Niall Hickey with a simple guide to how our Supporters Club works.
 At the end of every season the Supporters Club holds its Annual General Meeting. At the AGM, chaired by the President, proposals are put forward, debated amongst the attendees and then voted on. Also at the AGM a committee is elected by the membership present to govern the Club for the forthcoming season. It is the duty of the newly elected Committee to ensure that all agreed proposals are implemented the following season, as well as running the Club as per the Club Constitution. At present there are ten positions on the Committee of HWEUCSC. The envy of all other Celtic Supporters Clubs throughout Britain is our inimitable, irreplaceable ticket Convenor, Nick Wood. No matter the game or the venue Nick has an uncanny ability more times than not to come up trumps and deliver the goods. This season, for new student members, we are introducing a student deal of £15 fixed price for a ticket and return bus journey to Celtic Park for your first game (and a cheap deal for subsequent games). If you are interested in this offer, please contact Ticket Convenor Nick Wood a.s.a.p.
For tickets to any (future) games you may be interested in attending please contact Nick fourteen days prior to the particular game. This would also apply if you have to cancel your ticket. A penalty will apply to those who do not cancel any unfulfilled bookings. Buses run from our “home” the International Bar in Tollcross (see below). Buses to Parkhead and back for students are currently a fiver (£8.00 for non-members). Paul’s tame jokes, bizarre antics, and comedic take on inflight speeches or well worth it… and to think, Monday to Friday he is entrusted to teach kids!
Up until this season we used to run with only one Social Convenor, the ever present James O’Donnell, but with the plan to increase the number of social events this season, James is now glamorously assisted by our Napier University Rep, Sean Morgan. Every month Sean organises a raffle, with a bottle of bubbly the prize, with the proceeds going to our designated charity, Casa Alianza. The hard graft of the two lads culminates in the world famous Annual Tommy Burns Supper, which normally takes place every February in the Banqueting Hall in Teviot Union.
The Supper itself has become the focal point of HWEUCSC. It started in rather humble beginnings in 1987 but has now grown in fame, fortune and mishap. It is a night of poetry, prose and song and speech, and we’re lucky enough to have attracted some great names over the years to celebrate in our company, not least the great flame-haired maestro himself, Tommy. Whatever you do in your time in these hallowed academic surroundings, make sure you don’t miss it. A full liquor-hazed history of our annual celebration can be found on the Club website.
Speaking of which, the Club website is maintained by Stevie Clarke. The website contains all the essential information you will need: fixture lists, bus and travel details, contact details for the Committee, info on the IB and some good funnies about the Clubs beginnings and legendary stories from Tommy Burns Suppers down the years, some more mythical than others. There is also a photos section, where you can take a look at the shenanigans that take place on our buses to Celtic games. At present the website is undergoing a huge overhaul, and in the next few weeks the introduction of an on-line Club Shop will be added. Other roles within the Committee include Club Secretary, Michael McKearney; Club cash handler, our esteemed Treasurer Will Hopkins,who also doubles up as our Edinburgh University Rep; and captain of the good ship HWEUCSC myself, Niall Hickey.
As well as our Club website, a good spot to catch up on the latest Club news is our very own Newsletter; Over and Over. New editions of O&O are published every six – eight weeks, and for the last few years have been written by our very own satirical raconteur, James Lamb. Unfortunately, after all these years, and countless editions of O&O, the ink in James’ pen appears to have dried, so forthcoming editions will be a joint committee effort (shall I apologise now…?) and contributions are always welcome.
Just like a dog needs a bone, every club needs a home, our Club’s abode is the aforementioned International Bar, Tollcross. Members are more than welcome in the IB at anytime, not just on matchday or for televised games, so feel free to sample the warm welcome and hearty humour unique to the IB. Proprietors Dawn and Steve Proudler are annually generous sponsors of the Club, and without their support, both financial and, in terms of usage of the premises, the Club would not be in the fine fettle that it is today Over the course of the season we will be hosting several social events. This are usually in the form of a Race Night, quiz nights, and over the years we have organised football tournaments with other (Celtic) Supporters Clubs within the Edinburgh area. At present the Committee are working on organising our first event of the season, a “welcome the students / newcomers” to the Club, which will be held in a central location. Other events through the years have included going through to Parkhead during an international weekend and taking in a tour of the stadium and the Club museum. Numbers willing, this could be re-introduced for this season. As well as the myriad social events, during any televised Celtic game, they are always a few Club members to be found holding up the bar in the International Bar, and that could turn into a social event in its own right!
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