Celtic set to give Johnstone a Final tribute [merged]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,438-2084629,00.html

CELTIC will use this Sunday’s CIS Insurance Cup final with Dunfermline Athletic to honour the memory of Jimmy Johnstone, who was voted the club’s greatest-ever player, who died yesterday at the age of 61 from motor neuron disease. Peter Lawwell, the chief executive, held talks with the Scottish Football League, who are responsible for the occasion at Hampden Park, to ensure that Johnstone will receive a proper tribute at the national stadium before the final. Ultimately, Celtic hope to establish a foundation for young footballers in the name of the winger from the 1967 European Cup-winning side whose death prompted a wave of emotion around Celtic Park.

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“We hope to do something for the cup final,” Lawwell said. “I have discussed it with Peter Donald (the SFL secretary) and we hope to mark the occasion in a special way. Then we will have our home game at Celtic Park against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on March 23, where we will pay our own tribute. That is in the short term. In the long-term, we are thinking of something appropriate for Jimmy and I am sure we will come up with something that shows appropriate respect for the greatest-ever Celtic player. The club today owes Jimmy so much. He helped put Celtic on the map, as a European team.”
News of Johnstone’s death after a five-year fight against his illness sparked a flood of tributes and fans created a makeshift shrine outside Celtic Park. “It was quite humbling to see,” Lawwell said. “Jimmy would be so proud to see that outpouring of respect. We also had tributes from Rangers fans, which I am sure Jimmy’s family will appreciate.”
Johnstone’s presence around the ground as a matchday host until 2003, meant that the present Celtic side felt the loss as deeply as the players. Indeed, Gordon Strachan, actually played with him Johnstone at Dundee as the Celtic manager was starting his career, while Johnstone wound his down.
“Jimmy was a wonderful player and a wonderful character and we will always have the memories — they will never die,” Strachan said. “He radiated. If you were down he made you feel better, that’s the kind of guy he was. He was a great advert for Scotland and he will still be with us.” Johnstone made 515 appearances for Celtic between 1963 and 1975, scoring 130 goals and being voted the third-best player in the European Footballer of the Year award in 1967. He contributed to Celtic’s nine successive league titles between 1966 and 1974, though he earned just 23 caps for Scotland.
“He was a footballing giant, not only to Celtic supporters but to followers of the game everywhere,” Brian Quinn, the chairman, said. “Jimmy brought magic into our lives and we will miss him greatly.”
Lawwell agreed. “Tributes have already come in from around the world and it shows the esteem and respect that Celtic and non-Celtic people had for Jimmy Johnstone,” the chief executive said. “We would like to pass on our condolences to Jimmy’s wife, Agnes, and the family. They have been absolutely astonishing in terms of how they nursed him during his illness.
“Millions of words have been spoken and written about Jimmy Johnstone. He was voted the Greatest Ever Celt by the fans, which meant so much to him, and no matter how many great players we’ve had at the club, I don’t think anyone would challenge that Jimmy was the greatest.
“He lived the dream. He was raised in Viewpark, a Celtic supporter who came here and played so magnificently. He gave us fantastic memories both on and off the park, he lived life to the full, and for our club, he took us to a different level. Quite simply he was the greatest.”
Martin O’Neill, the former Celtic manager who left in May 2005 to care for his wife, who has cancer, paid his own tribute. O’Neill felt Johnstone and the 1967 European Cup side had been poorly treated by previous boards and arranged a benefit match against Feyenoord in 2003.
“I was desperately sorry to hear the news of the death of Jimmy Johnstone, one of the greatest footballers the world has ever known,” O’Neill said. “Jinky, as he was known to everyone, possessed phenomenal ability matched only by the size of his heart.
“I met Jimmy along with the rest of that 1967 Lisbon Lions team when I first came to Glasgow almost six years ago. As we gathered round the table, it was obvious to me the respect and regard in which he was held by his team-mates.
“He was wonderful company that evening, with a subtle mixture of charm and humility, sometimes teasing everyone in sight, yet at other times deflecting the conversation away from himself and his legendary exploits, and making you feel as if you were his best friend. However, you still felt in complete awe of this footballing genius.
“Not long afterwards, he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease and he had been battling that illness ever since. Obviously. Agnes’s loss is the greatest, but we will all miss him greatly. However, as long as Celtic Football Club breathes, Jimmy Johnstone — voted the greatest player in the club’s history— will live forever.”

 

IM PLEASED they are going to pay tribute to jimmy at the cup game,
as the gers have been debating what to do at there match, some talk of a handclap, incase the disrespectful started being silly so they could drowned them out, so lets win in style on sunday, make jimmy proud.

 

Hoops plan Jinky tribute

Celtic players will all wear the number seven on their shorts in the CIS Cup final as a tribute to the late Jimmy Johnstone.

The Hoops legend died on Monday, aged 61, after a long battle with motor neurone disease.

There will also be a minute's applause ahead of the final against Dunfermline at Hampden Park on Sunday.

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell thanked the Scottish Football League and the Pars for allowing the tributes to take place.

Lawwell told Sky Sports News: "We have agreed with the league that we will have a one minute of applause before the game, which will sum Jimmy's vibrancy up more than a silence.

"The club and the first team have been allowed to wear the iconic number seven on their shorts and the league have been fantastic with this.

"In Jimmy's playing days, players only wore numbers on their shorts so this is a fitting tribute.

"After Sunday, our next home game will be against Inverness next Wednesday and we have developed a number of ideas to pay tribute to Jimmy."

Lawwell also confirmed the Glasgow club are looking into a "longer-term" tribute to Johnstone.

But the tributes to the winger at Celtic Park before the SPL game with Inverness will include members of the 1967 European Cup-winning team.

Lawwell added: "We are putting a number of ideas together for the Inverness game.

"Hopefully, we will involve the Lisbon Lions - Jimmy's team-mates - and we look forward to that.

"We are still putting together ideas for a more longer-term tribute to Jimmy, who was voted Celtic's greatest player."

But Celtic will allow the mourning for Johnstone to settle before announcing long-term plans for a tribute.

Lawwell said: "We are looking at that (a statue) in the long-term and we hope to come up with a couple of ideas.

"But we will let the dust settle and see where we go from there," he told Sky Sports News.

The Celtic chief executive said: "There have been amazing tributes here. There are Celtic, Rangers scarves and other banners around the ground.

"Jimmy crossed the divide, he was much loved and respected. It is very emotional and humbling seeing what has been shown at Celtic Park."

Source: http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/News/Story_Page/0,7760,1861_1084833,00.html

This is great news! Something a little bit special for the wee man!

 

i hope that First team uses black outfits at this game...

 

I hope its the hooped jersey but I know what you mean

 

Yes i fully agree with you, wearing the hoops will be the best for Jimmy, plus the number 7 idea on the shorts are also a great way of respecting him.

 

Sounds like Wee Jinky's going to get the rememberance and tribute that he fully deserves. Going to be a great match.

 

Monday was a sad day for Scottish football with the passing of The Greatest Ever Celt. We must never let the memories of him die and remember him both for the great player he was but also for his great sense of humour and for his bravery. R.I.P Jinky

 

Hopefully the Bhoys play a blinder and knowing Jim Lieshman he'll have Dunfermline going for it too. Should be a cracker that Jinky would enjoy. Got my ticket and am ready to make some noise at the applause.

 

hope the players wear the hoops but what about the supporters wearing black

 

it soumds like it will b a day Jinky would b proud 2 b at the core of. i hope he's watching over the bhoys and is pleased with everything. i found this article when i was reading some stories and i thought i was quite heart warming

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/...dline=the-original-special-one-name_page.html

Jinky = legend

 

Super idea by Lawell and co. Deserves it and a nice win would put a stamp on it.

 

the idea of all the players wearing no7 on sunday is a great mark of respect. all the fans should all be wearing the hoops, dont like the idea of wearing black we should celebrate his life with colour and singing.

 

theres no doubt we need to sing like we have never sung before on sunday

 

i'm pretty sure this goes without saying but it will be fab to hear the whole crowd singing the jimmy johnstone song for the wee man

 

Give the wee man the send off he deserves win the cup 4 him im sure heel be watching from above