RAB Douglas is the latest name to pledge his support to the Jock Stein 30th Anniversary Charity Match, sponsored by Direct Slating Supplies, and the former Celtic stopper expressed his admiration for the fans’ continuous support for charity.
Douglas, a regular under Martin O’Neill, played for the club during a hugely successful period, picking up numerous league and cup winner’s medals throughout a five-year spell.
The former Hoops keeper spoke to the official Celtic website about his participation in the game and his affection for the Celtic support.
He said: “It’s great to be involved and obviously, really nice to be back in a Celtic jersey. These types of charity and memorial games are always a joy to play in.
“Time and again fans come out to support these games in enormous numbers, it’s incredible. It really emphasises the size of Celtic and the dedication of the supporters.”
Being back between the sticks for Celtic will conjure fond memories for Douglas and the keeper insisted that winning trophies were just as important as the relationships he founded during his time.
He said: “Winning titles at Celtic was a huge thing for me. Along with that, Celtic is a place where I made friends for life.
“I still keep in touch with some of the players and staff from my time and honestly, making lifelong friendships – as well as winning trophies – was a big personal highlight. “
Big Rab also underlined his respect for Jock Stein and how, almost 30 years on, he still remembers the night he passed away.
“Clearly, he was one of the most successful managers in Scottish football history, his record speaks for itself.
“From 30 years ago, I can still remember watching the qualifier when he died, things like that stay with you. It will be a special thing to honour him.”
Celtic Legends’ Squad So Far
Manager: Murdo MacLeod
Tom Boyd
Stiliyan Petrov
Tosh McKinlay
Alan Stubbs
Martin Compston
Simon Donnelly
Jackie McNamara
Jonathan Gould
Mark Burchill
James McAvoy
Rab Douglas
The Jock Stein 30th Anniversary Charity Match takes place on Sunday, September 6 at East End Park (KO 2pm).
Tickets for the match, priced at £12 for adults and £6 for concessions, are available ONLINE, by calling 0871 226 1888* or by visiting the Celtic Ticket Office.
Matchday Hospitality is available, on a first come, first served basis, in the Purvis Suite at a cost of £45 per person, or supporters can upgrade to a pitch-side box for an additional price of £100 per person.
To make a booking please visit www.dafc.co.uk, contact DAFC on 01383 724295, or email [email protected]
Proceeds from the day will be shared between Celtic FC Foundation and the Pars Foundation, the respective charitable arms of both clubs.
*Calls cost 13 pence per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge. For customer enquiries relating to existing purchases only, please call 0141 230 1967. Calls charged at standard rate.
