Details
Name: Matt McGlone
Ref: Celtic Takeover, Celts for Change, Editor of Once A Tim & The Alternative View Fanzines
Overview
Matt McGlone formed and ran the ‘Once A Tim‘ fanzine as a way to push a harder edge on tackling the old board. Belligerent and blunt, there were no two ways with Matt McGlone’s fanzine in their part to oust the old board and push Celtic’s cause.
Later during the Celtic Takeover Years he became involved with and helped to manage the ‘Celts For Change‘ group, and in effect became the public face of the group for public sound-bites on the news etc.
He was there at the meetings and took pride of place amongst the victors when the board was ousted, but even before then his story saw him involved in some interesting episodes:
- trying to be hoodwinked by a Celtic director to write up a hatchet job piece on the press for him
- involvement with the shareholders buying up shares in the club
- meetings with the former chief executive Terry Cassidy
- a board sympathiser trying to blacken his name and so on….
After the takeover, he decided to end the ‘Once A Tim‘ fanzine as he believed that its role was primarily to help fight and oust the old board and that it would be wrong to keep it going in light of their aims having being achieved. Shame as it had a lot of life still in it, and the internet wasn’t around then, so fanzines played an important part in communication with the fans.
Later he was invited by Celtic Chief Executive Fergus McCann to apply his energies in a similar manner but from within by doing a large column in the Celtic View taking a fan’s eye view. Matt was a lifetime celtaholic who would have found it impossible to refuse such an offer. Problem is that he was given a lot of free reign, and the self-admittedly strong opinionated and blunt Matt McGlone created a lot of friction within Celtic (with players and staff) on some his views from the columns.
He was thus easy to fall out with and at one point the players organised a boycott after a particular rant in one of his columns. The fracas lasted three weeks and required the intervention of Tommy Burns to calm things down. None of the players would talk to him during this period and consequently made production of the Celtic View difficult, the particular ‘offensive’ headline being something like ‘Not fit to wear the Hoops‘. This is obviously a tad awkward when you are writing for an in-house paper. Similar situations occurred through the Venglos season and into John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish’s time in charge at the club.
In time, internal politics meant he had to leave the Celtic View. To be an outspoken fan within an organisation which, to a strong degree, was seen as punting ‘the party line’ for the good ship Celtic, was difficult.
However, he kept up the writing and set up ‘The Alternative View‘ fanzine with a strong launch and impressive initial format clearly set up to challenge the Celtic View. The initial A4 glossy format quickly bombed when advertising revenue failed to kick in, but the magazine was later relaunched and then relaunched again, and has enjoyed sustained success. A difficult task in the current environment taking in the rise and power of the internet and the Celtic forums in particular.
He was later honoured along with his colleagues from Celts for Change with a plaque in front of Celtic Park, dedicated to their contribution & effort to the Celtic support during the Celtic Takeover days. Very well deserved too.
His love for the club can never be questioned, and his part (with his colleagues) in the downfall of the old Biscuit Tin board can never be understated.
Quotes
“Dealt with Matt over the years. A straight shooter and a good Hoops man, who was fighting the good fight, when darkness almost consumed the club.”
Journalist Jim Spence on Matt McGlone (2018)
“People need to realise, Matt has made a living out of telling mistruths to Celtic fans for decades. While people like you still believe his nonsense, he will continue to make money on the back of his lies and deceit”
David Cunningham (Celts for Change) on Twitter (2018)
[Note: On this site, we are NOT taking sides on this or any possible related disputes involving the original Celts for Change group]
https://twitter.com/Cunny88/status/1029146768695590912
Links
Books
Podcasts
- The Celtic Exchange (2024): Matt McGlone
(L to R) Colin Duncan, MattMcGlone, David Cunningham and Brendan Sweeney.
Matt McGlone: Celtic superfan suing club for £50,000 after falling and hitting his head at game
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/16293563.Celtic_superfan_suing_club_for___50_000_after_falling_and_hitting_his_head_at_game/
Celtic superfan suing club for £50,000 after falling and hitting his head at game
A CELTIC superfan is suing the club for a £50,000 payout after falling and hitting his head at a game. Matt McGlone – editor of Celtic magazine Alternative View – is taking the Parkhead team to court after claiming he suffered injuries in the fall. Mr McGlone wants compensation of £50,000 plus eight per cent each year since the accident – a total of £66,000 so far.
But, in papers lodged at Glasgow Sherrif Court, Celtic’s lawyers say the accident was Mr McGlone’s own fault. The 63-year-old was at Parkhead on December 3, 2014, with his teenage son to see Celtic beat Partick Thistle 1-0.
Around 9.40pm he was heading out of the Jock Stein stand when he slipped and hit his head on the metal part of a fold up seat. Mr McGlone, of Mosspark, suffered a deep cut over his forehead that “bled profusely” and was taken by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
Court papers say that, as well as a scar over his eye, he was left with pain in his left knee, neck and back. Mr McGlone’s lawyers claim a drink was spilled on the ground at the stand, which was also wet due to fans bringing in rain water. The lawyers say the concrete floor, which is around 20 years old, was worn and slippy, causing the dad to fall.
Their claim reads: “The flooring along the row does not meet the minimum slip resistance value considered by the UK Health and Safety Executive as necessary to provide a safe floor environment.”
But in response, Celtic claims Mc McGlone, who worked for the club, was rushing to meet his 13-year-old son.
The papers state: “It was [Mr McGlone’s] duty not to rush through rows of seating in the stadium. “It was his duty to watch where he was placing his feet.
“In each and all of these duties, the pursuer failed and by his failure, caused or materially contributed to the accident.”
Lawyers for the club say a steward inspected the ground and found it to be dry. Mr McGlone says he had to have physiotherapy at the National Stadium Sports Health & Injury Clinic and was unable to work for two weeks following the accident.
His lawyer says the £50,000 bill is to cover the cost of having to employ a helper to assist with carrying out deliveries for four months after the accident, to pay for travel expenses and over the counter pain killers.
Mr McGlone’s claim also states he had to move in with his partner and son for two weeks as he couldn’t look after himself on his own.
The Celtic fan wrote the book Emotionally Celtic and edits fanzine Alternative View.