BEFORE Marcus Rashford and Frank Lampard, there was Tony Fitzpatrick of St Mirren.
The English Premier League icons are global names in football – but their work and fame has gone well beyond the pitch.
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Rashford into community support work, Lampard into management – and both into childrens’ books.
But the old Buddies boss got there first.
He’s done plenty since becoming a St Mirren legend – managed the club, run it and holds an ambassador role.
He’s synonymous with the Saints, so much so, he even has a street named after him on the site of the old Love Street stadium.
And his links run deeper with the Paisley area – despite hailing from Possilpark to the north of Glasgow.
He was a newsagent in town, a community coach and is now helping local causes with Legacy Comps – a competition scheme offering prizes to punters and cash to local clubs and charities.
It’s a new venture for an ex-footballer and only been running a year.
But Fitzpatrick was also one of the first footballers, before the modern wave, to move into children‘s fiction books.
“I’m sure Marcus’ will be better than mine,” he joked.
While Rashford has the Breakfast Club, Lampard has Frankie’s Magic football series and Fitzpatrick has Babakoochi Bear.
It’s a story dedicated to the memory of his son Tony Junior, who died in 1981 after a battle with leukaemia. He was just six and a half years old.
His dad’s nickname for his beloved boy – one of five kids – lives on in the books which also help deal with bereavement, loss and anti-bullying.
Fitzy told Sunsport: “The first two books – The Promise and The Dream – were published a good wee while ago now and I still write.
“I’m hoping I can add to them in the future.
“Its usually in the middle of the night – for some reason I’m not a great sleeper and when I get up during the night that’s when I do my writing.
“It’s a great healer for me too, it wasn’t until Tony died I started writing.
“But it 100pc gives me the connection back to Tony. He is Babakoochi, I made that nickname up for him and he loved it.
“I love talking about him now but way back I’d break down talking about it.
“And it also keeps his name alive.”
The Promise deals with bereavement and loss while The Dream – with a foreword from Sir Alex Ferguson, Tony’s old boss at Love Street – is about an aspiring footballer and singer and overcoming obstacles in life.
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He added: “It pulled me through tough times and the loss of Tony, being able to write it down and make something positive from it.
“Years later it was needed because no-one would speak about it. If a parent could tell stories, 10-15minutes and let the kids ask questions it would help, so I wrote the stories.
“They were stories I told him. That was the thing that inspired us.
“My daughter Lorraine says to this day it’s the thing she remembers from her childhood and how it was a good time for them – in bed listening to my stories I’d think up. I don’t know where they came from.
“As part of the story Babakoochi has a Peace Pole – and God, do we need that in this world right now!
“I have another one ready but it takes a lot of money to get it published. The previous ones were for a cause – in Tony’s memory but also for a village in Malawi. We managed to get a crèche and some children’s land from the sale of the books.
“They ran out so it’s a case of getting them re-published which costs a bit of money too.”
Like many footballers Fitzpatrick also penned an autobiography – released in 2018.
But the middle of the night is one of the few times the busy ex-boss has to take time to write, relax and reflect.
He established his prize draw company a year ago to give back to the community that has given him so much – a football career and beyond.
It’s keeping him occupied, and then some. He added: “I’ve been blessed.
“St Mirren and this area has been so good to me and that’s why we are giving back in Legacy Comps. Causes and clubs and charities lost so much in Covid so if we can help, great.
“As well as St Mirren I was also a newsagent in Paisley on Seedhill Road. It was tough going, I enjoyed it but it was tough. I’ve been the manager and community coach too.
“I started Legacy Comps when I left St Mirren because I’ve been very fortunate in my life with this Paisley and Renfrewshire community, and to give something back to it.
“A few friends got together with me to help with it.
“Our logo is – I know it’s a bit cheesy but it’s true – it’s a heart with a sunshine face and it’s giving from the heart and bringing sunshine to people’s lives. That’s our tag.
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“Our main partners are St Vincent’s Hospice, Accord Hospice and Rays of Hope – a cancer support group where I’m an ambassador.
“We have helped others throughout but those are our main three partners.
“We’ve given away gym memberships, supermarket vouchers, TVs and kitchen appliance and cash but the biggest thing we gave away was either £10k or a car – and the guy chose the money.
“We’ve been going well over a year. I helped get it off the ground with the prizes but we’ve managed to give away £35k in a year and it’s only getting bigger.
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“We’ve a night next month with Ian Durrant, Peter Grant and Rose Reilly which is in aid of St Vincent’s Hospice too.”
Tickets for the fundraising night are on sale priced £45 each or £450 for a table of ten.
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