Anton Rogan White CSC, Clydebank…
Anton was born on May 22, 1989, to Bobby Sr. and Anna White and was named after the current player at the time, Anton Rogan. This even led to him having his picture taken with the newborn and parents for the paper.
Anton, along with his dad, was a member of the Linnvale Emerald CSC from Clydebank and loved going to games from a young age, even making his first European away game against Celta Vigo in the run to Seville in 2003. He also travelled to Seville for the final, but unfortunately, along with many thousands of others, he didn’t manage to get a ticket to the match itself.
Sadly, in 2004, Anton became unwell and passed away at age 15 from a heart condition that they didn’t know about. In 2005, after some disagreements with the CSC committee, a group of members left the Linnvale Emerald CSC, including Bobby White, and the group quickly had discussions about starting their own CSC.
Because of the closeness they all had with Anton, it was decided they would ask Bobby if he would be okay with them naming the club Anton Rogan White CSC. Bobby was honoured to accept and was delighted they wanted to name it in Anton’s memory.
Anton Rogan White CSC was founded in 2005. A special mention needs to go to the original members who broke away to form the CSC. Bobby White snr., Alf MacLean, Mark ‘Rambo’ Ramsay, Gary Black, Billy ‘Trickster’ White, George Sanders, Joe ‘Swiggo’ McSwiggan, Craig ‘Tiago’ Mehigan, Craig ‘Sense’ Norman, Kevin Prior, Stephen Prior, Stephen ‘Maxi’ Maxwell, Chic Wright, Kevin Rippon, Josh Dooley and Ryan ‘Rizo’ O’Donnell.
Starting with a minibus that left from Chandler’s Bar, it wasn’t long before they had too many members and had to order a coach for every home game. Not long after forming, there were discussions on buying a banner with a picture of Anton on it along with the name of their CSC, and this was agreed upon with the Irish tricolour as the background.
The banner was then taken to all grounds in Scotland and travelled all over Europe. They have recently added another banner with Anton’s picture in front of the black and yellow design of Celtic’s bumblebee away strip. It was on one of those Euro trips to play Benfica in Lisbon that Bartley McGlynn and Tommy McMenamin from the Twin Towns CSC in Balleybofey, Donegal, saw the banner and got in touch to ask about their CSC and specifically Anton’s story.
Discussions were had about playing a football game to raise money for Yorkhill Sick Kids Hospital, which they had been actively raising money for since Anton passed, and Crumlin Children’s Hospital, Dublin. The game was played at Duntocher Hibs Park in Clydebank. This then became an annual event where the Twin Towns CSC invited them over to play them.
The ARW CSC has enjoyed many great trips at home and abroad, with many missed flights and shenanigans along the way. They have had loads of trips to Balleybofey, where Twin Towns has invited them to their various events. On one trip home from Balleybofey, they managed to miss the ferry and thought it a good idea to just head to the nearest town to have a few pints while waiting for the later ferry.
The red, white, and blue painted kerbs should’ve been warning enough for them, but no way was that stopping them as around 70 of them descended into the bar with no regard for their safety. Thankfully, all was well, and they were actually well received and looked after.
They continue to raise funds for charity with events such as their annual ARW dance. They had Tony Stokes in attendance one year, as well as Danny McGrain. They have also run marathons and walked the West Highland Way, and the Anton Rogan White annual golf day played at Dalmuir golf course is now bigger than their own pro-am.
To date, they have raised £64,850. Numbers have gone up and down over the years, with current members at 35 and more turning up for each game as pay as you go. From the start, Alfy was responsible for everything to do with the club. Without Alf’s cool head and organisational skills, the bus wouldn’t have gotten past their first game.
As the years have gone on, Stevie Kennedy has to get a mention for always helping out, especially with driving duties and getting the minibus home in record time. They would also like to mention Tony Clark, who organises all the dealings with booking the buses and collecting the money from non-members, unless he’s had one too many and he’ll pass on responsibility to another member.
As for characters, particular mention has to go to a member who sadly passed away in 2021. Billy White, aka the trickster, was Anton’s uncle. There was never a dull moment when he was around, and like the nickname suggests, he was always up to something and planning his next trick. Even into his fifties, he was a respected member who would always bring a smile to your face with craic or whatever trick he was up to.
As their CSC enters their 18th year, they’ve been seeing the next generation of their founding members become season ticket holders and regulars who keep the spirit of the bus going and give the more experienced members a run for their money with starting songs.
David McIntyre
Celtic Bars
An extract from Football Without Fans – The History of Celtic Supporters Clubs by David McIntyre ( Celtic Bars). Football Without Fans – The History of Celtic Supporters Clubs is out now and available in print and kindle versions HERE. Watch the video on Celtic TV where Davy speaks to Gerry McCulloch about Football Without Fans…
Worked alongside Bobby snr and Bobby jnr years ago. Don’t know if they will remember as it was a long time ago.
Two fantastic guys and two brilliant members of the celtic family.
Wish the ARW all the very best for the future. Keep up the good work.
Hail hail.