I was listening to the Si Ferry Podcast just now. Great wee story about Tommy Burns I thought was worth sharing on The Celtic Star. Loved it…
It’s now nearly 12 years since the Celtic family lost Tommy Burns but the legend lives on.
There literally must be hundreds of anecdotes attributed to Tommy and another has now added to that long list.
On this week’s ‘Keeping the Ball on the ground’ the ex-Celt and now successful podcaster has been sharing this particular tale with Paul Slane, Kevin Kyle and the many thousands who tune in to hear their irreverent opinions on the Scottish game.
Si Ferry tell the story of how he and Paul McGowan now at Dundee were enrolled-apparently against their wishes – on a sports coaching course every Wednesday at Coatbridge College by Celtic.
Instead of attending Si and McGowan had decided dogging off to the bookies, TGI’s or McDonalds was a better way to spend their time than attending their college course.
Why they thought their non-attendance wouldn’t be noticed I don’t know and inevitably things caught up on the pair of them.
On this particular day they were sitting at Barrowfield and were pulled aside by reserve team manager Willie McStay and John Cushley – who himself sadly passed away only a few weeks before Tommy Burns in 2008 -and a man Ferry described as “the scariest man in the world, the 18th man in the Lisbon lions and a big, huge Centre half”.
John Cushley lets them know that Tommy Burns wants to see the pair of young lads in his office straight away.
Cushley is waiting in reception as the young Bhoys make their way from Barrowfield, up to Celtic Park. Cushley walks ahead up the stairs to the gym where Tommy is waiting on their arrival.
Once upstairs Cushley takes them into the gym and they are presented to Tommy Burns. Cushley shuts the door and strips are taken off the pair as they are told in no uncertain terms by Cushley that:
“If there’s any two that need to go to college it’s you two clowns, because when you two don’t make it in football both of you will be working in McDonalds next year.”
Si Ferry admits to being terrified and looking to Tommy for any sign of a smirk or a wink that might show leniency from the Celtic legend. Instead Tommy responds “get out my face the two of you’.
Understandably Si and McGowan are now feeling the pressure of the situation and panic ensues. On the way back to Barrowfield Si admits to telling McGowan ‘we’re sacked mate, Tommy was raging and I’ve never seen him like that’.
Later that night Si Ferry says he’s back home in his digs and the phone goes. It’s Tommy Burns. Si tells his flatmate:
‘That’s it, I’m done mate that’s me, I’m getting released here’.
Ferry manages to summon up the courage to answer the phone and is met by the voice of Tommy Burns on the other end:
‘Can I get a big Mac and chips please’…
There must be hundreds of these wee stories from Tommy Burns out there. If we could pull them all together it would make a cracking read.
You can listen for yourselves here. The story is 33 mins into the podcast.
Niall J
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