Willie arrived, still trim and fit-looking in his 70s
Willie arrived, still trim and fit-looking in his 70s; Audrey told him we had been informed about his diagnosis. He shrugged fatalistically, and admitted to a slight difficulty in pronouncing the name of the condition: “I’ll just call it ‘Oldtimers’. No great problem. Audrey’ll look after me. She’s been doing that for years, anyway.”
Pat Woods
During the interview Audrey at times hovered nearby, but Willie needed little prompting from her or us. What we saw that night was an elderly man, polite and gracious, appreciative that we had taken the trouble to come and interview him.
The interview went beautifully: Willie’s memory did not fail him, and he regaled us with stories of his days at Celtic Park
The interview went beautifully: Willie’s memory did not fail him, and he regaled us with stories of his days at Celtic Park. What impressed us greatly was his modesty about his own accomplishments and his tolerance, as it was obvious that he, a non-smoker and non-drinker, had not cared too much for the habits of some of his playing contemporaries … but he was at pains not to criticise.
Unfortunately, many so-called heroes, admired and revered for their skill on the football field, cannot live up to that image off-stage. I can recall being in an Edinburgh pub and having to listen to a former star (and not a Celtic player) mouth off obscenitis about past injustices, and boast about his exploits on and off the football pitch.
And so it was highly satisfying for Pat and me to meet and talk with somebody who lives up to the image. As a young man Willie Fernie was a player, and a sportsman; older, he was a gentleman (in the best possible meaning of the word).
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