Long-distance relationship

Old pal and diehard Celtic fan on Ange’s fateful call

LAST June, Steve Blair’s football world was turned upside down by a late-night phone call. Despite the number being withheld, a bleary-eyed Blair answered it. On the other end was none other than his great friend, Ange Postecoglou. What happened next ensured there were plenty of tears... of joy.

“I don’t usually answer or accept calls from withheld numbers,” said Blair. “I didn’t know it was from him. I just thought ‘who is ringing me at this time?’ I picked up the phone anyway...”

“Blairy, it’s Ange. How ya doin’? Guess where I am, mate?”

“’Where?”

“I am sitting at Lennoxtown.” “What are you doing there?” “I’m the new Celtic manager. I just wanted to tell you that, mate.”

“You’re kidding, aren’t you?” On arguably the biggest day of his professional career, the Greek-Australian had made a special call to the man he knew would treasure the good news most.

“I nearly fell off my seat greeting,” Scotland-born Blair recalls. “He rang me before it was all announced. Ange somehow knew at that moment how important it was to tell me that he was the new manager of Celtic.

“He wanted to tell his lifelong Celtic-supporting friend and share his great news. He knew how it would affect me emotionally but the fact that he found the time to ring me and share his good news was just off the charts. It says everything about the kind of person Ange is.

“I am so, so proud of him. I can’t speak highly enough of him. It is just so surreal. It is difficult to explain and put it all into words. It is beyond our wildest dreams – Ange being the Celtic manager is just so special for both of us.”

Blair has watched on in awe as Postecoglou guided Celtic to the Scottish Premiership and League Cup double this season.

The 60-year-old insists that after spending the best part of a quarter of a century honing his managing craft at international and club levels on the other side of the world, Celtic was the opportunity that his best friend had dreamed of all his coaching life.

“Ange is a real trailblazer,” Blair said. “He has flown the flag for Australia, Japan, Greece and himself proudly.

It really couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

“This is what Ange was looking for all along. He was looking for a big European club and one that could help him achieve his ambition of managing in the Champions League. As a club, I think Celtic also needed somebody like Ange too.”

Blair, who hails from Drumchapel, believes that Celtic are indeed now in the best possible hands with his friend at the helm – even if the tears occasionally blind him whenever he watches his boyhood heroes in action.

He added: “There have been many times when I have been sitting watching the Celtic games this season all by myself and I have just burst into tears because my pal is the manager of Celtic and he is doing so well.

“I can hardly watch Celtic now without the tears rolling down my eyes.

“I told him when he was out and about signing autographs and getting his picture taken with the Celtic supporters that it was always going to be this way now. I also told him that he had to conduct himself like that at all times because it means the world to the Celtic fans.

“All of his life and career Ange has craved the opportunity to be a manager with a big European club. He craved a club that matched his passion.

“He had the passion, he’s always had it. He wanted a club to match that passion and Celtic deliver it in bucketloads. The fans are so passionate about their club, their history, colours and players. You name it, it ticks every box for Ange.”

My pal is the manager... I can hardly watch Celtic now without the tears rolling down my eyes