The most remarkable thing you’ll read about Celtic fans this year

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jonathan-thomas
Something remarkable starts today. A few hours ago, members of the Tyneside No. 1 Celtic Supporters’ Club, and others, started walking in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales. They plan to walk all the way to Celtic Park between now and 22 October.

The day they are scheduled to arrive at Paradise will be the first anniversary of the passing of Jonathan Thomas (above), a former member of the Tyneside CSC who died aged 30, after a battle with that most indiscriminate of illnesses.

Jonathan arrived in Newcastle 10 years ago from his native Wales, where he had been coached by a Celtic fan from Belfast. He joined the club and started making the pilgrimage north each home game to see Celtic.

While we all do the odd thing to mark the founding spirit of our club, Jonathan did far more than most. Alongside other Tyneside No. 1 CSC members, he walked from Newcastle to Celtic Park, then cycled from Swansea to the same destination, and completed the West Highland Way, all for Celtic charities.

Then he was taken from his family, friends and wife Sian, who he married a day before he lost his battle.

I don’t fancy walking from Merthyr Tydfil to Celtic Park, there are easier things to do in life, but when you learn what Jonathan did to raise money to help others, it seems like a reasonable undertaking in his name.

Sian, Iain McGovern (a good friend of mine), and the others will have left Merthyr already. They face an incredible journey, but two weeks from now they will walk up the Celtic Way and know they’ve lived up to the spirit of Jonathan, as well as our common 128-year heritage.

Money raised is going to the Celtic FC Foundation and Crohn’s & Colitis UK (despite what he did for our good causes, Jonathan also suffered from Colitis, a debilitating condition). This is a great Celtic supporters’ story. We’re so lucky to have people like this stand with us each week.  If you can help their efforts, here, please do so.

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  1. Having a wee shandy in the garden, my lazy day got interrupted by an urge to clean the gutters and then set about the over grown Yew Tree with a saw.

     

    Two hours later I feel better for doing some “man” work, all sweaty and smug am I.

     

    A wee shandy or two then time to get cleaned up for Mass.

     

    Good luck to the walkers I hope to see you on the Celtic way in two weeks.

     

    Hail!Hail!

  2. KITALBA on 8TH OCTOBER 2016 12:19 PM

     

     

    As far as I was aware,Celtic agreed to pay the “Living wage”.

     

    To try and bring references to “An Gorta Mor”into your complaint is,quite frankly,an insult to the millions who died in horrible circumstances.

     

    I suppose I should be used to it,because anytime a feelgood Celtic story appears,we get the malcontents on with their usual anti Board agenda.As for Celtic being “Flush”.Have you even read the accounts?.

  3. A mixture of pathos and awe imbues Paul’s leader,very humbling reading.There’s great beauty to be enjoyed in human decency.

     

    Good luck to the walkers and love and best wishes to Jonathan Thomas’ family and friends.

  4. TURKEYBHOY:

     

     

    What do you know that I don’t know?

     

     

    You come across as a massive PL sucker.

     

     

    Maybe you are.

     

     

    So tell me all, Mr. Categorical, are Celtic paying all their employees the living wage?

     

     

    I KNOW they are not.

  5. Bhoyjoebelfast on

    Big Vic says Tottenham/spurs are a bigger club than CELTIC !!!Sorry Victor they are not held in the same esteem.In my estimation they trail both Manchester clubs Chelsea and arsenal in the jolly EPL. Just my take on things.victor w.the tune changer.

  6. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    BHOYJOEBELFAST

     

     

    Ask Vic to walk down a Main Street in any town in the world including his own.

     

     

    Wear a Celtic strip one way,Spurs the other way

     

     

    Ask anyone to do that,you know he knows and so does every football fan which strip gets the Philvis thumbs up,the smiles,the hugs and the tales of when these strangers had met other Hoops-clad fans

     

     

    Only one club can do that. And it sure as f… isnae Spurs.

  7. 50 shades of green on

    BHOYJOEBELFAST on 8TH OCTOBER 2016 3:10 PM.

     

     

    Agree with all you typed there mate, but I would hardly expect him to say anything else, when he or his agent get fed up with Northish London and he moves on to pastures new they will be a bigger or even the biggest club he has played for.

     

     

    He’s just a mercenary of sorts to the almighty Dollar/pound/Euro although I have a feeling in a few years he will be chasing the Chinese bucks.

     

     

    Still wish he was at Celtic Park though.

  8. FAVOURITE UNCLE on

    BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 8TH OCTOBER 2016 3:19 PM

     

     

    well said that man.

  9. BABASONICOS71 on 8th October 2016 3:22 pm

     

     

    BHOYJOEBELFAST…

     

     

    Victor Wanyama,midfield enforcer and talker of shite. ;))

     

     

    *is that the same big vic that only got a game after the thug took out Bertram.

  10. 50 shades of green on

    That reminds me FFS how could I forget, Spurs ain’t even the biggest team in North London let alone bigger than Celtic.

     

     

    Goooooooners

  11. Baba

     

    One of the Old Huns thugs ( Maybe Elbows McCulloch?) hacked kayal from behind and, in the view of some, Kayal was never the same player again.

     

     

    JJ

  12. Quiet day on here today.

     

     

    TD67 & TGM obviously oot so it’s peaceful!

     

     

    I read what big Victor said and it’s not really a surprise. he’s hardly likely to endear himself at White Hart Lane by stating the obvious: that Celtic are a far bigger club than Spurs.

     

     

    Usual media manipulation!

     

     

     

    FAC the Act

     

     

    KTF

  13. Baba

     

    ….and because of the injury, Wanyama got his opportunity to play in the first team.

     

     

    JJ

  14. Why did Victor feel the need to say that Spurs are a bigger Club than Celtic? Interesting.

     

     

    JJ

  15. HOT SMOKED…

     

    Ah,had a blonde moment there and took Bertram as a surname.D’oh!

     

    Cheers for setting me straight.

  16. Ok,so,if we had a choice of either of them at the very peak of their game who would we choose,Kayal or Wanyama?

  17. 50 shades of green on

    I know I should keep out of it but I cant help myself.

     

     

    A wee midget Zombie turns to his larger but also a zombie pal and asks……. ur the rangers ( sic) or should that be (sick) playing the day or the morra?

     

     

    Big zombie looks at me and shakes his head, then points out that its an international weekend.

     

     

    Yea says I you dont have to play on international weekends anymore now that you have finally made it to the big league.

     

     

    Always remind in case they forget, one of them even mentioned going for 55 and one of his own beat me to the punchline.

  18. Babasonicos71

     

    Bertram Russell , perchance? The thinking man`s midfield enforcer!

     

    As regards choice of Victor or Bertram, in my opinion, Kayal at his peak was not as good as Wanyama on an average day.

  19. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    HOTSMOKED

     

     

    Yer midfield enforcer may suffer delusions of adequacy.

     

     

    I want mine to melt the opposition. No faffin about,ma ba’!

  20. 50 shades of green on

    Big Vic for me between the 2, actually I’m more surprised that someone posed the question in the first place.

     

     

    However was it Bertram or Biram or sumit else?

  21. Gerryfaethebrig on

    hot smoked 3.51pm

     

     

    In my opinion Victor said that probably because that’s who are paying his wages

     

     

    Babasonisco71

     

     

    the Kayal or Victor in the defensive midfielder role, Neil Lennon beats them both, Neil was by far MON’s best signing

     

     

    Only mentioned Neil as all three are no longer there :-)

  22. Have to laugh at guys trying to pull up big Victor!

     

    Wonder if they would do it to his face?

     

    Spurs are paying loads of dosh, so he is going to back his current employers. In an earlier article this year he spoke very highly of CFC and the support!

     

    If we had him in our current team we would be miles better off!

     

     

    HH

  23. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Croppybhoy

     

     

    As Celtic fans we just think Celtic, like you, obviously Vic is more interested in Spurs than us….

     

     

    I wasn’t on Cqn when Wanyama couldn’t even get in our starting 11, would be a wee laugh to see what was getting typed back then …..

     

     

    Football fans = fickle at its utmost (myself definitely included)

  24. Maybe Victor means his bank balance is bigger at Spurs which it undoubtably will be, if he played for Bournemouth it would also be the same , however neither club has the global appeal of Celtic, enjoy your Sky enhanced wages Victor.

  25. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    CROPPYBHOY

     

     

    Not pulling him up,delighted at his success.

     

     

    Merely pointing out that he might play for a club which can pay more,but he’ll never play for a club which matters more.

  26. I’d probably go for Victor over Beram but only just.Kayal was a great player for us before his injury and dragged the team through some games but Wanyama shades it.

     

    GFTB,yi cannae pick Lenny,it’s only between Ber n Vic. ;))

     

     

    CROPPY…

     

    Naeb’dy’s pulling Victor up,just saying he’s talking pash about Spurs being bigger than us.Agreed he’d improve our team,though.

  27. BABASONICOS71 on 8TH OCTOBER 2016 3:53 PM

     

    HOT SMOKED…

     

     

    Ah,had a blonde moment there and took Bertram as a surname.D’oh!

     

     

    Cheers for setting me straight.

     

    _________________________

     

    Not really a blonde moment seeing as hi’s first name is Beram.

     

     

    Before the criticism of Victor goes any further, has anyone read the article from Four Four Two where he was misquoted from?

     

     

    I would imagine there would be a question he was responding to along the lines of “are Spurs as big a club as the famous Glasgow Celtic?”

     

     

    He cannae really say “naw, don’t be stupid! He has to continue playing for them.

     

     

     

    FAC the Act

     

     

    KTF

  28. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    VFR800A8

     

     

    I keep cancelling that thing. Seriously did not know it was from 442.

     

     

    Used to be a great mag. I’m not kidding when I tell you I’ve phoned up to complain about it each of the last three months.

     

     

    And had not done so in twelve years as a subscriber before.

     

     

    The unseen filthy hun is pulling strings too often,methinks.

  29. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Babasonisonics71

     

     

    V67 has shown what a player we had, as I posted he struggled I his early days with us, Beram to me when he first appeared was like an Israeli Paul McStay, he had the vision, until Hun McCullough done him, although a bit more disappointed that Beram didn’t come back stronger…….we had a decent couple of midfielders there…….

     

     

    By the way, disappointed when spelt incorrectly hit me with “Stockholm” could be a sign if we better BMG over the next two CL ties

  30. I would say Spurs are a much bigger club than Celtic, to a Spurs fan (or player).

     

     

    It is an exercise in futility to argue or get upset because a Spurs player voices such an opinion.

     

     

    Victor plays for Spurs. They pay his wages. What do you expect him to say?

     

     

    If someone claimed Burnley or Palace or Forest were a bigger club than Celtic, we could laugh them into the Clyde, but arguing whether or not Celtic are bigger than Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Man U and yes, Spurs, is utterly pointless. For a start, what is size based on in this context?

     

     

    As I say, not worth turning against Victor over it.

  31. GFTB…

     

    Paul McStay is my all time favourite Celtic player.Back in 2003 I sat in a hotel in Seville for 4 hours with him and his family only feet away before plucking up the courage to ask for a picture.Overawed doesn’t cut it,I was a wee wean at 10 xmases.

     

    Funny thing is,he used to attend St.Mungo’s mass on occasion when he was still playing and sat directly behind me once,I spent the whole mass worrying God would smite me for being more in awe of Paul than the service.

  32. Bhoyjoebelfast on

    Just thinking back(it concerns spurs funnily enough) when Christian Gross was being interviewed outside the home of Tottenham Hotspur FC.He said to a waiting reporter ‘Im so happy to be here at white lane hart’ before going into meet the officials of the club,and the reporter corrects him and tells Christian it is white hart’ lane and he replied’yeah whatever’.Just something I would like to share before I go up the wooden mountain(bed) that is.

  33. Strange to think why the gooners are so loved. Regardless of Brady, Stapleton, O’Leary and Charlie, do not the arsenal wear red and sport cannons on their shirts? Woolwich Barracks their original home. Did not some people in times past visit Ireland and Scotland wearing red and pulling guns? Hail!

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