CELTIC LEGEND WAS BEST DADDY A GIRL COULD HAVE
Tributes to ‘unsung hero’ who dies after dementia battle
TRIBUTES have been paid to Celtic’s “unsung hero” Jim Brogan after his death at the age of 74.
His daughter Colette Farren said he was a devoted dad despite his “huge love” for the club where he enjoyed a 13-year career.
THE daughter of Celtic legend Jim Brogan has paid tribute to the, “most outstanding daddy,” who never missed a parents’ evening despite his high-profile footballing career.
The former footballer, who played left back for the club for 13 years, passed away at 1.30am yesterday morning surrounded by family at Moffat Street Care Home in the Gorbals area of Glasgow.
The 74-year-old, who had a “massive love of the Hoops”, had been battling dementia, a condition his family is convinced was linked to his career on the pitch.
The club paid tribute, describing their former player as one of Celtic’s “unsung heroes”.
Brogan, who also ran a number of bars in Glasgow after he hung up his boots, is survived by wife Joyce, 70, daughters Colette, 51, Caroline, 50, sons Anthony, 48 and Mark, 46, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Celtic legends, current players and representatives from the club are expected to join family and friends at the funeral service, which is being planned to take place on Saturday at St Andrew’s Cathedral. It will be followed by a short service at Linn Crematorium.
Jim’s daughter Colette revealed he will be piped into the cathedral and mourners will arrive at the crematorium to the Celtic and Liverpool anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone. The last song will be the Elvis hit,
‘‘ My daddy never missed a parents’ evening or a show
American Trilogy, in tribute to his love of the Memphis legend.
Police officer Colette Farren said: “Dad passed away at 1.30am. My mum and sister and I were able to be there.
“Dad had been in a nursing home since last April and was put into palliative care five weeks ago. He had been unconscious since last Thursday. It’s a relief really.
“We were going to have the service in our local parish, St Gabriel’s but it’s just not going to be big enough.”
Jim was part of Jock Stein’s dream team in the 1970s.
He played 341 times for Celtic, scoring nine goals and playing his part in winning 14 honours with the club during a 12-year period and was part of the 1970 European Cup final in Milan, which Celtic lost to Feyenoord.
He followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Frank, who had joined Celtic in 1960, and the two brothers were in the same team when Jim made his debut for the club.
In 1975, aged 31, he left Celtic and Jock Stein handed him the captaincy for his final game, the Glasgow Cup final match against Rangers, on May 10, 1975, which finished 2-2.
Colette, 51, who grew up in Newlands, said: “The fondest memory I have was his last game, which was against Rangers when he was made captain.
“The unfortunate thing was he was involved in quite a bad tackle and ended up with four broken ribs.
“I was nine and I remember it vividly.
“It was just my dad’s job. It was the only game I was ever taken to. The whole family went, all my cousins and grandparents on both sides.
“Dad had a massive love of the Hoops, but it was his job.
“He was the most outstanding daddy that a girl could ever have.
“Despite the fact that dad played football and built up a large empire of pubs, my daddy never missed a parents’ evening or a show.
“I was at Fernhill school, all the Celtic girls were there. Billy McNeill and David Hay’s girls and I was playing hockey and someone tackled me and my ankle got smashed and my dad was there within 20 minutes.”
Brogan finished his career with Coventry City, spending 18 months there, before moving back north for a spell with Ayr United.
After his retirement, he owned a number of pubs in Glasgow, including Wintersgills on Great Western Road, the Victoria Bar on Victoria Road and the Star Bar at Eglinton Toll.
Colette, who is a campus police officer at Knightswood Secondary and former Evening Times Community Champion, said it was while her father was working in pubs that he started showing his first signs of dementia, when he was still in his 50s, and he was eventually diagnosed in 2008.
The family have called for more research into a possible link between football and dementia.
She said: “I have got absolutely no qualms whatsoever that my father had dementia because of football.
“There are far too many players of my dad’s era with dementia.”
Celtic fans took to Twitter to pay tribute to the former footballer.
Jack Macguire wrote: “RIP Jim Brogan. A great competitor and European Cup finalist. Prayers go out to him, his family and friends.”
In a statement Celtic FC said: “As a player, Jim Brogan is perhaps the definition of ‘unsung hero’.
“He enjoyed a very successful Celtic career, the reward for hard-work, perseverance and plenty of patience.
“He remained shy of the limelight, both as a player and after he retired from the game.
“The thoughts of everyone at Celtic Park are with the family and friends of Jim Brogan at this sad time.”