What’s in a name? How about 11 Celtic players and one legendary manager?
Fan called his son after entire favourite team
As a life-long Celtic fan, Patrick Ward loved the club so much he named his son after the players.
And not just one of them, but all of them, and the manager.
Hence no one meeting Michael Simpson Young Gemmell Murdoch McNeill Clark Johnstone McBride Chalmers Hughes Auld Stein Ward can be in any doubt about his family’s football allegiances.
Patrick followed suit with the birth of Michael’s brother, though Sean got off lightly, with the middle names Robert Kelly after the then Celtic chairman, Sir Robert Kelly.
Michael was born in Kirkcaldy in 1966 and that June featured in an article in The Sunday Post, along with his mum Mary and dad.
The following year, most of the team he was named after became sporting heroes – the Lisbon Lions – after they won the European Cup at the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 25 in 1967 after defeating Inter Milan 2-1.
At the time of Michael’s birth, Patrick was organiser of the Glenrothes branch of the Celtic Supporters club.
Michael, 57, who lives in Ballingry, Fife, said: “My father wanted to name me after the players. I was a bit unsure about it when I was younger. I just go by Michael Stein Ward now. My brother was actually named after the Celtic chairman – he’s Sean Robert Kelly Ward.
“I think mum and dad had an argument about naming me just before they got their photo taken for the paper back when I was born. My mum actually wore a blue dress just to annoy him.
“I wonder if there’s anyone else called anything like that.
“It’s quite cool to tell people, especially when I go to the games.
“The first game I saw was against Clyde in 1969.
“My dad died in 1973, so I was only seven, then my brothers started taking me to games. I still attend the games on and off.”
Samantha Mullen, Michael’s niece said that she had heard about her uncle’s name coming from a long line of Celtic players.
She said: “I was told as a youngster about my uncle Michael’s name, coming from a long line of Celtic players and I used to think it was a wind-up if anything, as Mick has always considered himself somewhat of a joker. Then realising the truth I just found it funny. I often tell people – who never believe it as it’s a very unusual thing.”