NEWS (EN)

In football, they say that a botched dress rehearsal is often followed by a successful debut. That’s exactly the motto Rod’s favourite club, Celtic, is banking on this evening as they kick off the group stage of the UEFA Europa League against Hungarian side Ferencváros. And Sir Rod will no doubt be in the stands, cheering on his lads and keeping his fingers crossed.

The Hoops can certainly look back on a successful start to the season – six wins from six games, top of the table in the Scottish Premiership. Everything could be rosy, were it not for that nasty 0–3 thrashing at the hands of arch-rivals Rangers at the weekend.

In the League Cup quarter-final, Celtic were taken apart in every possible way and were actually lucky to come away with a 0–3 defeat. “Rangers were a team; we were just a bunch of individuals,” grumbled Celtic captain Callum McGregor quite rightly after the final whistle.

But there’s a chance for revenge as early as Sunday, when the Hoops host Rangers at Celtic Park on Matchday 7 of the Premiership.

Before that, however, manager Martin O’Neill’s side are hoping to enjoy a magical night in the Europa League. Celtic are slight favourites against the 36-time Hungarian champions, but will need to put in a much better performance against the Budapest side than they did on Sunday against Rangers.
Celtic and Ferencváros have met three times so far, most recently in November 2021. Of those three matches, Celtic won two, whilst the Hungarians came out on top on one occasion.

Sir Rod Stewart is returning to the U.S. and the stage next year following heart surgery and the cancellation of his tour. As the singer announced today via his official channels, he will perform on Friday, March 12, at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL, and a few days later at the Amphitheater in St. Augustine.
Tickets for both shows will go on sale this coming Friday.

Text: STORYTELLER/MH - Fotos: Screenshot & r/HipHopImages (Reddit)

Text: STORYTELLER/MH - Photos: Screenshots / rodstewart.com

Text: STORYTELLER/MH - Photo; Ebay.com, Cover photo: designed by Storyteller

One key element of our storyteller’s concept is collecting and sharing stories from fans, about fans, and centred on Rod Stewart. For it is precisely these stories – these experiences we’ve all had – that have helped transform our very own Roderick David Stewart from North London into the very Sir Rod we all love and who has brought us together for so many years.

But before we digress any further, let’s return to the deeply moving story of Mathieu Laurin, who lives in the Ottawa-Gatineau region of Canada and has shared his story with us.

Mathieu, born in 1985, would like to make one thing clear from the outset. “This isn’t about asking for an autograph, tickets or anything else,” the Canadian emphasises. And he goes on to share a very touching story.

“It began in 1990, when I was five,” recalls the 41-year-old. “But I need to go back a bit further. When I was two, my parents separated. In the years immediately following that, my father, Jean-Pierre, withdrew from my life to some extent. Not exactly the best situation for a young boy growing up.”

Fate, however, smiled on little Mathieu, for there came that one moment that would turn everything around for the better.

One morning, Dad Jean-Pierre was standing in front of the mirror in his bathroom, shaving. MTV was playing in the background, showing the hottest music videos of the time.

“MTV then played ‘Forever Young’ by Rod Stewart,” said Mathieu. Jean-Pierre Laurin stopped shaving and, with a generous amount of shaving foam on his face, listened to the song – at first distractedly, then with increasing intensity and attention. “As he later told me, something in the lyrics sung by Rod made him pause and look at himself in the mirror,” said Mathieu. “Suddenly, he asked himself what on earth he was actually doing with his life. He had a little son, a little son who needed his love, his protection, his guidance and – most importantly – his father.”

That moment became a turning point in the lives of father and son. “He came back to me, and from then on I spent every weekend with my dad.”

And their bond grew ever closer; Jean-Pierre not only became a more constant presence in little Mathieu’s life, but over time he became “the most extraordinary father anyone could wish for.”

Dad and son became the best of friends, and not long after, Rod Stewart came back into the picture.

“My father had bought tickets for the concert on 30 August 1991 in Ottawa; he thoroughly enjoyed the evening. But he could hardly stop thinking about me; one of his precious weekends with his son was passing by without me being there with him.”

And that led Papa Laurin to promise his son on the night after the concert: “From now on, wherever I go, you’ll always come with me!”

Text: STORYTELLER/MH – Photos: Cover by Emely Krieger / Smmoth Radio (Facebook) / Amanti del Rock (Facebook)

Text: STORYTELLER/MH - Photos: Screenshot / Fritz Egner / Alex Gernandt

Text: STORYTELLER/MH - Photos: Bravo Archive

Text: STORYTELLER/MH - Photo: Rod Stewart & Celtic FC (Facebook)

Text: STORYTELLER/MH - Photos: wikipedia & lawomanrocks (Instagram)

Text: STORYTELLER/MH - Photo: designed by Storyteller

Text: STORYTELLER/MH - Photos: TV screenshot & Celtic FC

Text: STORYTELLER/MH - Photos: Katja Rieckermann

We are currently working with the Smiler – Rod Stewart Fan Club to produce a joint podcast. We’d like to chat with you, the fans, via a Zoom meeting about your passion for Sir Rod, your favourite songs, your best concert experiences, or even some personal anecdotes. Anyone who’d like to take part can apply now. Simply send an email to info@storyteller-rod-stewart.com and we’ll sort out the next steps. Please send your emails with the subject line “Podcast”.

We want to bridge the gap during this time when we have to do without Sir Rod Stewart’s concerts by sharing special fan stories. So send us your best stories – about your encounters with Rod, your personal show highlights, or anything else you’d really like to share with other fans. We’d also be happy to record your stories via a Zoom call if you don’t feel like writing them all down yourself. Simply send us a message using the form below and we’ll discuss the best way to proceed. We look forward to every single story about you and our Roderick David.

Text: STORYTELLER/MH - Photo: designed by Storyteller

Senden Sie Rod Stewart ihre persönlichen Genesungswünsche! Füllen Sie das nachstehende Formular aus und drücken Sie dann auf "Formular absenden". Wir leiten alle Nachrichten an das Büro von Rod in London weiter.