Tommy Gemmell

This has been on my mind all day. One of us died today, a fan, a supporter & also a boy whose dream came true to play for the greatest club side in the World at that time.
Time will not diminish our images & memories, nor will it halt the tales of Celtic folklore that Tommy Gemmel so proudly wrote himself with ten other Giants & their charismatic leader in The heat of Lisbon.
Countless old gnarled players around the World will, in there own unique way be paying homage to a true Celt
that was Tommy.
He will live on in the swirling chants of his name around Celtic Park, he will emerge from the breath of every singing supporter to take his place on the lofty heights of a cold Glasgow evening to watch his successors carry on what he was a great part of, his view will be the greatest seat in the house, with Jinky & Jock.
His roars of celebration will be the thunder on those rainy nights telling the world, yes, we did it, and we did it all here.... at Celtic Park.

RIP legend.

 

Il even give the * over on ff a bit of credit, they speak well of the big man. A few * talkers but a 5 page thread over there on the go.

 

5 Live Podcast

'Gemmell's right up there with Celtic greats'


Jim Craig pays tribute to his mate
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04vlg4d

 

Just heard this, desperately sad.

RIP, you complete legend.

 

* bless.

The Lisbon Lions will unite again.

 

RIP. YNWA.

 

Brendan on TalkSport paying tribute to Tommy
http://talksport.com/football/celti...bon-lion-tommy-gemmell-talksport-170303230034

 

Wee thought that crossed my mind:

At least Tommy passed away at a time when his current team were playing fantastic free-flowing fitba and winning everything put in front of them, as oppossed to spending his final days in life watching utter dross.

I'm sure he'd be grateful for that.

 

Bad reporting from talk sport!! Whos tommy McNeil? * can't even get his name correct!

 

* *.

 

*

 

THERE will be a minute’s silence for club legend, Tommy Gemmell before this Sunday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final tie with St Mirren at Celtic Park.

The Lisbon Lion sadly passed away in the early hours of Thursday morning but will forever be remembered as a true Celtic legend and part of the greatest side in the club’s history.

The Celtic Family will now have the opportunity to pay tribute in their thousands to a man who played a pivotal role in our greatest ever triumph when, in Lisbon’s Estadio Nacional, 11 men all born within a 30-mile radius of Celtic Park, beat Inter Milan to win the European Cup.

Not only was Tommy Gemmell part of the club’s greatest ever team, he was the man who sparked the comeback in Lisbon by firing in that unstoppable and memorable equaliser that not only turned the course of the game, but also turned the course of the club’s history and future.

Sunday’s game kicks off at 12.30 when Celtic Park pays its final respects to Tommy Gemmell – a man who helped shape the modern-day Celtic.

 

Brendan Rodgers: "if it wasn't for Tommy & guys like him Celtic wouldn't be the iconic club it is" "Celtic was in his heart
https://mobile.twitter.com/AlisonGConroy/status/837663594254852099

 

BR on the sad passing of Celtic legend Tommy Gemmell: "It was a sad day for us all yesterday."


BR: "Off back of a really good performance, we got up in the morning & realised one of the great players of this club had passed away. "


BR: "Firstly, he was a brilliant player. Maybe, lots of people down south wouldn't recognise what Tommy Gemmell was."

BR: "But if you talk about the modern day full-back of getting forward & attacking, Tommy Gemmell was that in the ‘60s."

BR: "Not too many full-backs score in two European Cup finals."

BR: "He went on and played 418 games for Celtic, a legend of the club."

BR: "He lived his life as a Lisbon Lion after playing for Celtic & he regarded that role with honour as a real ambassador of the club."

BR: "Until his last breath, Celtic was in his heart. He will never be forgotten & his family will always be welcome at Celtic."

BR: "Never had the great fortune to meet him but if he was like any of the Lisbon Lions that I have met, really humble guys."

BR: "who set this club on a path to what it is today – one of the great clubs in the world."


BR: "If it wasn’t for Tommy and guys like him, then Celtic wouldn’t be the iconic club it is."

BR: "Our condolences are with his family, of course, and we will pay that respect on Sunday.”



CELTIC manager, Brendan Rodgers spoke today of the passing of club legend, Tommy Gemmell and how he will be remembered as one of that band of men who changed the entire course of Celtic’s history.

Fresh from celebrating a pulsating and enthralling 4-0 victory over Inverness Caley Thistle on Wednesday night, Celtic supporters awoke to the news that Tommy had passed away in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The Celtic players and management team, too awoke to the sad news, made all the more poignant in this season, the 50th anniversary of Lisbon and the Lions’ victory over Inter Milan,

The Irishman said: “It was a sad day for us all yesterday. We came off the back of a good performance and win on Wednesday night, and we got up in the morning and realised one of the club’s great players had passed away.

“It was a sad day for everyone connected with the club. Firstly, he was a brilliant player. Maybe, lots of people down south wouldn't recognise what Tommy Gemmell was. But if you talk about the modern-day full-back of getting forward, attacking, Tommy Gemmell was that in the 1960s. Not too many full-backs score in two European Cup finals.

“He went on and played 418 games for Celtic, a real living legend of the club and he lived his life as a Lisbon Lion after playing for Celtic and he regarded that role as a real ambassador of honour of the club. Until his last breath, Celtic was in his heart.”

Although many of the Lions are regular visitors to Celtic Park on matchdays, Tommy’s illness prevented the Celtic legend from doing so this season, meaning that the manager never got to meet the former Celt.

He said: “He is someone who will never be forgotten and his family will always be welcome at Celtic. He was an incredible player, an incredible man.

“I never had the great fortune to meet him but if he was like any of the other Lisbon Lions that I have met, they are really humble guys who set this club on a path to what it is today – which is one of the great clubs in the world.

“If it wasn’t for Tommy and guys like him then Celtic wouldn’t be the iconic club it is.

“Our condolences are with his family, of course, and we will pay that respect at the game on Sunday.”

A minute’s silence in tribute to Tommy will be held before Sunday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final against St Mirren which kicks-off at 12.30pm.

 

R.I.P Tommy

 

This cannot be emphasised enough

 

CELTIC great John Clark admitted the sad passing of fellow Lisbon Lion Tommy Gemmell on Thursday was like losing a member of the family.

The 75-year-old played alongside Tommy throughout his decade of distinguished service to the Bhoys, including, of course, that memorable day in 1967, when Jock Stein’s side made history and became the first British club to lift the European Cup.

That special group of players were a band of brothers and, even after the curtain came down on their playing careers, they remained close friends, always looking out for another.

Paying tribute to his former team-mate , who passed away at the age of 73, Clark told the official website that Tommy Gemmell’s achievements in the Hoops would never be forgotten.

He said: “He was in a serious way so it wasn’t unexpected but it still hits that you as it’s a person you know and a person you have grown up with in football.

"Everyone goes their own way in life, and you have your own families, but you are still very friendly. He was part of the team, and we were all committed to each other and had close bonds.

“It’s sad that out of the team that played, numbers are starting to dwindle as we have now lost Ronnie Simpson, Tommy, Willie O’Neill, Bobby Murdoch, Jinky and Joe McBride.

“When you have been with them for 50 years, they are part of your life. At the beginning we had the story at the beginning of the week about Billy and that was sad. The supporters will be a wee bit stunned by the whole thing. People think that they are fit and strong but everyone is human not infallible.

“Bertie and Willie Wallace, even though he has now lived in Australia for a number of years, were very close to Tommy and it’s always sad when one of the lads passes away.

“He was one of the top goalscoring full-backs in Europe and he was as good a full-back going about anywhere of his era. His scoring ability was exceptional.

“I would say he was the best full-back in his position at that time, no doubt. He had the height, the pace and tremendous shooting power. He was a winner who hated getting beat. At his peak, I would rate him at the very top.

“He did well at Dundee and he had right good players with him. Gordon Strachan played under him and Willie Wallace worked with him as well. At his time, he was the best full-back in the world.

“His goal he scored against Inter is never off the tele, but he scored a lot of other good goals as well and he made a lot of goals as well with his shooting power. Goalkeepers would parry his shots and you had forwards like Bobby Lennox, Willie Wallace, Stevie Chalmers and Jinky nicking in.

“People forget it wasn’t just the team that played in Lisbon. You had John Hughes, Willie O’Neill, Joe McBride, John Fallon and Charlie Gallagher and they were all part of it. We all mixed well and we are still close and have a bit of laughter and banter.”

Off the park, Tommy Gemmell was a showman, a huge personality and one of the main pranksters in a Celtic dressing room that contained plenty of characters.

Clark said: “Tommy liked to live the life which he felt was good for him and he enjoyed it. He was a personality and he mixed well with people.

“When someone’s shoes went missing, you knew it would be him that did it and it would start many an argument but it was all good banter. You look back and it was really funny.

"If you were in a dressing room with Tommy, Jinky and Bertie Auld, you don’t meet any more characters. What a trio that was! Having those three in the dressing room was something different. You never had a quiet dressing room, put it that way.

“Jimmy Steele was our masseur at the time and he would always come in well dressed to do the massages. Sometimes Tommy and some of the boys would cut the legs off his trousers and other times they would nail his shoes onto the floor.

“One day he came in and told everyone that they wouldn't catch him today as he had another suit in the car. He didn’t realise that the boys would take his keys out his pocket and cut the other suit as well!

“Steely was a great character as well and he took it all in great fun. He was a bit naive saying he had another suit in his car though! Big Tommy was into things like that. It was his style. Other people would have taken it more seriously but Steely was a joyful character and another great asset at the club. He was a right good personality.”

As a member of the greatest-ever Celtic team and a Hoops legend, Tommy Gemmell will always be remembered by the club’s supporters.

Clark added: “We were at the Celtic FC Foundation dinner on Thursday night and we got a tremendous ovation. It doesn’t matter where we go in the country, people know the Lisbon Lions, and it's amazing how supporters of other clubs know who the Lisbon Lions are."

 

More tributes on the Celtic Way

 

class wee vid o the big man

 

I had that Dukla Prague jersey, think it was toffs I got it from years ago wore it to 5's quite a lot. One of the many Celtic related images that's burned into your memory.