WEST Belfast man Robert Delaney plans to auction a quite unique match programme for charity with the autographs of four of Celtic’s Lisbon Lions team and former Rangers captain John Greig.
Fittingly, the match programme dates back 50 years to Celtic’s first leg tie with Racing Club of Argentina at Hampden Park in the World Club Cup tournament.
At Glasgow airport, Robert met some of Celtic’s famous European Cup winning team of 1967 who were on international duty.
“My brother and I went over for the first leg of the World Club Cup against Racing Club at Hampden Park,” Robert explained.
“On the way back to Belfast we were waiting on a flight back in Glasgow and it so happened the same weekend Scotland were playing Northern Ireland in the Home Internationals.
“Four of the Scottish players were on the same flight as us and I went up and asked them to sign the programme – Ronnie Simpson, Tommy Gemmell, Bobby Murdoch and John Clarke.
“They were also talking to John Greig who was Scottish and Rangers captain and he also signed it.”
All proceeds of the match programme auction, the date of which will be announced soon, will go towards research into Motor Neurone Disease.
“I thought I would wait until the 50th anniversary of the Lisbon Lions team to sell it and give the proceeds to charity,” said Robert.
“And the charity I’m going to give the money to is Motor Neurone Disease, for a couple of reasons: Jimmy Johnstone died of MND and a friend of mine died of it.
“I have a daughter who is a speech and language therapist and attends people with MND and she said it’s such a cruel illness.”
If you would like to bid for this unique autographed match programme contact Robert Delaney by phone at 07900515691.
