Jay Beatty

'Jay Beatty, also known as wee jay Celtic bhoy,[1] (b. 23 December 2003) is a supporter of celtic

Beatty is the son of Martin and Aine and the younger brother of Olivia On Sunday, 11 May 2014, Celtic manager Neil Lennon gave Beatty (then 10 years old) his League Winners medal.[2][3]

Beatty, a Celtic fan with Down syndrome, was then picked up by Celtic's Greek striker Georgios Samaras. Samaras then carried Jay around the pitch in front of 52,400 supporters at Celtic Park. Beatty stayed with Samaras while Samaras gave his interviews, and Beatty lovingly rubbed Samaras' beard.[4]

In July 2013 Wee Jay Beatty was invited to join Celtic on the team bus where he sang "Hail Hail the Celts are here" with the first team players. This was after Jay trained with the first team that day. This was prior to the Champions League qualifier match in Belfast where Clifftonville faced Celtic FC. Celtic came out on top the night with Celtic 2-0 Cliftonville (agg 5-0)[5]

Beatty also received a Christmas present from Celtic rivals Hamilton Academicals Football Club, and was invited to watch the two teams play. At half time during the game, he was invited onto the pitch and was given the chance to take a penalty. Beatty and celebrated with both sets of fans. Beatty's goal at Hamilton was later included in the SPFL's "Goal of the Month" contest.[1] He received 97% of all votes, beating out all of the professional players who were nominated for goals in the same month (January 2015).[6]

He has since had two songs written for and about him, as well as numerous social media pages dedicated to him. "Wee Jay Celtic Bhoy" was written and performed by Jim Scanlon of the Celtic Band "Charlie and the Bhoys" and went into the "Easy Listening Top 100" Charts on iTunes.

"Little Jay" was written and performed by Patrick McDaid and reached Number 1 on the same iTunes "Easy Listening " Charts,[2] beating singles from Elton John, Barry Manilow, and Andrea Bocelli.

On 23 December 2015, Jay received a birthday wishes video that included birthday wishes from past and present Celtic Players (Nadir Çiftçi, Carlton Cole, James Forrest, Kieran Tierney, Stefan Johansen, Emilio Izaguirre, Craig Gordon, Dedryck Boyata, Paul Byrne, Bobby Petta and Harald Brattbakk) and the Celtic management team of Ronny Deila, John Collins and John Kennedy. The music was performed by Robert J. Smith (Singer/Songwriter from Dunoon, Argyll) and the video created and produced by John C. Knight (From Dunoon, Argyll and currently living in America's East Coast).[7]

Awards

BARCELONA

ATHENS - HUMANITY AND SENSITIVITY AWARD In a letter to Martin Beatty, the Greek Sports Journalists' Association today said: "This year our association has decided to honour the friendship between your son Jay and George Samaras, for the message of humanity and sensitivity which they sent worldwide."[8]

Martin Beatty said: "This event is being televised live to the Greek nation and Jay will be receiving an award on the night along with his hero Samaras. It's hard to believe that a wee 10-year-old boy with Down's syndrome will be flying to Athens to receive this."

NOTHRN IRELAND - SPIRIT OF NOTHERN IRELAND AWARD Lurgan’s Jay Beatty got a rapturous response when he collected the top award at this year’sSunday Life Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards, in association with Specsavers.

At a star-studded gala ceremony at the Culloden Hotel, the 11-year-old collected a £1,000 prize which had been donated by Peninsula Care Services.

X Factor judge Louis Walsh, together with Specsavers’ Tony McGinn and Sunday Life’s editor presented Jay, who has Downs Syndrome, with the Spirit of Northern Ireland Award.[9]

SCOTTISH AWARDS - SPORTING HERO Lurgan bhoy Jay Beatty has been crowned Sporting Hero at the Scottish Daily Record Our Heroes Awards. The 11-year-old said it was ‘great’ and he ‘loved his reward very much’. Jay said he found a new best friend in Scotland manager Gordon Strachan who presented him with the award. Jay, who has Down’s Syndrome, was joint winner with Maria Lyle and they captured hearts of the audience as they were crowned joint Sporting Heroes, sponsored by QTS. Celtic fan Jay has become a icon in Scotland and won the Scottish Premiership Goal of the Month award after scoring a penalty at half-time in a Hamilton v Celtic clash. His dad Martin, who with mum Aine set up Downs and Proud, said: "Scotland has taken Jay to their hearts. It has been quite overwhelming."[10]

'==Personal life==' Beatty is also involved with the Charity "Down's & Proud".[11] He is now the Ambassador for Celtic Football Club's Celtic FC Foundation.[12] He lives in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year: Celtic superfan Jay Beatty to be guest of honour at awards bash Celtic Superfan Jay Beatty, the Lurgan lad with Downs Syndrome who captured the hearts of thousands with his exploits with the club, is to be a guest of honour at the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year. The 11-year-old has been especially invited to the awards in Belfast on Sunday, the Lurgan Mail is reporting. Jay was plucked from the crowd by his hero Georgios Samaras during celebrations of Celtic's league win last year. He came to prominence when a video of him celebrating a Samaras goal in the World Cup went viral. He then went on to win Scottish football's goal of the month award in a public vote for a penalty he scored during half-time in Celtic's 2-0 win over Hamilton in January. Read more: SPOTY row: Tyson Fury trolls targeted Greg Rutherford's family He also recently met Paolo Nutini and spent time with the singer before he performed in Glasgow. And the Greek nation played tribute to his achievements honouring the Lurgan lad at its Sports Personality of the Year awards. The boy's parents set up the organisation Downs & Proud to help educate parents of children with Downs Syndrome.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 "Wee Jay is the Scottish Premiership Goal of the Month winner". Celtic F.C.
  2. 1 2 David Taylor (20 February 2015). "Celtic superfan Jay Beatty's song is Facebook hit". Daily Record.
  3. ↑ "Is Celtic superfan Jay Beatty a dark horse for tonight's Sports Personality of the year?". Evening Times.
  4. ↑ Celtic FC
  5. ↑ BBC Sport
  6. ↑ "John C Knight - Song hit #1 on iTunes Easy Listening Lets... - Facebook".
  7. ↑ Fraser Glen (23 December 2015). "Celtic stars and fans send birthday wishes to super fan Jay Beatty". Daily Record.
  8. ↑ http://www.scotsman.com
  9. ↑ http://www.armaghi.com
  10. ↑ http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk
  11. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/Downs-Proud-157180880988627/
  12. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/CelticFCFoundation/
  13. ↑ http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

External links - Wee Jay on Facebook and the Internet

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