Celtic fan Niamh McIver paid a double tribute to former manager Wim Jansen and to her own dad when she left a scarf at Parkhead. today.
Niamh, 20, was drawn to Celtic’s ground after hearing of the tragic passing of Dutchman Wim earlier today aged 75 following a battle with dementia.
He was an idol of her dad Barry, who passed away on November 30 last year, just a few months after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
Niamh, from Hillington, Glasgow, believed Barry would have been one of the first to pay his own respects to Wim - the man who stopped Rangers winning 10 titles in a row.
She said: “When I heard of Wim’s death I couldn’t help but connect it with my dad because he told me all about his achievements.
“He would have been upset and I know he’d have wanted to go to Celtic Park to pay his own respects.
“I also know that of he was looking down he’d be feeling happy that I was going along to pass on a scarf that he owned in the memory of such an iconic person in Celtic’s history.”
Niamh’s mini Celtic scarf had been in Barry’s car for years and she said she felt emotional at leaving it behind.
She said: “My dad died so soon after his diagnosis and I’m still dealing with it so I did feel a bit emotional. But I’m glad I did it because I had a lot of positive feelings and he would have wanted me to do it.”
Other Celtic fans to make a trip to Parkhead included Brian Hartie, who was 21 when Wim Jansen stopped the dominant Rangers team from winning 10 in a row in 1988.
He said: “I would say that Wim Jansen is a hugely significant person in Celtic’s history.
“I’m tempted to say he was a cult figure but that is normally a term that gets applied to people who haven’t been hugely successful.
“I’d say he’s one of the most important figures in the entire history of Celtic. He was a huge gamble but he won a League Cup within a few weeks of getting to Glasgow and from that point on he was a hero.”
Brian, from Airdrie, added: “I popped along to Celtic Park because it seemed like a very natural thing to do, given all that Wim did for the club."
A source said Jansen was never interested in wealth despite a glittering football career.
He stayed in the same house in a working class district of Rotterdam for decades.
Jansen only moved out of the area several years ago as his health began to fail.
The pal said: "Of all the people I have met in football, Wim was the one who was least interested in money.
"The area he lived in for years was real working class with lots of social housing. He was happy there.
"He only moved a few years ago. It probably coincided with him becoming unwell."
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