Lisbon Lions earn €1.137 million cash bonus for Celtic, Bobby Lennox turns 80 today

Little cash bonus, all thanks to the Lisbon lions. Still contributing even over half a century later…

Celtic were awarded a cash bonus of €1.137 million thanks to Turkish side Galatasaray who clinched qualification to the Champions League group stage. This is because of the puzzling co-efficient system that Uefa operates. Thanks to Twitter account @moravcik67 who is clued up on all things on the European scene, the whole situation was explained.

We are 3 points above the Turkish side on the points system all partly due to our four bonus points we hold due to our European cup win in 1967. Yes the greatest club side in our history our still contributing in the present day. Yeah ok it’s only a small sum, but one that is welcome all the same in a day and age when every avenue of income is welcome.

The coffers could swell even more if theRangers fail to make it past PSV Eindhoven tonight. Celtic already guaranteed a big bounty due to automatic qualification would receive the entire TV money on offer if the Ibrox side failed to make it.

Of course theRangers failing to make it would put a dent in the co-efficient, but in all honesty will we cry over it? Nope didn’t think so. It’s going to be some game right enough, with PSV looking for revenge after what happened this time last year.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

Incidentally a very happy Birthday to Lisbon Lion Bobby Lennox who turns 80 today. There’s a lovely tribute to him on the official site this morning which you can read HERE.

Happy Birthday Bobby Lennox, the Lisbon Lion is 80 today! This man is good enough to have been the Celtic player of TWO decades because, although his glory days were very definitely in the 1960s, he played on for Celtic (apart from a very brief spell in the USA) until 1981, having signed from Ardeer Recreation in 1961 and made his debut in 1962.

There is very little that one can find fault with in Bobby Lennox.

He simply wanted to play, and he was a Manager’s dream in that he always worked hard, turned up for training and on the odd occasion when he was surplus to requirement (usually for one particular game) there was an agreeable lack of huff taking and spoilt-brat behaviour that did, sadly, manifest itself in others.

He also played a vital part on keeping Jimmy Johnstone on the rails – and talking about rails, I recall Aberdeen Railway Station one day in about 1966 when the team and supporters disembarked from the train – Stein barking orders to porters about the hamper and the players talking to the supporters and attracting the attention of the douce Aberdeen matrons there to welcome their aged mother back from holiday – when there they were – the Likely Lads, Johnstone and Lennox, arms round each others shoulders singing “Roll Over Beethoven”, a current Beatles song. Stein did not exactly smile, but he shook his head and realised that Lennox was doing a fine job with the mercurial Jimmy.

He did a fine job on the park as well, scoring 273 goals in 571 games, making him second only to Jimmy McGrory.

His greatest asset was his speed, and his ability to run on and score goals, but the fact that he trained so hard and was so conscientious and loved football and Celtic so much, meant that he played (often as a willing substitute) throughout the 1970s, enjoying a great relationship with his former captain, now Manager and always great friend, Billy McNeill.

Look, if you will, on You Tube at the 1980 Scottish Cup final, and watch the only goal of the game. Observe the immediate aftermath. Whose is the joyful face that you see hopping about with glee? None other than the enthusiastic, loyal and evergreen Bobby Lennox!

A shy, retiring man, he was genuinely embarrassed when his home town of Saltcoats erected a statue for him. But we weren’t. Bobby Lennox is one of the greatest Celts on them all.

He won 11 Scottish League medals, 8 Scottish Cup medals and 5 Scottish League Cup medals. He played 10 times for Scotland, and scored in the famous 1967 victory at Wembley. Not a bad career at all!

*David Potter’s birthday tribute to Bobby Lennox from three years ago, on The Buzzbomb’s 77th Birthday. We’ve simply updated Bobby’s birthday to 80 from 77. Hail Hail to Saltcoats’ finest son, Bobby Lennox.