Legends and Supporters

We all know about the Brake Clubs and how they went through thick and thin to see the Celts, but the below gentleman is likely Celtic's first diehard and possibly football's first long distance travelling supporter!

From The Aberdeen Weekly Journal November 13th 1890. "........Who Is He? A contemporary "doon sooth" publishes the following:- "The Celtic Football Club has one worshipper, an Aberdeen resident, who attends every match of the club wherever played." Now who is he? There are not a few enthusiasts in Aberdeen, but that there is a man in our midst so far "gone" on the game that he is at the expense and the trouble of journeying to see The Celtic play can hardly be regarded as other than a canard."

The round trip from Aberdeen to Celtic Park is roughly 300 miles by car. In 1890 he is likely to have travelled on the burgeoning North British Railway who had a line at this time between Aberdeen and Newcastle, a stop at Edinburgh for a refreshment then on to Glasgow via train again. That would be the easier games!

If he attended all the friendlies that year he would have taken in Birmingham St. Georges away in February and four away matches in five days versus Bolton, Everton, Blackburn and Distillery in early April, perhaps thats how the southern friends came to remark on him.

Then there would be the small matter of going to places such as Carfin and Larkhall ( shudder ) in the inaugral Scottish League come August.

The Journal clearly thinks this is unfeasible and supects this is a canard rather than a diehard but did they know their history back then?

If anyone can get confirmation with proof to back up what his name is (if it is true) then please get in contact with us here to put the details together.