CELTIC’S PERFECT TEN TRIBUTE TO BERTIE

THE Celtic players will all wear the No.10 on their shorts as a tribute to Bertie Auld when they face St Johnstone in the Premiers Sports League Cup semi-final at Hampden on Saturday evening.

The club great sadly passed away on Sunday at the age of 83 after a gallant battle with dementia.

Celtic will honour the memory of the Lisbon Lion by donning the shorts with the number with which the one-time midfield general was associated during his glittering career at the Parkhead club. Bertie was Celtic’s Perfect Ten during his years of service where he and Bobby Murdoch, at No.4, dovetailed so gloriously in Jock Stein’s all-conquering team of the sixties.

SILVERWARE SUPERSTAR…Bertie Auld salutes the Celtic fans after netting the winner in the 1969 League Cup Final against St Johnstone. Harry Hood is about to congratulate the goalscorer while Stevie Chalmers, wearing the No.10 shorts, takes to the air in celebration.

Manager Ange Postecoglou, captain Callum McGregor and acting chief executive Michael Nicholson laid a wreath outside the front of Celtic Park on behalf of the club on Tuesday while supporters have been leaving their own tributes to a genuine character who embraced the support as a player and long after his days of performing in the No.10 shorts were over.

Coincidentally, Auld scored the only goal of the game when the Hoops beat Saturday’s opponents St Johnstone in the League Cup Final at the national stadium in October 1969. Ironically, Bertie, who began his career at Parkhead as an orthodox outside-left, wore the No.11 that afternoon while Stevie Chalmers was at No.10.

The Hoops have already claimed the silverware 19 times in their history – they are now a potential three hours away from the double ten.