JOHN CLARK was the only member of the Lisbon Lions not to write an autobiography.
The unassuming performer of Celtic’s historic European Cup-winning team of May 25 1967 much preferred to do his talking on the field. He shunned the spotlight away from football.
I was privileged to be involved in books with his team-mates Tommy Gemmell, Billy McNeill, Bertie Auld and John Hughes, but Clark, known to his colleagues as Wee Luggy or The Brush, steadfastly refused to go into print.
I had a couple of insightful interviews with John as I put together my McNeill tribute publication, In Praise of Caesar in 2018. He couldn’t have been more helpful as he spoke about his days as sidekick to Celtic’s greatest-ever captain on the field and in the dug-out at Parkhead and Pittodrie.
CAESAR AND THE QUIET MAN…John Clark and Billy McNeill celebrate Celtic’s goalless draw in Prague in April 1967 to seal Celtic’s place in the European Cup Final in Lisbon the following month.
As we chatted one day I asked him about his own omission from the world of literature. I wondered if he would reconsider his earlier decision to stay shtum.
He smiled: “I’ll tell you what, Alex, if I ever change my mind I’ll let you know.”
I realised that book would never be published; John Clark never had any intention of putting his life story into print. That was his decision and he stuck by it, but I can’t help thinking what a tome he could have written.
When I spoke to Tommy Gemmell about the qualities of his fellow-Lions, my long-time friend’s eyes used to light up at the reminisces of days gone by. Big TG, with a face built for laughter, could be deadly serious when it suited him.
Speaking about Clark, the most flamboyant full-back in the club’s history said: “A lot of what he contributed to the team went unnoticed simply because he carried out his duties with the absolute minimum of fuss. He would win a tackle or take a pass and immediately look for Bobby Murdoch or Bertie Auld in the middle of the park.
“Wee Luggy never attempted a switch of play from left to right to pick out Jimmy Johnstone on the opposite side of the pitch with a raking eye-catching pass.
BY THE LEFT…Tommy Gemmell looks on as Mr Dependable John Clark clears from Rangers forward George McLean.
“Equally, he didn’t dwell on the ball in his own half or attempt to showboat by dribbling past opposing forwards. Simply put, he was a solid, dependable unit who never let down his team-mates or the supporters.”
Gemmell’s dimples would become visible as he grinned and added: “I’ll tell you something else. I never saw anyone better at defending a two-v-one situation.
“If I was upfield and Big Billy may be out of position and a break was on, no one pressed any panic buttons with John Clark at the back.
“His anticipation was uncanny. He never went to ground. He preferred to cajole an opponent into a position where he was in control of the situation.
“The opponent may elect to take the ball wide right to attempt to get in an angled shot. Luggy had it covered.
“The player might try to feign right and then attempt to pass inside to a team-mate. Luggy had it covered.
“The amount of times he won these duels is simply inestimable. You’ll never see any footage of these moments. They are not spectacular occasions embedded in the memory bank, but these interventions were so very crucial to everything Celtic achieved back then.”
LINE UP OF LEGENDS…Jock Stein is flanked by Billy McNeill and John Clark at the Celtic managerial change-over in 1978.
Coincidentally, Tommy’s all-time favourite movie was one in which John Wayne starred and was set in Ireland called The Quiet Man.
John Clark fitted that role at Celtic with equal assurance as the Hollywood legend did in the 1952 film.
Celtic’s very own Quiet Man, of course, passed away last week at the age of 84. There will be a Funeral Mass in his honour at St Mary’s Church in the Calton at noon today.
Admirers of this special human being will be able to pay their respects when John’s funeral cortege travels down The Celtic Way at approximately 1.15pm. Fans are welcome to gather at Celtic Park to say a final farewell to one of the club’s greatest-ever servants.
Thanks for the memories, John, please Rest in Peace. I will forever wish you had written that book. What a tale you had to tell, my friend.
ALEX GORDON
