ON a day where people all around the country are raising a toast to their father’s efforts, Charlie Nicholas will have a dram or two in his dad’s memory. Chic died of prostate cancer back in December 2009 at the age of 76 but his son will never forget the contribution he made towards his career – and is seeking to honour his legacy by raising funds and awareness for the disease that cost him his life.

Promoting Prostate Cancer UK’s Dedication to Dad Wall, Nicholas took the opportunity to reflect on the early days of his playing career and all the help that his dad gave him so that he could achieve his dream of becoming a professional footballer.

Multiple buses were often required to get the future Celtic and Arsenal striker to training but despite working night shifts, Chic was with his son every step of the way before he was eventually offered a deal by the legendary Jock Stein – with the Parkhead colossus ensuring that Chic would be able to celebrate his son’s success with a couple of pints.

“My dad was my foot soldier, in terms of taking me to football,” Nicholas said. “I played for the school team.  My dad was a night shift worker, so it was tough for him, he was getting home at five in the morning and at weekends he’d probably get Saturday morning off, but Saturday, if Celtic were at home, he would want to go to Celtic matches.

The Herald:

“People will know little Andy Robertson who plays at Liverpool. His grandpa, Harry Robertson, was my dad’s best mate and he used to go to the Celtic games together. In fact Andy’s dad, Brian Robertson, we were best pals, we used to go in the supporter’s club also. So, we had a strong relationship with them.

“He did sacrifice quite a lot because he loved to go and see Celtic. He had to dismiss some of the Celtic games because if we played on, for instance, a Wednesday night, or a Tuesday night, my dad would always come to training with me. Because we had to travel, we’d get two buses, do the training and then go home.

“He sacrificed a tremendous amount following me around and trying to get me there.  He didn’t drive, we always went by bus.  He was a great social animal, so he made tremendous friends, so if we played away games, we’d always get a lift with someone but he spent an enormous amount of time with me, following my career develop, and I think his proudest ever day was when I’d signed school boy form for Celtic.

“I went to Wolves on trial, I went to Ipswich on trial, and I got asked back to sign schoolboy forms by Jock Stein. My dad was invited to come along and meet Jock Stein and I signed schoolboy forms for a £5 a week and he was as proud as punch. When we were actually leaving, Jock Stein gave him ten quid and said to him, ‘Chic, on you go, go and have a nice couple of pints on me’.”

The Herald:

Chic passed away after a five-year battle with prostate cancer eleven years ago but was reserved about his illness. Nicholas hopes that through his promotional work with Prostate Cancer UK and by regularly attending the charity’s March for Men events, he can encourage others to speak up about their experiences with their illness.

“Sadly, my dad was in the old generation of guys who, for whatever reason – I don’t know whether it’s a sign of toughness or just their upbringing – which they didn’t like to go to the doctor, they didn’t like to talk to anything personal in any levels.

“Basically my dad’s format was, he was a healthy man for a long time, he had major issues within stomach operations and different things, but one day, we were at home in Glasgow, he was a keen gardener and he’d retired and he went up to trim a little branch and he kind of fell off just a small height.

“All of a sudden within weeks his body went into meltdown and it was only then, when we started to go and they had to do tests and different things for the hospital and the doctors, the specialists realised that when his results came out, they were absolutely extraordinarily bad.

“He’d said to me that this was going on for months, but he didn’t want to say, and we thought, ‘But if you don’t say, then how can anybody really help you?’”

He continued: “Look, in Scotland, throughout when we had cancer big in the 60s, 70s and 80s, we were always blinking it out.

“It was as if you don’t need to go to the doctor, the doctor’s not that important.  Scotland’s always had a bad image for that.  Glasgow, of which I’m tremendously proud to be born and bred, was always probably one of the worst.

The Herald:

“We have been naïve, bluffing it for too long, or way back in those days, I think that’s starting to diminish and I think what you’ll always find is there’s different formulas.  When the numbers go up, it is because people are asking more questions, are prepared to go and try and find out the truth of what’s going on, probably in their body that they don’t know the answers to.

“So, you need to go to your professionals to find that out.  And once you find that out, it might not be good news but then you might find it out that the good news can come later because you can get the treatment.

“You can get the professional advice and then we can do something about it, rather than the way my dad had to do it.”

Former Scotland, Celtic and Arsenal striker Nicholas is supporting Prostate Cancer UK this Father’s Day. Whether you are a dad, you have a dad or you’re remembering your dad, Prostate Cancer UK are asking the public to share a message or tribute on the new Dedication to Dad wall, where they can also make a suggested donation, to help fund lifesaving research and to give men more Father’s Days. Supporters can visit the charity’s Father’s Day hub at prostatecanceruk.org/father and donate and leave a message to celebrate or remember their dad.