FORMER Gibshill resident Bill Charters has come up trumps once again by sending photographs of other ex-pats and local residents who attended the recent Glasgow Celtic supporters convention in Las Vegas.

He told me the event was the biggest to date, with around 4,000 fans from around the world in attendance.

It all happened at the same time of the wedding of Bill and Elizabeth Charters' youngest daughter Tracy.

Inverclyde guests at the happy day were Bert Hughes (Elizabeth's uncle) and Bill's sisters Mary McMenamie and Agnes Walker. Incidentally, Bert was a well-kent face in Gourock when he was manager of the Victoria Bar.

Ex-pat guests were Pat Trainer and Neil McLaughlin who travelled 2,000 miles from Canada.

The aforementioned attended the convention along a number of Inverclyde visitors including former baths manager George Gemmell, Alan Clarke and Mary O'Rourke.

Bill says: "When we went to Las Vegas I told Bert he would probably meet people he had not seen for many years. Sure enough, when trying to go for breakfast on the first morning, it took us two hours to go from the lift to the restaurant, meeting old friends and schoolmates.

"Bert met Jim Gavin, now living in Illinois, who he hadn't seen for more than 50 years.

"I met William McBrearty who used to live two closes from us in Gibshill. William stays in Canada and I had not met him for 35 years." Bill Charters' devotion to "The Hoops" extends to having converted his twin-car garage in Fresno, California into the clubhouse of the Fresno CSC. The members are also known as the Garage Bhoys.

The Club was founded in 1999. It has only six members and they watch all games live by satellite. It is an expensive business as each game costs 100 dollars to screen but sometimes members of Los Angeles Celtic Supporters Club visit and help to defray costs.

The clubhouse has a 60 inch screen TV, a full size bar with 20 Optic measures, darts boards and memorabilia over the walls. In addition to previous mentions in the Telegraph, the club has features in US newspapers and on television stations.

Bill said that any local person visiting California was welcome to look them up.

Back to the Las Vegas convention, Bill and his friends are well known at the event.

He said: "I had the pleasure of meeting Ian McLeod, Celtic's chief executive, and he said he had heard of the Garage Bhoys of Fresno CSC.

"The players as usual were magnificent, taking time to talk and have pictures taken.

"We are on first name terms with most of them as we have been in their company so many times." I once again thank Bill Charters for sending the information and photographs.

By the way, further details of Fresno CSC can be obtained by visiting the website: www.fresnocsc@nafcsc.com