Airport hero would miss Ibrox

Jun 19 2008 Paisley Daily Express

GLASGOW Airport hero John Smeaton says he is not quitting Scotland for good – because he would miss his Rangers idols!

An English tabloid yesterday claimed that the former baggage handler was leaving his native Erskine to start a new life in the US with American sweetheart Christy MacPherson.

But the man, who won fame after hitting out at terrorists who tried to blow up the Paisley terminal, last night insisted he is not saying goodbye to family and friends to start a new life in the Big Apple.

Speaking exclusively to the Paisley Daily Express, Smeato insists he is only heading to the States for a month-long HOLIDAY – not emigrating to New York as some of our rivals would tell you.

And he claims he could never stay away from his beloved Gers for too long.

He said: “I’m not disappearing for good and never coming back – I’d miss the Rangers too much!

“I love the Old Firm games. Missing out on them would be too hard.”

John, 32, claims that whoever wrote the story got the wrong end of the stick.

However, he did admit that he has quit his job as security chief at car-parking company Park Safe.

He added: “I’m only going out there for a month at the moment to spend a bit of time with my girlfriend and assess my options. I’ve got a couple of things on out there like after-dinner speaking. But then I’ll be coming back.

“I think this is one of those times when things have been completely blown out of proportion.

“There is possibilities for me to go out to the States again and do some things but to say that I’m moving out there for good would not be correct.

“I’m not going away, I’ll only be jumping about between places.”

He continued: “I have quit my job because I’ve got a lot of things going on at the moment.

“I could go back out to America to do things like speaking. I’ve got a lot of stories to tell.”

Smeato was hailed as a true Scottish Braveheart after terrorists tried to blow up Glasgow Airport by driving a Jeep Cherokee packed with fuel and gas canisters into the front doors.

He was on a sneaky fag break but leapt into action when he sprinted up to one of the bombers and floored him with a drop-kick before racing to the aid of another brave have-a-go hero, Michael Kerr, who suffered a horror double leg break after tackling the terrorists himself.

But John’s real moment of glory was to come in the moments after the attack when he told TV crews: “This is Glasgow. We’ll set aboot ye!”

Smeato, who still lives with parents Catherine, 68, and Iain, 66, has gone on to meet Prime Minister Gordon Brown and was given the Queen’s Gallantry Medal from Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace.

The die-hard football fan was also invited on to the pitch at Ibrox before Rangers’ friendly clash with Chelsea last year.

John added: “Every day I catch myself going ‘How the hell did that happen?’

“It has been utterly amazing, like meeting the Queen, the Prime Minister and the First Minister. But meeting the entire Rangers team was the dream!”