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The Celtic Graves Society commemorated the life of Johnny Doyle on Saturday 15th October 2011 at Kilmarnock Cemetery.
A very well attended ceremony, with some of the greater good of Celtic attending to pay respects (inc. George McCluskey, Danny McGrain, Dom Sullivan, Peter Latchford and Bobby Lennox).
Remembering one of our own
By: Paul Cuddihy on 19 Oct, 2011 07:35Celticfc.net
CELTIC supporters gathered with a number of former Celtic playersat the Grassyards Cemetery in Kilmarnock last Saturday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Johnny Doyle’s sad and untimely passing.
They joined Johnny’s two children, Joanna and Jason, as well as various other family members, including his sister and the granddaughter he never got to see.
It was, like every other event organised by the Celtic Graves Society, a moving occasion that left everyone who gathered at the graveside of the Celtic great, with a genuine sense of pride.
It was also an occasion that was marked by humour, a fitting recognition of a man who, by all accounts, was an effervescent character on and off the park.
Indeed, in thanking various people for their contribution to the day, Brendan Sweeney of the Graves Society thanked the SPL for the ‘one in 22 chance’ of Celtic being given an away fixture against Kilmarnock on the nearest weekend to the anniversary.
Brendan also went on to point out that Johnny Doyle truly was a supporter who lived the dream, wearing his Celtic scarf to games because, if he wasn’t selected to play, he wanted to join his fellow fans on the terraces in supporting the team.
Previous events organised by the Graves Society commemorated the achievements of our founding fathers and some of the players who first played for the club.
The event last Saturday remembered a more recent hero; many of those gathered in the cemetery had their own memories of seeing Johnny Doyle in the Hoops.
It was a reminder of the tragedy of Johnny Doyle’s death at the age of just 30 on October 19, 1981.
He had lived a short life but it was not an uneventful one, and he achieved his dream in getting to pull on the green and white Hoops. To be Johnny Doyle of Celtic meant everything to him, and it was something he remained thankful for, every day of his life.
A number of former Celts were in attendance, men who had played alongside Johnny and who knew him as a team-mate and a friend – Danny McGrain, Bobby Lennox, George McCluskey, Dom Sullivan and Peter Latchford.
And both George McCluskey and Dom Sullivan spoke about their memories of ‘Doyley’, with the two former Celts recounting funny dressing-room tales from their time in the Hoops.
Johnny’s daughter, Joanna, spoke on behalf of the family, thanking everyone for coming along and speaking of the pride the family feel, not only in remembering their dad’s achievements, but also in the fact that he is still remembered with such fondness by the Celtic support.
Father John Sweeney from Holy Cross parish in Glasgow gave a blessing at the graveside, and before the assembled Celtic supporters left for the lunchtime kick-off at Rugby Park, there was a moving rendition of The Johnny Doyle Song by Jim Scanlon, who was a friend of Johnny’s.
It was the perfect way to finish what was a moving occasion.
And check out the new website www.johnnydoyle.com for more tributes to a great Celt.
