A special writer and a special man: A tribute to Kevin McCarra

I didn’t ever have the pleasure of meeting Kevin McCarra, the Glasgow-based writer and journalist who passed away on Saturday, aged just 62, having suffered with Alzheimers Disease for several years.

Reading the tributes from those who did, friends and former colleagues, consistently both, it would appear that was my great loss. They paint a picture of a very special man, who managed to balance huge talent with decency and respect for others, traits perhaps best summed up by his friend, French football correspondent, songwriter and producer, Philippe Auclair:

“Kevin’s unique gift is that he never used it to mock, belittle or hurt anyone, whilst still conveying the passion he had for the game and not once reneging on his beliefs and his contempt for those who betrayed what he held to be right for football – and for society.”

A good friend of mine, who is involved in the fabulous work carried out by Football Memories Scotland, and who met Kevin through his involvement with that, sent me the following piece earlier today.

He spoke of how it had been his privilege to witness Kevin McCarra talk football, displaying incredible knowledge of his beloved Celtic and Scottish football in general. The article was written by Kevin about a figure who would no doubt have loomed large throughout his early days as a football supporter and then his professional career as a sports correspondent, Celtic’s greatest-ever manager, Jock Stein. It is wonderfully written, evocative, full of anecdotes and insight, capturing the essence of the great man. Proper journalism.

I’ll let Kevin’s words do the talking, as I guess they always did best. We will post Kevin’s article shortly on The Celtic Star.

Rest in peace, Kevin McCarra.  You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Matt Corr

About Author

Having retired from his day job Matt Corr can usually be found working as a Tour Guide at Celtic Park, or if there is a Marathon on anywhere in the world from as far away as Tokyo or New York, Matt will be running for the Celtic Foundation. On a European away-day, he's there writing his Diary for The Celtic Star and he's currently completing his first Celtic book with another two planned.

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