The first time I met Bertie Auld, I was walking upstairs at Celtic Park as he was walking down while talking to someone else. As we passed each other, he paused his conversation, turned to me and said, “How’ you doing son?” He would not walk past a Celtic fan without acknowledging them.
He was the sporting hero, the centre of attraction, but he had a gift – he knew how to light up the lives of others. And how. Put him in front of Celtic fans and Bertie came alive. That old story of the fans singing as they walked up Kerrydale St, the noise flowing through the open windows of the dressing room, lifting the team before they took the field. That was how Bertie remembered it and he told each subsequent generation what it meant to him.
In his prime in the Celtic midfield, he was brilliant, gallus and hard in equal measure. The Lisbon Lions were a team of many parts, but the creativity had three fulcrums: Bobby Murdoch, Jimmy Johnstone and Bertie Auld. In Lisbon, they set the heartbeat for a performance that swept Inter away and had the whole of Europe celebrating.
You know the story, 11 men from within 30 miles of Celtic Park stood in the tunnel, some with their false teeth in a bag, alongside the football heroes of the era, a team who had won the European Cup twice in the previous three years. Bertie said they looked like “movie stars”, unaware of his own profile. He sensed hesitation among his team mates so started a chorus; “Hail, hail, the Celts are here……”
Did it make a difference to the outcome? Probably not, but Celtic and Inter both played like the Scots were at home. Whenever I hear this story, I think back to that time I walked past him on the stairs, Bertie’s awareness of people and what to do to put them at ease was his most exceptional quality. He did this with his team mates, he did it to me and there is a good chance he did it to you.
I met the man many more times and shared a platform with him on occasion. Bertie was always an event, always, but there is one other meeting that gets to the heart so the man. I was at Celtic Park on a non-matchday and was speaking to the security man on my way out when Bertie joined us. John the security man asked, “Are you going home now, Bertie?” Bertie said, “I’ll head over to the Superstore first, see if there’s any fans in.” He would not leave Celtic Park when there was some joy to spread around.
You and I did nothing to deserve a man like this in our lives, he was a gift from above. Yesterday’s news is a profound loss to everyone he touched. For me, he was Mr Celtic; the very best of us. We will never see his like again.
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Rest in peace Bertie.
A truly great Celt.
CSC
Bernard Ponsonby is a star.
McCoist is a knob
Gene,
I was going to put the exact same point, if not quite in exactly the same words.
By the bye, that’s the sound off once again.
Thanks Bada I went searching for obituary
https://youtu.be/hKT4qXZfVC8
Thank you
HH
1-0 Scotland. Well deserved.
What a player John mcginn is . Unforgivable he doesn’t don the hoops .
Jimtim,
FFS,give it a rest.
Great performance from Scotland.Calmac Gilmour,Mc Ginn,combining brilliantly.
so far so good Scotland….magic
https://youtu.be/hKT4qXZfVC8
Bernard Ponsonby tonight, superb
What a player Billie Gilmour is . Unforgivable he doesn’t don the hoops . 😉
right now bt sports virign 528
celtic real madrid 1980
wrongly labelled as “man you classics,
get on it, its brilliant.
Watching Scotland v Denmark. Great game. 1-0. Everybody happy. Just caught a short glimpse of half time chat. Boyd has a natural scowl. He looks angry. Dour, dour Hun. McFadden at least has a tendency to smile when all’s going well. Time to bin Boyd and do the country a favour.
Billy might have got the winning goal in the Scottish Cup Final in 1965 but it was Bertie Auld who twice got us back in the game that really did get the Stein revolution rolling. Never lucky enough to meet the man but was fortunate to have seen him play many times in green and white. And nobody looked more immaculate in the Hoops than Bertie. A very special player in a very special team, and a very special Glasgow man. Will live on in the memory as long as there is a Celtic Football Club.
A bona fide Celtic Legend, may God personally bless him en route from one Paradise to another.
RIP Bertie
TURKEYBHOY on 15TH NOVEMBER 2021 8:36 PM
Jimtim,
FFS,give it a rest.
Who the f### you talking to ya carnaptious bellend .
Oldtim67
Good to see you post.keep posting and hope your good
HH
Why change tactics.Gone now to playing like Kilmarnock when they were 1 up.
Wonder why.
blog broken
Well played Scotland.
Hoping for a big win @ Hampden this weekend and an unlikely win in Germany.
Celtic can do it and I think we will get at least a Draw in Germany.
No Fear Bertie Auld, No Fear Celtic.
Cracking Goal.
that was an excellent worked goal, well done the celtcs.
That boy deserved that goal.What a shift.
Big Tony getting his cap.Magic.
Anthony playing left back as a debut.
Well Done Tone.
man of the match ……………
tony ralston
Richly deserved reward because of his work ethic.
Magical Celts/ex Celts performances.
Anyway St Johnstone is the only show in town now.
Ange will have the Hoops ready to rock like never before. He is Special IMO.
Wow superb, well done Scotland .
Chest aw puffed oot wi pride!
Saint Stivs..
Agree..
And playing oot o position tae..
Well done Scotland
Just seen an advert for a hun group smokers night, guest speakers, Duffield Smith and…….Mike McCurry…..this needs highlighted
SEAN THORNTON on 15TH NOVEMBER 2021 9:43 PM
Saint Stivs..
Agree..
And playing oot o position tae..
——————–
in a sad aside i see earlier details of the squires funeral in neilston.
feels like we lose someone every week.
PETEC on 15TH NOVEMBER 2021 9:40 PM
Richly deserved reward because of his work ethic.
Magical Celts/ex Celts performances.
Anyway St Johnstone is the only show in town now.
Ange will have the Hoops ready to rock like never before. He is Special IMO.
…,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Outstanding comment. PETEC. Totally agree.
Brilliant performance Scotland.
We are 2nd seeds behind Portugal on goal difference and nobody can catch us, unless Wales beat Belgium tomorrow by 5 goals.
Superb.
Well done Scotland. Not really my cup of tea but credit where it’s due.
We managed to win against some other diddy teams Denmark aside…..only joking.
Seriously well done Scotland now get all of our bhoys on International duty back safe and sound.
As Petec says Celtic v St Johnxtone is the only show in town.
D :)
Theorigginalsadiesbhoy
Thats the spirit.get them back injury free and ready to go sat 5 .30?? .heading there.hope your recovery is goin good.
HH
ANGE
Ooor Tony looked good at left-back. Hope you were watching mate.
Well done Scotland, could have scored three. Denmark’s only shot on target was on 84th minute👏👏👏👏👏