Joe's Paris Marathon tribute to his Grampa Joe McBride
By: Gerry McDade on 11 Mar, 2014 12:43
NO less an authority than the great Jimmy McGrory once rated Joe McBride as the best Celtic centre-forward he had ever seen play, high praise indeed from Celtic’s all-time top goalscorer.
The Lisbon Lion, who netted an impressive 86 goals in just 94 appearances, sadly passed away in 2012, and now his grandson, also called Joe, is in training to run the Paris Marathon in memory of his grandfather and also to raise funds for the Stroke Association charity.
Speaking to the official Celtic website, young Joe McBride explained: “About seven months ago I was looking for a way to get fit and I thought I could perhaps try a half-marathon.
“I happened to be on the Stroke Association website and they were looking for volunteers to take on a full marathon. They had various choices but I really fancied the Paris one as I thought it could be a good way to see the city.
“I knew a lot about my Grampa’s goalscoring record, of course, and the fact that he missed out on Celtic´s biggest ever game through injury, but when he died in 2012, the outpouring of grief and the messages of condolence through letters, cards, social media and Twitter etc was quite unbelievable.”
And it was this that inspired Joe to take on the challenge. However, he´s under no illusions as to how difficult it will be, even if he has had some experience of distance running.
“I ran the Glasgow 10K for Men´s Health a few years ago in memory of my Gran and to raise money for the Marie Curie charity,” he said. “In fact, I did it with my Grandfather and my Dad, although Grampa Joe walked it, but we still did it as a family.
“The Marathon is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I like to think I´m in good shape but the long runs are really all about your mental strength. You´re out for two or three hours at a time and you have to keep your mind occupied.
“That last mile as you head for home is really difficult. Hopefully, once I get to Paris, the adrenaline will kick in and see me through it.
“I have a donations page and there´s also my Twitter address which has been brilliant with the encouragement and messages of support that I´ve been getting.
“The fondest memories I have of my Grampa are of him taking me to football every Saturday from the age of six right up until I played Under-19s for Queen´s Park. He always had a quiet word of encouragement for me and my brother or anyone else who would want to listen.”
To sponsor Joe McBride go to www.justgiving.com/Joe-McBride1 You can also follow him on Twitter, @JoeMcBrideParis
