Football Without Fans – Miami CSC

Miami CSC

The Miami Celtic Supporters Club was founded in January 2023 by John Finnegan and Dillon Deary. John is originally from Balloch/Dumbarton and moved to the US in October 2022. He has been a season ticket holder at Celtic Park since he was a boy and still attends games when he is back in Scotland. His local CSC back home is Dumbarton Harp. Dillon is a Miami local, and his dad moved to the US in 1967 but has followed Celtic all his life.

They are based at the Auld Dubliner, which is run by Miami legend David Higgins. They started off showing selected games in the pub, and their numbers are growing with every game. They get the Irish and Scottish boys who are coaches in US soccer (Miami FC, etc.) to their games.

The Auld Dubliner Irish Pub is a family-owned and operated pub. Nestled directly across from the Miami-Dade County Courthouse, it is easily accessed by public transportation. Miami CSC is collaborating with members of the Orlando CSC and LA CSC to get the club off the ground with the support of the Auld Dubliner.

The numbers have been in the double digits, but the CSC is working with Celtic and other CSCs to help increase the exposure of the club. Visitors are often cruise ship passengers who pop in before or after a cruise to catch the game. They would love to get to work in conjunction with The Auld Dubliner on charitable causes, but their current focus is on building the core supporters group and a social media presence.

The Auld Dubliner is famous for their annual St Patrick’s Day celebration, where David Higgins rents out the entire street in Miami for a massive celebration. It also has a big Celtic connection. Gina Susie grew up in Dungloe, Co. Donegal. There are many pictures and items about Donegal in the pub, which has a long history with Celtic.

The connection goes back to 1892, when the first sod of turf laid at Celtic Park was one imported from Co. Donegal. The symbolism was reinforced in 1995 when the redevelopment of the stadium incorporated a piece of turf sourced from Keadue FC, where Packie Bonner grew up and went on to glory. Growing up in Dungloe, Donegal, the excitement of seeing friends and family loading up on buses to take the long trek to take the overnight ferry from Donegal to Glasgow for games was a rite of passage for many youngsters.

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.

More from Football Without Fans tomorrow on The Celtic Star, the Celtic supporters website. Will it be your CSC that’s featured?

Just before Christmas, David McIntyre from Celtic Bars was interviewed by Celtic TV about his Football Without Fans book. Here’s the video on Celtic TV’s You Tube channel. You can order a copy in print or kindle from Amazon regardless of where you are in the world. Order your copy HERE.