A world of caring from
Legacy of fan who lost his cancer fight but left his mark with special gifts for others
IT was a move that gave Michael Logue a new lease of life. He still repays that debt despite his tragic death.
The engineer was helped by the club he loved. He, his family and his memory now have ensured that his legacy includes helping both sufferers of cancer and the poor and hungry in Africa.
The Match for Cancer at Celtic Park on Saturday will provoke both sadness and pride in the Logue family. Only in March, Mr Logue was a star speaker in an event to showcase the good work of Celtic FC Foundation, the charitable arm of the club.
It was on night that, too, that he showed Brendan Rodgers, the Celtic manager, a video of a special goal. “It was the one Michael scored in a half-time charity challenge at Hampden during the League Cup semi-final against Hibs last year,’’ says his wife, Patsy. Michael’s’s run from the halfway line and chip over the goalkeeper drew praise from Rodgers.
“Michael was delighted when Brendan told him it was a great finish and he looked quicker than Moussa Dembele,’ says Mrs Logue with a smile.
Her husband was speaking at the event to highlight a fans’ fitness programme organised by the Foundation that saw him lose seven stone.
“It changed his life,” says Patsy. “As a fan he was so proud that he could train at Celtic Park and so pleased with the results he achieved.”
Three years ago, Michael took redundancy from his job where he worked at sea in the energy industry. He was then able to commit to the fitness programme at Celtic.
“He lost so much weight that when he decided to go back to sea he passed the medical easily,” says Patsy.
Family and friends speak of Michael as “a phenomenon, someone who would help others all the time” but tragedy lay in store. It came quickly.
The speech in March was
‘‘ As a fan he was so proud that he could train at Celtic Park
quickly followed by a dreadful chain of events. “Michael phoned me from the ship on May 12. I always remember the date because it was the birthday of my grandson. He complained of a sore head. I picked him up at the airport on June 1 and I knew something was wrong,” says Patsy.
The couple went to hospital the next day. Michael was subsequently diagnosed with a progressive brain tumour. He died on July 7.
His contact with Celtic FC Foundation had made a deep mark on him.
“He was all about helping other people,” says his wife. He had arranged to travel to Malawi to help the 67 Kitchens programme. This is a Celtic FC Foundation project, in conjunction with Mary’s Meals, that sets up kitchens to feed the poor.
“He was devastated that he could not make that trip,” says Patsy.
But when the insurance company returned the cost of his trip there was only one way to spend the money.
“He immediately wanted it to go the foundation,” says Patsy. The family has booked two tables for a dinner on Friday on the eve of the charity match between sides led by Celtic legend Stiliyan Petrov and Liverpool stalwart James Milner.
“Proceeds of the dinner and the match will go to help cancer charities.
“He even wanted a collection at his funeral to help the foundation and that money will go them too,” says Patsy.
Michael left behind three children – Joshua, Liam and Eilish – and four grandchildren. But there is another legacy thousands of miles away.
‘He could not make the trip to Malawi to build the kitchen but the volunteers have named it the Michael Logue Kitchen in his honour,’’ says Patsy. The man who enhanced a zest for life by losing seven stone through the foundation now has a part to play in the feeding of children.
“He would have loved that,” says Mrs Logue.
• Tickets for the Match for Cancer on Saturday at Celtic Park, sponsored by Dafabet and Laduma, are available to purchase online at www.celticfc. net, by calling 0871 226 1888 or by visiting the Celtic Ticket Office.