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Jay BeattyThe 11-year-old boy with Down syndrome whose goal was voted the best in January 2015
Date of Birth: 01.01.2003
Country:  Ireland |
Content:
- Jay Beatty: A Down's Syndrome Star
- Viral Sensation and SPFL Victory
- Pre-Match Pep Talk
- Barcelona and a Special Award
Jay Beatty: A Down's Syndrome Star
The Miracle GoalIn January 2015, 11-year-old Jay Beatty, a boy with Down's syndrome, scored a goal that would capture the hearts of Scottish football fans. During the half-time interval of a match between Celtic and Hamilton Academical, Jay, from Lurgan, Northern Ireland, found himself with the ball at his feet and sent it soaring into the net. As Celtic emerged victorious from the contest, Jay, an ardent supporter of the club, had unknowingly entered a remarkable race for an award alongside the likes of Mikael Lustig and David Goodwillie.
Viral Sensation and SPFL Victory
Jay's goal became a viral sensation on social media. His father, Martin, recalls, "My friend on Facebook sent me a link this week to the SPFL's February goal of the month competition. Right at the end, there was a clip of Jay's goal."
Initially, Martin assumed it was a joke or an edited video made by his friend. However, upon further inspection, he realized it was on the official SPFL website. Jay's chances of winning were high, with the video having garnered hundreds of thousands of views and websites encouraging people to vote for him.
In a landslide victory, Jay secured 97% of the votes. "This is something that just doesn't happen for kids with Down's syndrome," commented Martin. "They don't get this kind of exposure. But here, he was just wee Jay, not a boy with Down's syndrome. It's a great opportunity to highlight the issue."
Pre-Match Pep Talk
Martin shared that Jay had always harbored a dream of taking a penalty kick for his beloved Celtic. Unusually, he was allowed into the team's dressing room before the match and participated in the team talk. Standing before 20 professional players, Jay shared his thoughts on their previous performance and offered advice.
"He's always asking me, 'Do you think, Daddy, I'll play for Celtic?'" said Martin. "He wanted to celebrate like one of his heroes, Georgios Samaras, and dive into the crowd. When he did score, he was right up at the advertising hoardings, and I couldn't keep up with him."
Barcelona and a Special Award
Jay traveled to Barcelona, Spain, to collect his special award. The young boy made headlines when former Celtic striker Samaras picked him out of the crowd to celebrate the club's Scottish Premiership triumph of the previous year. At the event, hosted by sports newspaper El Mundo Deportivo, Jay also had the chance to meet other stars of the Camp Nou stadium.
Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu offered to extend Jay's stay in Spain, but the boy insisted he had to return home to watch Celtic's match against Partick Thistle on television. Laughing, the president remarked that Jay was a true Celtic supporter and that he would welcome him back anytime.
