Bobby and Tommy, men with established priorities

You are going to read lots about Tommy Burns, who we lost 10 years ago today, and Bobby Murdoch, the first of the Lions to go, on this date in 2001, so I’ll share an observation on both.

Tommy’s coffin was carried into the church by Ally McCoist and Walter Smith.  Tommy had lots of friends, former team-mates and players, as well as a large family.  There was no shortage of candidates to carry the man’s mortal remains, but in extending the invitation to Walter Smith and Ally McCoist, he left you and me something to live up to.

There can be few more public expressions of an intimate invitation.  How well do you and I reach across the city to others?  I have considered that question, on and off, for almost 10 years.

The only time I met Bobby Murdoch he went straight to asking me what I did for a living.  Then he talked about his wife, Kathleen, and her job.  There were a dozen others in the room, nine of whom were Lisbon Lions, but that was what Bobby wanted to talk about.  His priorities were well established.