When the Beatles landed at JFK Airport in the 60s, John, Paul, George and Ringo had 3000 screaming teenage girls waiting to greet them.
It’s not quite the same for Ange Postecoglou in Sydney, writes Michael Gannon Down Under . But given the number of Celtic shirts spotted around the Aussie city suggests Angemania is already in full swing. There are plenty of punters who have made the long jaunt to Oz to watch their team in the Sydney Super Cup this week. But the return of the Aussie boss has also brought a fair few home-based supporters out to celebrate as well.
If you follow any group of green and white shirts, the chances are they’ll be heading to Scruffy Murphy’s Bar, just off George Street, in the heart of town. It’s the HQ for the Celtic Supporters Club, where expat and new fans alike gather at ungodly times to watch their team back in Scotland. And at 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon there’s already a bunch of Hoops fans making themselves right at home. And as chance would have it, the Supporters Club president is also around.
Albert Murray is a busy man though. Ange’s homecoming has inspired a ton of events and there’s an excitement at the prospect of finally getting the chance to see the gaffer and his team in the flesh for once, rather than the usual pyjama parties experienced in these parts. Murray – who is originally from Belfast but has spent the last 40 years in Sydney, said: “I can’t lie, it is hard! The good thing about Sydney is that places stay open. It can be two or three in the morning.
“But I’ve seen us in here for European games and guys are in watching at 6am and then they go straight to their work. The place is packed out. But that’s what you do when you are a supporter, it doesn’t matter when the games are on. That’s why there is huge excitement to see Celtic coming here. It’s a chance for all these fans to see the team in the flesh. This week is going to be fantastic.”
Murray is running around with merchandise and trying to organise events that will give fans a chance to come together – while raising money for charity. It would be a big deal Celtic to come here at any time, but he admitted the manager has created a major buzz in these parts as the Premiership champions arrive.
Murray said: “The Ange factor is huge. We’re signing up members from all kinds of backgrounds. When we ask what they know about Celtic, they say, Ange’. He’s such a big draw. We’ve always had a big interest in Celtic from the fans who are in the city, whether it’s first, second, third generation or whatever.
“But Ange has taken another level and it’s about being part of the community.”
The Sydney CSC isn’t just about getting together through the wee small hours to watch the games. Murray said: “Our club is about supporting Celtic, but it’s also about doing charity work. Charity is part of the ethos of Celtic and it’s the same with our supporters club. The 40th anniversary a few weeks ago, we had William Wallace, Paul McStay, Scott McDonald, and we brought Alan Thompson over, and we raised more than $30,000 on the night.
“Paul McStay spoke on the night and he said the same thing, we’ve got a reposition for supporting our team, but also giving something back. When Ange was here last time he donated one of his famous jumpers. We had a guy who bid for it and paid $6000 – and he gave it straight back to us to auction again.
“That’s what it’s all about.”
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