By Bill Heaney
Former Celtic chairman and Scottish FA president Jack McGinn has died after a long illness, aged 92, his family have announced.
McGinn, pictured right, spent almost 40 years in football with Celtic and the Scottish game’s governing body.
He was the grandfather of Scotland and Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, Motherwell skipper Paul McGinn and former St Mirren captain Stephen McGinn.
Mr McGinn is survived by his eight children.
A statement said he “passed away peacefully at St Margaret’s Hospice in Clydebank surrounded by family and friends”.
His youngest son, Francis, said: “My dad was a wonderful person and will be greatly missed by us all. As a dad, grandfather and great-grandfather, we couldn’t have asked for anyone better.
“He lived a long, happy and fulfilling life and we all take great comfort from the fact that he is now at peace.
“On behalf of the family, I’d like to thank Sister Rita and all her team at St Margaret’s Hospice and all of the wonderful NHS staff for helping my dad to be as comfortable as possible in the past weeks and months.”
McGinn first started working for Celtic in the mid-1960s as the first editor of the Celtic View, the first club newspaper in British football.
He had previously worked with the Scottish Daily Express and Evening Citizen in their Albion Street office and in Clydebank at their office opposite John Brown’s shipyard.
He later took on a senior role in Celtic’s commercial department and joined the board, becoming chairman in 1986.
McGinn stepped down in 1991 and left the Celtic board months after Fergus McCann’s takeover in 1994.
He had several roles with the Scottish FA before becoming president in 1997 and retiring six years later.
Celtic chairman Peter Lawwell paid tribute to McGinn and described him as “a true Celtic man who always did his very best for the club he loved”.
Lawwell added: “He gave his full energy and commitment to Celtic across a number of roles, often in difficult times for the club but always working in the best interests of Celtic.”
Jack McGinn worked hard for the St Vincent De Paul charity from St Michael’s parish in the deprived West End of Dumbarton where he had met his wife, Mary Quinn, whose forebears were famous footballers.
One of them, Johnny Madden played for Celtic and Dumbarton and was capped four times for Scotland. He joined Slavia Prague in the early 1900s and became one of the most successful football coaches in Europe.
The Celtic players wore black armbands at Wednesday night’s Scottish Premiership game against Aberdeen at Pittodrie as a mark of respect.
Jack McGinn’s funeral Mass will take place on Monday, May 26, at 10am in his home parish of St Michael’s in Cardross Road, Dumbarton.
