THE BACK PAGE OUTSTANDING
Honour for Saints legend Fitzpatrick
St Mirren legend Tony Fitzpatrick has seen his tireless work for the club rewarded after having a stand emblazoned with his name.
The former star midfielder turned chief executive, who made more than 450 appearances for the Buddies and managed the Saints on two occasions, was overwhelmed with the news yesterday as the club revealed the Family Stand was being renamed The Tony Fitzpatrick Family Stand.
The 63- year- old was overcome with emotion after learning his name would forever be affiliated with his beloved club.
And current manager Jim Goodwin revealed he was delighted to see Fitzpatrick honoured in such a fitting way.
He said: “It’s absolutely fantastic news. I know that Tony was taken aback by the whole thing. He was quite emotional talking about it.
“It’s a great thing for the people at the
top of the club to do. Far too often legends only get recognised when they pass away. So it’s nice to give someone like Tony the recognition now so he can enjoy it.
“I couldn’t think of anyone at the club who deserves this more than Tony. He’s such a humble man. This isn’t something he would have expected but it’s a great honour for him.
“He deserves it for all his hard work, formerly as a player and manager and now as chief executive behind the scenes. I’m delighted for him.”
Tony has been the chief executive at St Mirren Park for the last four years, taking over the reins from Brian Caldwell in 2016.
He has already had a street named in his honour, Fitzpatrick Way, as well as Renfrewshire Council naming one of their gritters Tony Gritzpatrick.
While Goodwin never worked with Fitzpatrick directly as a player himself, he did what almost everyone would do to learn more about him - he Googled it.
And he couldn’t believe what he discovered, particularly when learning that Sir Alex Ferguson made him captain of the Love Street side aged just 19.
He said: “You always Google people to see if they’re as good as people make out and Tony was everything people said and more.
“He played in a right good St Mirren team back in the day under one of the greatest managers that ever lived in Alex Ferguson.
“He also played in England with Bristol City and could have gone to Aston Villa or some of the big clubs in Germany. It’s important people remember how good a footballer he was.
“But he’s grown into this role as chief executive and you can see he’s got the club’s best interests at heart. He doesn’t do this because it’s a job he needs to do. He does it because he loves the club.
“And he’s a great ally for me as he’s been through the same things I have as a player and manager. I couldn’t ask for a better guy behind the scenes to bounce ideas off. He’s a great human being.”