Football Without Fans – Eyemouth and District CSC

Although the club was not officially founded until 1971, a group of them travelled by minibus to a lot of matches, home and away, as early as the mid-sixties.

They were there when Celtic won the Scottish Cup against Dunfermline in 1965. They were also there when Celtic won the league at Motherwell in 1966. Two very emotional occasions in the history of Celtic culture followed a long barren spell.

In 1971, they decided to form an official CSC, which would encompass people from Eyemouth and the surrounding area of Berwick, Chirnside, Duns, Ayton, Coldingham, and even as far as Dunbar. It was hoped that it would help obtain tickets for the big games.

The original committee consisted of Alistair Collin, Tommy Collin, Wullie Martin, Jim Martin, Mary Meek, and Ronnie Richardson. They were originally based at The Ship Hotel in Eyemouth. When their Player of the Year dance was held, the player usually stayed at the hotel. Paddy Bonner enjoyed himself when he stayed there. They moved on to the Fleet Bar, where Davey Meek made them welcome.

The club is now based in the Contented Sole, down by the harbour. Eddie Bryce, the owner, is a great Celtic man and will make you feel welcome.

In 1967, one of their current committee members, Tommy Collin, hitchhiked to Lisbon in a local truck taking shellfish to Cherbourg. It took him six days on the road to get there. The first night, he slept on the floor of the truck. The second night, he tried to sleep in a field just outside Rennes. The third night, he had the luxury of sleeping in a real bed in a bar on the outskirts of Angoulême, north of Bordeaux. He got to Lisbon on Monday evening, three days before seeing Celtic win the European Cup. Tommy is still a serving member of the committee. His story made the newspapers at the time. Another character is Rossco and his drum (earplugs not supplied.)

They are proud to donate £4,000 to four separate groups. Eyemouth United Juniors, Eyemouth Enhancement Group, Eyemouth & District Rehab Support Group, and Celtic FC Foundation. They will continue to uphold the Celtic tradition of helping worthy causes. They also hold a Christmas party in the Contented Sole for the children of club members.

The club runs big buses, ranging from a 49- to an 86-seater, to every home game. Tickets are usually at a premium for away games. If members are lucky, they usually go by car, or if lucky, a minibus.

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 this week on The Celtic Star, the Celtic supporters website. Will it be your CSC that’s featured?

.You can order a copy in print or kindle from Amazon where ever you are in the world. Order your copy HERE