Pain for the Celtic family as we lose a Lisbon Immortal. An extract from Matt Corr’s INVINCIBLE…
“There is a light that never goes out,” Tommy Gemmell CSC Dunblane’s wonderful banner in tribute of The Big Shot. Incidentally, the snowdrops are a Poignant reminder of the pupils and teacher who lost their lives at Dunblane Primary School in March 1996.
With the recent confirmation of Billy McNeill’s ongoing battle with dementia still raw in the hearts and thoughts of the Celtic family, there was a further, devastating blow the following morning, Cesar’s birthday, with news breaking of the death of his fellow Lion, Tommy Gemmell, at the age of 73. Like Billy, Big Tam had enjoyed a wonderful career at Celtic Park, since signing for Sean Fallon, McGrory’s assistant, in October 1961, on the same night as a red-haired teenager who would go on to become his long-term friend and fellow mischief-maker, Jimmy Johnstone.
Tommy would create records galore in a trophy-laden decade in Glasgow’s East End, the first Celt to score in the European Cup, the first player from these islands to net in a European Cup Final, then the first British player to do it twice, being amongst the highlights. As a kid growing up in the late ‘60s, for me, Tommy Gemmell was Celtic’s undisputed penalty-taker, his trademark thunderbolt efforts ending high up in the opposition net. He would miss just three out of 34 attempts in the Hoops, although, ironically, the one of those three which I recall seeing live still ended in glory, Jim Cruickshank’s fine save at Tynecastle in March 1970 not enough to stop Celts securing the point required for five-in-a row, on my first visit to Edinburgh.
The previous May, I had also witnessed his only Scotland goal, another penalty, in the 8-0 World Cup demolition of Cyprus at Hampden, my first international match. Billy had also netted that afternoon, as Scotland continued to nurture hopes of a place in the Mexico finals the following summer, after a 12-year absence. Those dreams would be dashed in Hamburg later that year, after Jinky had put Scotland ahead, Tommy seeking retribution after being fouled by Helmut Haller, chasing the legendary German “Benny Hill” style across the park before lashing out at him.
It was a blatant sending-off, at a time when those were rarer events, certainly, it seemed, at international level. Ten-man Scotland duly lost 3-2, were knocked out of the World Cup, and the media had their fall-guy. Three days later, came the “double-dunt,” as Jock Stein dropped him for the League Cup Final against St Johnstone, replaced by young David Hay as Bertie Auld’s early strike made it five successive Celtic wins in that tournament.
Gemmell and Stein appear to have had a stormy relationship at times, perhaps a coming-together of two strong characters at play there. Anyway, Jock did not lose many such battles and I often felt that this week marked a real downturn in Tommy’s fortunes at the club. A transfer request was submitted by the player then later withdrawn, Gemmell back in the side the following month to score one of his most iconic goals, the rocket which opened the scoring against Benfica at Celtic Park. Six months later, his low shot broke the deadlock in the European Cup final against Feyenoord, courtesy of an assist by referee Concetto Lo Bello, whose bizarre run across the box as the shot came in must rank as one of the strangest decisions of his career.
In any case, Tommy had repeated his feat of Lisbon three years earlier, albeit this time the outcome would be very different, the Dutch champions stealing our cup in Milan’s San Siro, in the dying seconds of extra-time, despite a desperate attempt from a falling Cesar.
Tommy would miss a large chunk of Celtic’s Double-winning 1970/71 season, including the 2-1 Scottish Cup Final replay victory over Rangers, due to a combination of injury and Jock’s apparent preference for Jim Brogan in the left-back slot, coming back into the side in the autumn of 1971, part of the Hoops team who infamously lost the League Cup to newly-promoted Partick Thistle by that awful 4-1 margin. Gemmell was then dropped again by Stein and would make only one more appearance for Celtic, the 2-1 European Cup victory over Sliema Wanderers in Malta on 3 November 1971, the defender having scored his final goal for the club in the home-leg, a fortnight earlier. He would leave Glasgow before Christmas, sold not to Barcelona as was his want but to the rather less-glamourous surroundings of Nottingham in the East Midlands, to sign for Forest.
His new club would be relegated at the end of that season, triggering the events which would lead to the appointment of Brian Clough and the greatest era in their history. By that time, Tommy Gemmell was the new manager at Dens Park, having captained Dundee to a League Cup Final victory over Jock Stein’s Celtic in December 1973, in what must have been a real bittersweet day for the Lisbon Lion, given his love of the Hoops and relationship with the Boss. As the man in charge himself now, he would perhaps get a different perspective on some of the challenges Jock had faced at Parkhead, Tommy infamously having to deal with a drunken episode featuring Jimmy Johnstone and Gordon Strachan, both now players working under him at Dundee. Sacked by the Dark Blues in 1980, his football career would conclude with two spells in charge at Albion Rovers, Tommy later suffering from circulation issues and diabetes in his final, difficult years.
Now he was gone but like his playing colleagues from that wonderful day in the heat of Lisbon – Ronnie, Bobby and Jinky – and the others who played their parts in that story, in our hearts he will be immortal.
A Celtic superstar.
Voted in our greatest side of all time in 2002.
The best attacking full-back in the world in his prime.
A scorer of sensational, historic goals, which will be spoken of in awe long after all of those who witnessed them have gone.
And a character to boot. The full package.
I recall as a boy reading his autobiography, “The Big Shot.” He was that and more.
God bless you, Tommy of the Celtic.
There was a formal statement issued from the club.
“Tommy Gemmell is a true Celtic legend, part of the greatest side in the club’s history and 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. The legend of the Lisbon Lions was created that night, and Tommy and his team-mates were assured of their place in the pantheon of Celtic greats. And, like the rest of the Lions, Tommy remained humble about his incredible football achievements. The whole Celtic family is mourning his passing, and everyone associated with the club sends their thoughts and prayers to his family, his fellow Lions and his many friends at this desperately sad time.”
Then, for the second time in less than a week, Peter Lawwell, Celtic’s chief executive, found himself paying tribute to one of our favourite sons.
“Everyone at Celtic is deeply saddened by the loss of Tommy, a true Celtic giant and a man who gave the club so many years of his life in an illustrious football career. Tommy was a Celtic great, one of football’s greats and I know he will be so sadly missed by everyone who knew him. He was a man of huge stature in the game and someone who made such an important mark on Celtic football club. In this particular year [the 50th anniversary of the Lisbon Lions’ European Cup win], it is so very sad to lose such an important figure. While we mourn his loss, I am sure all our supporters will also celebrate the life and the wonderful achievements of the great Tommy Gemmell.”
Last word, as always, went to his fellow-Lion and friend, Bertie Auld.
“I’m devastated, absolutely heartbroken. Tommy was one of my favourite people, a great colleague and a genuine pal. Tommy actually thought he was [the actor]Danny Kaye. He looked like him, but he believed he was [him]. And he was, in every degree, because he was an entertainer. He was the best left-back in the world at that time – without fear of contradiction.”
Matt Corr
