Celtic have been synonymous with great goal scorers throughout their history, but only McGrory, Lennox, Larsson and Quinn scored more than Stevie Chalmers, who died this morning, aged 83. But, unlike all the other greats in our history, Stevie scored the winning goal in a European Cup Final. If he did nothing else in his entire time as a footballer, this would be enough to ensure a vaulted place in the history books, but Stevie did much more.
In a portent of what lay ahead, Celtic were without a league title for 12 years when Stevie scored a hat-trick against Rangers in January 1966. That feat boomed across the land: Celtic were in command. The next nine league titles would go to Parkhead. Goals galore followed for Stevie, who rejoiced in his role as Celtic centre forward.
Stevie’s journey to the top was unconventional. Serious illness blighted his early adulthood and he was 23 before he joined Celtic, his first senior club. He played through the difficult early 60s until the return of Jock Stein, whose magic sparked the most remarkable run of success known in British sport.
Like his great captain Billy McNeill, Stevie suffered dementia in recent years. Both lived the lives of Celtic supporters before becoming players and legends. Like all of that great team, Stevie remained accessible to fans throughout his life. They were magnificent on the field and magnificently normal human beings off the field. It was as though Stevie would never allow himself to believe the full impact of what he did.
April 2019 has taken its toll on our greatest team ever. Rest in Peace, Stevie.
We also lost one of our most respected CQN’ers yesterday, MurdochauldandHay. Rest in Peace, Stephen.
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Just want to mark the passing of Stevie Chalmers. In Joe Mc ride we had the best Celtic centre forward I ever saw ( and that includes Billy McPhail and a right good few after that time ) but no one gave their all for the club more than Stevie Chalmers. He could be ungainly, missed the biggest sitter I think I ever saw from anyone in a Celtic jersey ( against Third Lanark at Parkhead in a Scottish Cup tie ) but boy did he not bang in a right few for us too. He also lived through those fallow years of the late 1950s/ early 1960s when great Celts like Paddy. Errand left and. Illy thought about going too.
Stevie stuck with the club and will always be remembered as both a decent human being as well as the man who scored the winner for Celtic in the European Cup Final in Lisbon. Not a bad epitaph.
Rest in peace Stevie Chalmers.
Sorry about the predictive spelling.
Sad, sad day for the Celtic family again. Not sure how much more I can take….
Then I read Tontine Tim @ 4:14 and I’m ready for battle again.
Requiescat in Pace to another Lisbon Lion
Hail Hail ??
And you too Garcia Lorca… Long may you both keep us informed.
Hail Hail ??
Premiership penalties awarded per team this year
Livi- 2
Accies-3
Well- 3
Dundee- 4
St. Mirren- 4
Celtic- 6- Scored with 5 of them Sinky- all 3, Ryan C- Scored 1- Olly- 1 out of 2
Hibs- 6
St. Johnstone 7
Hearts- 8
Killie- 8
Dons- 9
Sevco- 13
I don’t have the figures for pens awarded in SC, LC or Europe, but they were awarded more than double the kicks we got.
SFTB
Griffiths missed a penalty at Motherwell.
RIP Stevie Chalmers another who will never be forgotton.
Dessybhoy
Seems very hard to get accurate stats- Transfermarkt and SPFL site do not agree. Footy stats do not even keep this data
Thoughts with another great great man we lost today Rest in Peace Stevie….what a heartbreaking week for Celtic
The word legend is overused in footballing circles but never was there a more apt word for McNeill & Chalmers. RIP.
RIP Stevie Chalmers and thanks for the big goal
If you haven’t watched the Newco Aberdeen highlights, you need to – the cheating is open and undeniable – the punch of the Aberdeen keeper in the first half , the blatant foul on the Aberdeen player immediately before the penalty and ‘the penalty’.
Had to switch ’em off after the first penalty
Stevie Chalmers – Rest In Peace
Scotsman newspaper – rot in hell
Jim Craig just lettin rS listebers know why SC never got the amount of caps …..’cos people werent goin to watch 11 Celtic players playin for Scotland’……also mentions politics…& ‘ back then it was your background rather than how good you were’….or words to that effect.
OUCH !
MWD- If you’re lurking, Michael Stewart on Shortbread, just highlighted the Twitter story that you posted.
BADA
MS lurks here….
Adi,-cheers,a straight talker with no agendas IMO
Agree…apart from him hating Levein !!
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 29TH APRIL 2019 4:51 PM
In the heat of Lisbon
via celticbynumbers
———–
never read that before, quite brilliant analysis.
god bless bobby murdoch.
MOONBEAMSWD on 29TH APRIL 2019 4:00 PM
MA&H doing what he did best.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/61614987@N07/8021402333/in/dateposted/
MWD
—————
I did not think I had ever met MAH. But I did that day.
Your pictures have captured great people on great moments.
ta,
Sad sad news to hear about Stevie Chalmers although I knew he was I’ll.
RIP Stevie and thank you. Thoughts and prayers with the Chalmers family.
I’m led to believe that Aberdeen FC will hold a minute’s applause in honour of Billy McNeill before Saturdays game. I would expect this will also be extended to the memory of Steve Chalmers.
Their players wore black armbands yesterday, but I don’t recall if the other team did. They may have done. I can’t comment on whether some of the other teams supporters disrespected the minutes applause because just looking at the mutants that follow them makes me feel sick.
God Bless Billy and Stevie.
YNWA
Another Lion lost. Gone to another Paradise.
What a week.
A week of sadness, pride, reflection and gratitude.
Every time I think of The Lions, I think of my Dad.
I was too young to see them play. My Da filled in the blanks.
Cesar always reminded me of him.
Strong, decisive, principled, someone who people listened to.
Probably just being daft, having only met some of the Lions fleetingly, but I have always felt I know them and know them well.
Maybe it was Dad’s stories that made me feel like that.
RIP Dad
RIP Stevie
RIP Cesar
Thank you all
HH
ADI_DASSLER on 29TH APRIL 2019 7:12 PM
Agree…apart from him hating Levein !!
No bad thing….:))
Does make you think when Celtic players, who you first saw when they were young men, pass away in their later years. The first Celtic game I ever did see was at Somerset Park in Ayr. We won 3-1. Both Billy McNeill and Stevie played that day. John Hughes and Charlie Gallagher too. Willie Fernie as well. And Pat Crerand.
Few years later, new school, new classroom, met a young class mate for the first time, one who later actually got the chance to play for us. First question he asked; “Who is your favourite Celtic player”
“Stevie Chalmers” came my reply. “Same here” said the best footballer in the class.
As for the rumour about Celtic moving to another league,if it did it would be only a matter of time the Huns would be in the same league,Im sure Celtic will say in the summer,that they intend to upgrade the main stand,take away all the steel structure,and replace it with executive boxes,also new toilets and catering facilities,
HI GHUYS, I feel so privileged to have watched billy mcneil and stevie chalmers in the flesh, I remember vividly my late uncle packy taking me down to the front at the old rangers end, we always went there because uncle packy thought it was safer and as I had claustrophobia it would be better for me, rememember the policeman walking round the track and if it was winter the straw bales behind the goals, the ballboys behind the goals oh how I envied them, the little blue 3 wheeled disabled cars, the guy walking round the track selling macaroon bars spearmint chewing gum and cold sausage rolls, but most of all I remember big billy with that golden hair and no5 on his shorts, heading the ball away, and stevie chalmers with the no8 shorts either squeezing the ball in at the near post or putting it through the goalies legs,.billy mcneil and stevie chalmers you gave me some of the greatest moments in my life, I salute the both of you, may you both rest in peace amen.HAIL HAIL.
BURGHBHOY on 29TH APRIL 2019 7:29 PM
Top Post. HAIL HAIL ma Mhan.
??
RIP Stevie Chalmers.
It’s very sad to see this great bunch of men passing on.
Rewatching the Lisbon final reminds me that the youngest of the Lions to go was Bobby Murdoch. 22yrs on the day of our greatest triumph – and probably the best midfielder in the world. Incredible.
TJ
Haven’t been on for a while. An extremely sad time.
My sincere condolences to MA&H Family and friends, i never met MAH but enjoyed his input.
My prayers and thoughts also go out to The Chalmers family and friends, and The McNeill family and friends.
Whoever did this has captured the spirit of Billy and our ongoing Celtic story as it played out on Saturday, extremely well.
https://twitter.com/andyfisher1967/status/1122239692282519553
A club like no other
HH
Burghbhoy 7.29pm
Not daft at all, wish I had questioned ma own dad more when he was with us, I learn more on here fae Tontine Tim & CosyCornerBhoy :-)
Obviously Jinky & big Billy I knew about and ma Dad loved George Connelly… for some reason he is always the player I remember him talking about the most … always remember him saying he was gutted that George’s Celtic career was so short .. or not long enough
Rest in Peace, Stevie Chalmers, and thank you for ALL the wonderful memories.
Dear God, what a truly awful week.
Bada
?
Bada
Yep
I’ve just read back and found that Murdochauldandhay has also passed on.
Sincere condolences to his family and friends – I never met him but from his posts on here, which I always read with pleasure, he was a lovely, witty, self effacing, thoroughly decent man.
Much like Billy and Stevie were.
Rest in peace.
Paul67 etal
I remember in April 1967 before we made the Final I decided to make a Banner to take to Lisbon ,that was even before we had played Dukla P,I was very confident that we would get to the Final.
I spent a few weeks making it as I struggled to get a few pictures of the Players,they had to be all the same size and coloured, but I managed it in the end
When we arrived in Lisbon the banner was always with us, and on the day of the game we walked for about half an hour to the ground,Behind us there were a few dozen Portugese walking behind us,there were a few of the locals asked for the Banner, but I kept knocking them back, I wanted to take it back home after spending a few weeks making it.
When inside the ground we got to our seats and held the banner high, again a few locals wanted the banner,I kept saying no,but they kept up asking for the Banner, when Inter scored.and Tommy levelled the scoring,One guy behind me,another local,said in Pidgeon English, If Celtic scored would you give me the Banner,I said no,but put in a wee caveat and said If Celtic win,I’ll gladly give you the banner ,well you know the rest,he got the Banner.
When we went back in 2017 to celebrate us winning in 67 ,I kept a lookout to see if the banner would show up.
Steve’s goal lost me my banner,but I was the happiest guy in Lisbon when Stevies goal went in.
RIP Steve Chalmers,I’ll never forget that goal, for the rest of my life.
RIPBilly.
RIP MAH.
MADMITCH on 29TH APRIL 2019 1:24 PM
Tough times indeed at the moment on the history front. Trying to understand CFC in the early sixties and why it all came together.
Interesting to find out the detail of the team that came together for 65-74. Who were the senior players who had come through the barren 8 years and then blossomed.
*MM TBB at 3:04 PM is correct, there were 2 teams from 65 to 75 after which Jock’s injuries from a MVA curtailed any real involvement with the club again, I know he won the double in 76/77 but in reality that was a false dawn, lucky for us Big Billy was waiting in the wings.
The Lions side contained only 4 players who were there when Jock was coaching the reserves during the early years in the wilderness, as a result of his temperament wee ten thirty actually escaped the worst of that barren spell and achieved success down in Brum.
Big Billy, Luggy and Stevie suffered the most. Big Tam, the Wee Mhan, Chopper and the Buzz Bomb arrived just as it was peaking; I was at the latter two’s debuts and they were excellent, Bobby scored in his against the calvinists and Lemon had one chalked off, as per usual, against high flying Dundee who would go on tae win the League that season beating deidco 5-1 at hades enroute.
It got so bad though that Billy was looking at White Hart Lane as was Jinky, Bobby contemplated moving tae Oz and Sir Bob wanted tae sell Lemon and the Bear tae Falkirk and then the Latter Day Christ appeared and revitalised the sleeping giant.
One more comment about Stevie, after he had came on as a sub for the Bear in that remarkable 1-3 loss tae the mighty Real he scored our only goal and had another chalked off, Sir Bob said the following day we had just found our secret weapon for playing against the”continentals”, the Spaniards didnae know how tae contain him, Stevie Chalmers, oh how the smsm laughed, wurnae laughing almost 5 years later.
OLDTIM67 on 29TH APRIL 2019 8:09 PM
are you going to BLANE VALLEY on FRIDAY and if so what time.