles about Sean’s playing days.
Was just thinking of the confidence the man must have given the Lions on their travels. In those days when it travelling abroad was tough going to the Soviet block or a fascist dictatorship in Spain, Sean Fallon and Big Jock having your back would have taken a lot of the strain from the young players.
You need guys like that in your life.
A great Irish man and a great Celt.
And lets not forget he came from the same county as the first and possibly most important man in the Celtic legend – Brother Walfrid.
Sligo abu
hen1rik
13:22 on
18 January, 2013
Paul if your about just delete that post from me regarding Hately.
Cheers.
=================================
It wasn’t bad mate. I wouldn’t worry about it.
Our club has a host of legends but now more so than Sean Fallon
Stood for all that is GREAT about Celtic on & off the park.
RIP Sean
My Dad is 96 this month and I never tire of hearing him talk of the 7-1 game. He said Sean was indeed an iron man, and great celt. RIP Sean.
Paul et al,
I didn’t have access to a PC till late morning – but as soon as I saw the sad news, I realised that there was only one site to read – and that is CQN.
Special thanks to those who can share a few personal memories. Sean Fallon is one of the last links to my sadly departed dads era as a Celtic supporter.
RIP Sean.
Team for tomorrow:
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Forster ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Matthews ::::::::::::::: Lustig ::::::::::::::::: Mulgrew ::::::::::::: Izaguirre
::::::::::::::::: Brown :::::::::::::: Wanyama :::::::::::::: Ledley :::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Commons :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Hooper ::::::::::::::::::: Watt :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
RIP Sean Fallon.
When you look at the photograph in Lisbon when Celtic won,and see the unbridled joy of the staff on the bench at the final whistle,you then knew that men like Sean were Celtic through and through.We have indeed been blessed.
@STV Sport – Celtic reject bid from Norwich City for Garry Hooper.
I usually lurk, but in the light of the sad news, felt compelled to say something, however inadequate. I was sent to do a repair at Celtic Park back in the early seventies,I found myself in the company of Mr Fallon as he was anxious for the work to be carried out as it was having an affect on his training schedule. Awaiting a part to be delivered,i told him it would be 20mins. I had the pleasure of his company for that time,i must confess i hadnt given Sean a great deal of thought up to that point,he quickly assertained i was a Celtic man and talked away about all things Celtic,it was all “we, “our”, “us”, not I,my,me.I was left with an impression of him being a real man of substance ,while at the same time very self -effacing and modest . Celtic were taking a bit of stick in the press at the time,would you believe,and i asked him what he thought,he said “Ach we,ll stand and see what happens! ” Ive never forgotten that phrase,nor him,a class act.Above everything else the the one thing that was most obvious to me, even as a lad at the time,he absolutely adored Celtic,God love him and his. Yours in Celtic
I can’t say I ever met Sean but reading the blog today tells me he was a gentleman and we don’t have enough gentlemen in our wee world.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Sean and his family.
PS what is an alderman?
up_over_goal – No Sammi?
Paradise Found @13:28
Thanks — Earnie is one of life’s good guys and well worthy of some attention.
I was preparing to write something about Lance Armstrong this morning– or more importantly about Christophe Bassons who he absolutely railroaded out of cycling for daring to mention the suggestion that he, or anyone else in the peloton, took drugs and cheated.
Bassons could have won the Tour that year, but instead Armstrong organised the whole Peloton to ruin him and his chances. Such was the level of animosity and threats — directly from Armstrong– That Bassons not only quit the Tour but he quit cycling altogether before the end of that same Tour.
Yet– apparantly it was just like “putting air in your tyres” according to Lance.
He also threatened Greg Le Mond — threatened to ruin him personally, expose his private life and that he had been abused a s a child, ruin his businesses and his contracts with suppliers– all because Le Mond had suggested that there was evidence that Lance was “on the dope”.
Le Mond said publicly years ago– ” The man has no conscience!”.
But I haven’t written any words other than those above on the topic.
Because Lance Armstrong and his likes do not deserve to share the page or the same air or the same breath as someone like Sean Fallon…….. who stands head and shoulders above the arrogant, deceptive, lying cheating…… and I won’t finish the sentence as it would be rightly censored!
Anyway– thanks for the words on Earnie—- who is more of Sean’s ilk than Lance!
Paul67 et al
Rooney, Fallon, Stein, Mochan
Immortals one and all
Look towards the Celtic dugout on Saturday
You will see them there. Still. Always
God bless Bob, Sean, Jock and Neil
God bless them one and all
Requiescat in Pace Sean Fallon
Paul67
Lovely piece about Sean.
RIP Sean, YNWA
Big piece of important transfer news coming from Celtic relating to a player leaving the club.
Mort
That’s right, 3rd choice keeper Lubos Kamenar has been released.
Mort
Mort
Not Paddy,there will be a riot.HH
P.S. Lovely piece about Sean Fallon.
Too young to have seen him play but have read about him. Great Celt by all accounts and those who have seen him play or have had the pleasure to meet him are the lucky ones.
Rest in peace.
Mort
Celtic have rejected a bid from English Premier League side Norwich City for Gary Hooper.
The English striker was subject to a reported £5m over from the Canaries on Thursday evening, with Hoops boss Neil Lennon revealing on Friday the offer had been turned down.
The manager admitted his disappointment the news was in the public domain, suggesting it had been leaked by sources in England before appearing in newspapers.
“There has been [a bid],” he said. [We are] very disappointed it has been made public knowledge. We do our business as privately as possible.
“We don’t want any of our top players going, and Gary comes into that bracket.
“He is preparing for tomorrow. Our case is simple, you are not going. [He] has a year and a half left on his contract.”
craggy island gaa, I think the book will be a must-have account of our history.
Torontony, thanks for passing that on.
johann Murdoch, indeed.
pmarsh22, I get to see and do things which are a real honour. Speaking to Sean and Myra was right up there.
Lennybhoy, it is.
normanstreet49, on occasions like these, the right words will never be found.
Tim Malone, yes, he was the last link to so much.
Celtic Mac, well said.
EXILED TIM, thanks.
Sean Fallon’s part in Celtic’s winning the Club Championship of Europe was not even thought of then. I remember being at the the new Glasgow airport for an interview for a job in April/May1967 and saw Jock and Sean coming through depatrures – having been to Italy to assess Inter Milan asd it turns out. Shouted out ‘Hello Mr Stein’, and he looked at me with a glower
Memories.
7-1
Levitating in the streets.
: > )
Celtic! Celtic!
awsomeauldshilale
Welcome aboard and thank you.
“Ach we,ll stand and see what happens”!