The East is Green – Almost Blinding Billy Stark, Celtic View in Dublin, Bobby Shearer

Almost Blinding Billy Stark

Billy Stark said in the 1988 SCF against Dundee Utd. Big Billy named team and said this will be a 13-man job today obviously me and Mark McGhee were disappointed not to be starting. We were 1-0 down and he brought us on with 25 minutes to go it was a lovely sunny day and the Celtic support was out in full force and with the sun shining on thousands of those strips it was almost blinding, I’ll never forget the roar when we won a corner it just about sent a shiver down my spine this is when you find an extra gear, you find something else without a doubt. That’s thing they refuse to accept we were going to lose.

Celts For Change

I said previously you see things in Glasgow you don’t see elsewhere, at the time of “The Celts for Change” campaign there were demonstrations outside the main stand singing and chanting and firing insults at the board, in front of us was a guy bouncing up and down and singing Harry Harry, Harry Hood to the old Hare Krishnas song. We were laughing at this since we hadn’t heard it since the 70s and what did it have to do with the current situation?

Later when he turned around you could see his face was a mass of old scars. I mean his lips, eye lids, ears, nose, cheeks more than one must have held him down while others went to work with a Stanley knife quite a horrific sight and here he was bouncing away happy as could be.

At about this time I wrote a letter to then chairman Jack McGinn saying how annoyed I was hearing about the amount of Irish fans who were supporters of not only the usual Liverpool, Man U. and Arsenal but also teams like Coventry and Man City before they became what they are now and many other English teams. I knew the main reason was because of TV coverage and nothing from Scotland.

To his credit I received a reply from Jack, he agreed about TV coverage and said we are trying to address the problem and are in the process of getting a newsagent in Dublin who has agreed to sell the Celtic View, well I thought watch out all global publishing empires here we come. I have no doubt the old board had the club in their hearts but not progressively.

Singing Songs

There’s a line in Irish Soldier Laddie – “I looked up in the sky saw an Irish Soldier Laddie”. I always wondered where he was, hang gliding or what, a giant tri-coloured hot air balloon floating doon the Falls. Bill Murray brought out a book called The Old Firm and Sectarianism highlighting the worst aspects of it.

A TV crew went to Celtic Park to ask for comment on the book but no comment was given same at Ibrox but Bobby Shearer was there and was not too happy about it and gave comment. Who is this guy Murray no one from Celtic want him and he is not welcome here well I’ll tell you who I am Mr. Murray I’m Bobby Shearer ex captain of Glasgow Rangers, ex Scotland international, protestant, orangeman, free mason now who are you?

Well, I thought all what the old guys used to say on the bus about Shearer must’ve been true, around this time Scotsport used to be on a Sunday afternoon with Arthur Montford before it came on there was a religious programme on this occasion it was about nuns running an orphanage trying to give kids a decent start in life ‘’So how do you manage financially’’ the girl asks ‘’Well we have a lot of volunteer fundraisers and one of the best is an old footballer called Bobby Shearer’’.

Those keen to link Rangers to Uber-Protestantism since it’s formation may be surprised to learn that they played in a 2-2 fund raising match with Hibs at Easter Road in 1903 for the Leith Roman Catholic school building.

One of the Lisbon Lions was asked if they received sectarian abuse during Old Firm games, “From Rangers players never, from other clubs regularly”.

“Whit a bloody cairry oan”

The East is Green is a self published booklet written by life-long Celtic supporter Brian McAuley, who has also personally designed so many Celtic Supporters Club badges and many of them will be shown on The Celtic Star as we serialise this brilliant little Celtic book. Running to just over 100 pages it’s a great insight into supporting Celtic and attending games stretching as far back as the 1950s to the modern day.

As we have done previously with Jerry Woods’ brilliant To Lisbon and Back on a Fiver, we’re happy to put any reader in touch with Brian and he’s post and package you a copy of The East is Green for the very reasonable cost of £5 plus postage.

Just drop an email to editor@thecelticstar.co.uk and we’ll be pleased to make the necessary introductions. More from The East is Green on The Celtic Star over the coming weeks. HH