TOMMY GEMMELL is a Celtic legend for many reasons. So many you could write a trilogy on the great man’s achievements.
The top 3 for me is his chasing of a West German player Hermut Haller across the Hamburg turf in 1969 to literally kick his opponent up the backside in a World cup qualifier (watching that never fails to bring a smile to my face), his part to 1971 at least in Celtic’s record breaking and never surpassed nine in a row achievement under the great Jock Stein and of course his European Cup Final goals against Feyenoord in 1970 and in particular his equalising goal as Celtic came from behind against the catenaccio masters of Inter Milan in the 1967 European Cup final.
It’s therefore interesting to see that Tommy’s boots from the Lisbon final, the boots that scored that legendary goal are today going up for auction.
You may or may not be aware that Hampden’s Scottish Football Museum has been the home of this piece of Celtic history for the last 9 years.
Now they are being sold as part of a private lot by a Glasgow businessman who was a family friend of Tommy Gemmell.
At the same auction there is further Celtic memorabilia being sold too.
Jimmy Johnstone’s shirt from the 1967 World Club Championship game against Argentina’s Racing Club in Uruguay is also being auctioned off as is a holdall that Bertie Auld used in the European Cup final in Lisbon.
Clearly the one that will have grabbed many Celtic fans attentions today is that of Tommy’s match day boots.
I hope given Celtic are apparently in the process of planning the construction of our very own museum that we may get ahead of themselves temporarily from architect plans for the bricks and mortar and take this opportunity to think about the contents of the museum and not let the chance of getting this little piece of Celtic’s history back with the Celtic family slip by.
It would be nice to see the boots that scored the goal taking a prominent position in a future Celtic Museum.
I’m sure whoever the successful bidder may be that they wouldn’t bid unless they would love and cherish such an amazing item of memorabilia and I’m not concerned a private bidder would be looking to gain financially in the future from such a purchase.
That said I can’t help think a display where current and future Celtic generations will be able to see for themselves, take family along, reminisce, and educate younger fans on the finest moments in Celtic history is the perfect place for Tommy Gemmell’s Lisbon boots to be displayed.
Tommy died in March 2017 he was 73 years old, He made 247 appearances for Celtic over 10 years and scored 37 goals in that time. 2 of which came in the final of 2 separate European Cup finals.
His trophy count was 4 league cups, 3 Scottish cups, and six league titles and of course the big one, the European Cup in May 1967. Add in 18 Scotland caps and you can’t argue he’s a bona fide Celtic legend.
The boots are expected to fetch £10,000. The auction house McTear’s has already stated there has been global interest in the auction.
As much as that shows the reach of Celtic and their support I think for something as Iconic as this Glasgow is the place they should be. A Celtic Museum would be ideal. To see Tommy’s boots head abroad would be sad indeed.
I hope Celtic are aware of this auction and are paying attention. By the time the hammer drops it would be wonderful to hear Celtic FC have purchased not only Tommy Gemmell’s European Cup final boots but a huge piece of Celtic history.
To have them on display would be a wonderful tribute to a great Celt.
Niall J
