Whatever the result at Parkhead on Sunday for Buckie Thistle goalkeeping coach Darren Strong having his son Daniel there will be the real success story.
For Strong senior, who has been with the Jags as custodian and now coach since the summer of 2006, Daniel is his inspiration.
The now 18-year-old, was just five when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2010.
Multiple surgeries followed, including one 10-hour operation, but Daniel survived and will be in Glasgow this weekend to support his beloved Buckie against Celtic.
For police offer Darren what his son went through puts football in perspective.
He said: “Back in October 2010, it was the two options – you do nothing and he dies within a year or you do the surgery and he might not come out of theatre.
“That puts everything into perspective, where you have a kid and it’s a boy and you think ‘yes, he’s going to be a goalkeeper, he’s going to play football.’
“And then aged five, you’re then thinking, as he’s in the hands of one of the top neuro-surgeons in the country, ‘Please just give him back to me alive.’
“It really does put everything into perspective.
“He had four or five surgeries – and then October 26 2010 was his major surgery – that was 10 hours.
“It was in Edinburgh, he was only five then.
“Any parent will tell you, anything happens to your child and it’s very difficult.
“Jeepers, they fall over and break a bone, that’s difficult enough.
“But, it wasn’t just the actual surgery, it was also the build up to it. He’d been ill for nine months beforehand.
“Obviously, we got the news we’d got and we knew we’d have to face it full on.
“So we were away down and we had the surgeries.
“That’s why when I had my testimonial (in 2017), I donated half the money to the charities that had helped him.”
Daniel doesn’t stop
Reflecting on Daniel’s recovery, Darren added: “To begin with he was completely paralysed all down the one side.
“And he’s battled back to what you see now. I tell him every day he’s my inspiration – he just lets nothing get in his way.
“He’s obviously got his physical limitations. But he just doesn’t stop.
“He still has a tumour inside his brain. They can’t take it out because he’d be permanently blind then.
“He is already permanently blind in his right eye, while in his left eye he has line of sight.
“He came out of school with five Highers and then at 17 he got a full-time job at Moray Council.”
Joining the team
Buckie will travel to Glasgow on Saturday and stay overnight before Sunday’s Scottish Cup fourth round clash with Celtic.
Daniel and Darren’s partner Vicki will travel with the team.
Darren said: “He absolutely loves this club. The last game of last season, when Brechin pipped us to the title, I walked in this very room (the boardroom) and he was in floods of tears.
“Literally, he was just greeting his eyes out because we’d lost the league.
“The Buckie manager (Graeme Stewart) and Garry Farquhar (club president) have said that Daniel and Vicki will both travel on the team bus.
“My partner is going to become the second medic at the club, so she’s going to be helping out at the club.
“The club have invited both down, very kindly. They’ll stay overnight with us on the Saturday.
“And then Daniel will go to the game on Sunday along with Vicki.
“I was speaking to Daniel’s mum (Caroline) last week and she said ‘Darren, honestly I can’t put up with him, all he speaks about is this Celtic game.’
“When I told him Buckie were taking him and they were going to put him up, well he was beaming. He’s excited.
“He’s so unassuming. He never expects anything, he never asks for anything.”
Darren was initially meant to be working nights this weekend, but said: “As soon as the draw was made there were plenty of staff and my annual leave request was in as soon as possible.
“My colleagues are brilliant, they know I’m involved in football and they’ll offer to work for me if I need it.”
- Darren Strong was speaking at a Scottish Gas media event. Scottish Gas is the proud partner of the Scottish Cup.
