Celtic Gordon Stachan Quits; Post-Game Mob Kills Kevin McDaid

by Tina Kells | May 25, 2009 at 09:21 am

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Gordon Strachan has quit as Celtic team manager after the Glasgow based football club failed to win a fourth straight Scottish league title. The Celtic loss on Sunday was further capped by the tragic beating death of community youth activist, and Celtic fan, Kevin Brendan McDaid.

Kevin McDaid's killing and Gordon Strachan's departure from the Celtic are unrelated.

Gordon Stachan had led the Glasgow Celtic to three championship runs but a repeated failure to secure the league title made him decide not to continue with the team. On Sunday, May 23, 2009 Celtic rivals the Rangers beat Dundee United to take the Scottish championship.

Post football violence is a persistent problen in the UK and Kevin Brendan McDaid, a youth worker, had tried to help young people avoid such behavior. His killing has rocked his community and led deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, to issue a statement condemning sectarian violence in general.

The former Scotland midfielder led Celtic to the championship in each of his first three seasons with the Glasgow club but the Bhoys finished four points behind city rival Rangers after winning just one of the last four games.

The 52-year-old Strachan, who also won the Scottish Cup, two Scottish League Cups and reached the UEFA Cup final, did not say why he had decided against trying to regain the title from Rangers.

"We have done all we can to bring success to the club," Strachan said. "It is just disappointing that we did not manage the fourth championship.

Kevin Brendan McDaid was killed yards from his home in Somerset Drive in the Heights area after Rangers beat Celtic to the Scottish league title on Sunday.

A 46-year-old man was also assaulted in nearby Pates Lane. He is in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

The police have increased their patrols after trouble in the town on Monday.

Detective Chief Inspector Frankie Taylor said their main line of inquiry was a "sectarian motive".

He said Mr McDaid was a youth worker who had tried to bring both sides of the community together, and was "well-known and well-liked".

The deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, said a "sizeable group of loyalists" were responsible for the killing and the assault.

"They decided it was a good idea to attack a Catholic area," he said.

"I'm absolutely dismayed at this and I think at this very, very important time, it's important that people in the community identify those responsible and co-operate with the police to bring those murderers to justice."