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Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
I always felt a great empathy for John Clark because the great Celtic servant and I shared tragic circumstances
He would say 'Celtic was always a way of life for me' and the club had cause to be thankful for his astonishing level of consistency John Clark played football for Celtic in the same way he lived his life away from the game. With the minimum of fuss. Eleven men were immortalised on May 25, 1967 at the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon when Celtic beat Inter Milan and became the first British club to win the European Cup. But "Luggy," as he was known then, was always humility personified in spite of having been granted iconic status. The road to greatness in Portugal was nevertheless partly paved by John's immaculate defensive work while playing behind Billy McNeill at the heart of Celtic's defence. McNeill, the captain, had a magisterial quality about him on the park. There were also the legendary, mercurial talents such as Bertie Auld and Jimmy Johnstone in the team that Jock Stein had put together like a master craftsman. Clark was the reliable one, never fazed and apparently gifted with a telepathic instinct for anticipating danger and getting there early enough to stop it becoming a hazard to his team's progress. The knack he had led to him being nicknamed "The brush" by his grateful team-mates. "Celtic was always a way of life for me," John would say and the club had cause to be thankful for his astonishing level of consistency while playing for them at the same time. John played 140 games in a row, in all competitions, between April 1965 and September 1967. One of them was the Scottish Cup final win over Dunfermline which heralded the start of the modern day Celtic after having gone since 1957 without winning a major trophy. Towards the end of that phenomenal run came Lisbon and a place in his club's folklore. The unassuming nature of John's personality was employed by McNeill when he accepted the task of following the hardest act of them all, Stein, in the manager's office in 1978. Billy asked John to be his assistant and together they assembled three league titles and one win in the Scottish and League Cup finals. Devoid of ego and devoted to Celtic, John became, in 1997, the club's kit man. He took his responsibilities there as seriously as he had done his playing duties in Lisbon thirty years earlier. I always felt a particular empathy with John because both of us had lost our fathers under tragic circumstances when we were 10-year-old children. He, in turn, was always kindly disposed towards me throughout my journalistic career. Luggy was also Google years before it was invented. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of statistics and could have given you the last five results for Plymouth Argyle's reserve team at the drop of a hat if you really had to know that kind of thing. The quiet man was otherwise happy to let his educated mind and feet do the talking for him on the park and Celtic have lost one of the greatest servants they have ever had. Such was the esteem in which John was held by everyone at Celtic, he was visited in his final days by the club's figureheads. Principal shareholder Dermot Desmond travelled from Ireland to pay his respects, as did Brendan Rodgers, who had known John from the time of his arrival in Glasgow for his first stint as Celtic manager. Only three of the Lisbon Lions remain alive, Jim Craig, Bobby Lennox and Willie Wallace. What they achieved with those who have gone before them is easily categorised as an immortal memory cherished by the Celtic supporters and symbolised by the star above the club crest on the team shirt. The shirt that Luggy wore with distinction.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
My best friend died at 11 after telling me to live my life for him
Ryan Quinn remembers the first time he met Aaron Murphy, the boy who would become his best friend. He was three and it was his first day at nursery. "After my mum dropped me off, I got very upset. It was the first time that I'd been on my own without her," he said. "As I turned around to go and find her, Aaron was standing behind me. We became inseparable instantly. "We were the closest of friends. We had so much in common. We had a love for Minecraft and for Star Wars." Just months into the friendship between the two boys from Dunfermline, Aaron Murphy was diagnosed with neuroblastoma - a rare form of childhood cancer which develops in nerve tissue and usually affects children under five. After various treatments, Aaron's cancer entered remission. But when he was 10, his cancer returned. He went through further treatment, but there was nothing that could save him. He died three weeks shy of his 12th birthday. Ryan was supposed to visit Aaron in hospital that evening but was picked up from school early. "I was so excited," he said. But the atmosphere in the car on the way home was silent. "When home, my mum sat down next to me and put her arms around me. 'Aaron's gone, Ryan,' she said." Losing a close friend at the age of 11 brought unimaginable grief to Ryan. He was angry at the world and at the disease that took his friend. "I became very reclusive and very depressed," said Ryan. "About three months after Aaron passed away, I started high school, which was hard because it was a massive change. "Suddenly I started this new school where I didn't really know anyone and my best friend wasn't there." On what would have been Aaron's 18th birthday, Ryan has shared what it was like to lose his childhood friend while they were both children themselves. Now 17, Ryan wants to turn his grief into a vehicle for change. "I thought I could put the anger and passion I felt into something - which was campaigning for children's cancer and raising awareness," he told BBC Scotland News. Aaron's last words to his friend were "Live your life for me, Ryan" and that is what he is trying to do. He says he is determined to honour his request. Ryan has undertaken fundraising and lobbying. Last year he did a sky-dive in memory of Aaron to raise money for a charity called the Team Jak Foundation which provides support for families and friends of people affected by cancer. It helped Ryan to deal with his grief and he said he wanted to pay them back. Earlier this year he spoke at the Scottish Labour Party conference. After that he managed to secure a meeting with Scotland's Health Minister Neil Gray who invited him to the Scottish Parliament to discuss the issues that Ryan is highlighting. Mr Gray told Ryan he was committed to improving outcomes for children and young people with cancer. Thoughts turned to Aaron during the meeting. "I thought, 'What would Aaron think of what I'm doing?' "There was one empty chair at the table. "I am confident that Aaron was sat in it, and I hope I did him proud." June is a hard month for Ryan. As he reaches adulthood, he has lots of questions about what happened to his best friend. He said " Recently I bought my first car after passing my driving test and the first thought I had when I put the key into the ignition was 'Why do I get to do this and Aaron doesn't?' And I'm constantly reminded of that as we approach Aaron's 18th birthday." Six years on from Aaron's death, Ryan says he misses his friend more than ever. "I loved Aaron with my whole heart and I always will," he said. "Aaron's death inspired me to be a campaigner so that he and the other children and young people who die from cancer each year are never forgotten. "I want to make sure that Aaron's story gets to the right places and on the right people's desks and I hope that meaningful change will be made." More stories from Edinburgh, Fife & East More stories from Scotland 'Radiographer started crying during my cancer scan'
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
My best friend died at 11 after telling me to live life for him
Ryan Quinn remembers the first time he met Aaron Murphy, the boy who would become his best friend. He was three and it was his first day at nursery."After my mum dropped me off, I got very upset. It was the first time that I'd been on my own without her," he said."As I turned around to go and find her, Aaron was standing behind me. We became inseparable instantly."We were the closest of friends. We had so much in common. We had a love for Minecraft and for Star Wars." Just months into the friendship between the two boys from Dunfermline, Aaron Murphy was diagnosed with neuroblastoma - a rare form of childhood cancer which develops in nerve tissue and usually affects children under various treatments, Aaron's cancer entered remission. But when he was 10, his cancer went through further treatment, but there was nothing that could save died three weeks shy of his 12th birthday. Ryan was supposed to visit Aaron in hospital that evening but was picked up from school early."I was so excited," he said. But the atmosphere in the car on the way home was silent."When home, my mum sat down next to me and put her arms around me. 'Aaron's gone, Ryan,' she said." Losing a close friend at the age of 11 brought unimaginable grief to was angry at the world and at the disease that took his friend."I became very reclusive and very depressed," said Ryan."About three months after Aaron passed away, I started high school, which was hard because it was a massive change. "Suddenly I started this new school where I didn't really know anyone and my best friend wasn't there." On what would have been Aaron's 18th birthday, Ryan has shared what it was like to lose his childhood friend while they were both children 17, Ryan wants to turn his grief into a vehicle for change."I thought I could put the anger and passion I felt into something - which was campaigning for children's cancer and raising awareness," he told BBC Scotland News. Delayed cancer diagnosis Aaron's last words to his friend were "Live your life for me, Ryan" and that is what he is trying to says he is determined to honour his request. Ryan has undertaken fundraising and year he did a sky-dive in memory of Aaron to raise money for a charity called the Team Jak Foundation which provides support for families and friends of people affected by helped Ryan to deal with his grief and he said he wanted to pay them this year he spoke at the Scottish Labour Party that he managed to secure a meeting with Scotland's Health Minister Neil Gray who invited him to the Scottish Parliament to discuss the issues that Ryan is Gray told Ryan he was committed to improving outcomes for children and young people with cancer. Thoughts turned to Aaron during the meeting."I thought, 'What would Aaron think of what I'm doing?'"There was one empty chair at the table."I am confident that Aaron was sat in it, and I hope I did him proud."June is a hard month for Ryan. As he reaches adulthood, he has lots of questions about what happened to his best said " Recently I bought my first car after passing my driving test and the first thought I had when I put the key into the ignition was 'Why do I get to do this and Aaron doesn't?' And I'm constantly reminded of that as we approach Aaron's 18th birthday."Six years on from Aaron's death, Ryan says he misses his friend more than ever."I loved Aaron with my whole heart and I always will," he said."Aaron's death inspired me to be a campaigner so that he and the other children and young people who die from cancer each year are never forgotten. "I want to make sure that Aaron's story gets to the right places and on the right people's desks and I hope that meaningful change will be made."
The Herald Scotland
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Voters must be able to sack MSPs despite cost, says Simpson
His remarks came after legal academics warned the draft law could deliver 'the worst of all worlds'. READ MORE Currently, MSPs can only be removed from office if sentenced to more than 12 months in prison. Mr Simpson said the system was 'absurd'. 'If you contrast that to what happens in other workplaces, if an employee repeatedly or seriously breaches their company's code of conduct, they could be sacked. 'If an employee just did not attend their place of work without good reason, they could be removed. 'And you would expect that — and if an employee received a relatively short custodial sentence for a criminal offence, that could lead to their dismissal, especially if they are in a senior position. 'And for me, that contrast is quite jarring.' Mr Simpson raised the case of former Dunfermline MSP Bill Walker. He was convicted of a course of abusive behaviour against a series of his former partners and was handed a 12-month prison sentence — one day short of the threshold that would have seen him automatically barred from Holyrood. He initially refused to resign, raising the prospect of parliamentary authorities paying out salary to a politician spending six months in HMP Low Moss. Mr Simpson's Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) Bill would allow voters to trigger a recall petition if an MSP receives a jail sentence of six months or more, fails to attend Parliament for six months without good reason, or is sanctioned for misconduct. If at least 10% of constituents sign the petition, the MSP would lose their job and a vote would be held. For a recalled constituency MSP, this would trigger a by-election. However, for a list MSP, a vote would only be held if they wished to stand again — to decide whether they return. If not, the seat would go to the next person on the party list or remain vacant for independents until the next election. In evidence to the committee, three Glasgow Caledonian University law lecturers warned that this model risks undermining democratic choice by holding a 'significant democratic event' with no opportunity for voters to select a new candidate. They suggested instead automatically removing MSPs who breach the thresholds and holding a full by-election open to all parties and candidates. READ MORE Mr Simpson said he had wrestled with how best to deal with regional MSPs and admitted parity with constituency members was difficult to achieve under Scotland's hybrid electoral system. 'Those of us who are elected on regional lists — if we are being honest — nobody really knows who they are going to get when they put the cross on that regional list. They just end up with who they end up with. 'Nobody voted for me individually. But if I was to be subject to a recall vote, people would have heard of me, because I have probably done something — and then it is about the individual and their behaviour, or alleged behaviour. So it is not about the party. 'I do not think it is about the individual MSP, and so that individual should, in my view, have the chance to make their case.' He rejected calls to simplify the process by automatically removing MSPs or skipping the petition stage, saying that 10% of a politician's constituents voting against them was not enough to 'kick somebody out of a Parliament'. Mr Simpson also rebuffed suggestions that MSPs who switch parties should face automatic re-election. 'I know it is controversial. I do not think it is a crime to switch parties. I am personally not in favour of having a recall in that situation.' He accepted the legislation would carry administrative and financial burdens, particularly for regional polls, but said: 'It is the price of democracy.' The legislation was first mooted after SNP MSP Derek Mackay resigned as Finance Secretary when it emerged he had contacted a teenage boy over social media — without knowing his age — and then bombarded him with more than 270 messages. He called the boy 'cute', invited him to dinner, and asked for their conversations to remain secret. The behaviour was described as 'predatory' and a textbook example of 'grooming'. Mr Mackay apologised 'unreservedly' to the boy. He was suspended by the SNP and a party investigation was launched into his behaviour. He then disappeared from public life on the eve of the Scottish Budget in 2020 and did not return to work at Holyrood after the scandal — but continued to draw a full salary of £64,700 while sitting as an independent MSP for more than a year. He was also paid an automatic grant of £11,945 for 'loss of ministerial office' and a further £53,725 'resettlement grant' when he left Parliament at the 2021 election. Financial estimates for Mr Simpson's Bill reckon a regional recall petition could cost more than £1 million, with a potential subsequent regional poll costing a further £1m. Discussing the financial implications, Mr Simpson said he had sought to reduce costs by keeping the length of the regional recall petition to four weeks rather than six. He said: 'We do need a recall system in Scotland, and that will come at a cost.'
Scotsman
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Key dates for Hearts fans: Fixtures, cup games and transfer window
Derek McInnes' first competitive game in charge of Hearts is one month away. Dunfermline visit Tynecastle Park to begin the Premier Sports Cup group stages on 12 July, heralding a new era at the Edinburgh club. It is one which supporters hope can be both fulfilling and exciting.
