We have Tommy Gemmell on the blog from 13:00 this afternoon. He will introduce himself in the comments section and be available for a ‘chat’ and questions.
Pat Woods, one of Celtic’s finest historians, sent me this excerpt from his book, Celtic, Pride and Passion:
“Although there was no formal award at the time to mark his performance, Tommy Gemmell, memorably described by Geoffrey Green in The Times (London) as “A big blond cat set among the Italian pigeons ‘, was widely regarded as the man of the match of the 1967 European Cup Final.
The continental journalists were particularly effusive, amazed as they were by the stamina, energy, determination and shooting power he displayed as he continually surged forward into attack.
Jean Cornu of L’Equipe, the most prestigious sports paper of them all, described Tommy as ‘The executioner of Inter, the man who smashed their defensive screen’, while the correspondent of the Swiss newspaper Gazette de Lausanne singled him out as the symbol of his assertion that Celtic’s display had rehabilitated football’s image and its honour.
Noting the delight on Gemmell’s face after the final whistle as the full back, With Sandro Mazzola’s ‘swap’ shirt draped over his shoulders, celebrated on the pitch, the correspondent wrote: ‘His smile was the smile on the face of the whole of football, that of real attacking football in all that world, conquering passion and conviction which we have come to love so much’.”
Tommy was in every sense a modern footballer, capable of playing with either foot, he had the kind of engine players of the 60s just didn’t possess. This gave him range, which combined with speed and a legendary shooting ability made him one of the genuine world class footballers in Jock Stein’s armoury. At the very peak of European football, the only occasion when a collection of players from the one local area became champions of Europe, Tommy Gemmell made the stage his own.
Best wishes to Danny McGrain, another of Celtic’s legendary full backs, who is recovering from a minor heart attack. We don’t know how lucky we are to have Danny on the training ground and in the dressing room with the first team players.
Today, Tommy Gemmell releases his autobiography, ‘All the best’, a fresh work, written with his friend of 50 years, Alex Gordon, which examines his life and times, in particular during that unique period in the history of sport in this country, when Celtic cast an enormous shadow over European football. It is a fantastic read, full of inspirational recollections and anecdotes.
You can order a copy signed by the man himself below. Remember to tune in from 13:00 today with questions, comments and stories for Tommy – and if you ask him about his European Cup Final goal, remember to tell him if you’re referring to the Lisbon or Milan Final!
This is what blogs were made for. Fill your boots and wallow in some unabashed Celtic glory. The stage is yours once more, Tommy.
[calameo code=0003901717b11f6e50af4 lang=en page=40 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]Tommy Gemmell: All the Best:
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good luck nad health tommy thanks for everything hh
Tommy
Absolutely brilliant,as I say,my main image of Lisbon,thanks for the reply and I wish you the best of health and a rare aul’ time in Lisbon…..again!
Hail Hail
Hi Tommy, all on here are mentioning the great days and big games, but I saw you on another occasion at Kearney High School in New Jersey. No one believes me when I say that big Jock put you on during the game at centre forward. Is that not true? I cannot remember if Joe or Willie would have been trembling after that, maybe you can tell us how good you were that night. I am getting too old to remember myself.
the bellshill beatle
That question is answered in the book. Our main job was to play for Celtic and Big Jock never let us forget it.
But there were some baffling decisions made by the bosses at the SFA back then.
Why was Bertie Auld never capped during then Lisbon era? I can’t think of too many left-sided midfielders who were better than him.
No, our main concern was keeping a first team place at Celtic. Anything else was a bonus.
Mr Gemmell
I have sometimes wished that our superiority that glorious day was reflected more in the scoreline. The record books don’t say 2-1 going on 6-1 unfortunately.
Would it have been a nice gloss for the record books to show that the erstwhile masters of Europe had been destroyed 6-1 by a Glasgow & District XI (copyright H McIlvanney) in their first attempt in the tournament?
…..or does it simply not matter a damn?
As mentioned, you missed out on Quiz ball. I remember that Bobby Lennox was asked “who or what is a garryowen?” and answered “a tipster in the Daily Record”. Does this prove that as a quiz team picker, Jim Craig is a very good dentist?
Good luck and good health Tommy
Thanks for everything.modern tech eh
HH to a true hero
HH
Tommy Gemmell
Great stuff from a great man….I hope you log
on in the future,especially after a defeat,your
insight would be informative.
petec, very true.
Yes Tommy that was the lorry.
Thought you’d missed me and thanks for the answer.
All the best big man and thanks for so many great memories.
CADIZZY
You’re not hard to please, are you??
livibhoy
There are a lot of players who have impressed me this season. There are the young lads at Dundee United, for a start. Gauld looks an excellent prospect.
I know Hibs have been struggling at the wrong end of the table, but they’ve got some fine young talent in there, too. The boy Stanton looks good. I thought he had an excellent game against Celtic at Easter Road earlier this season.
And the young striker at St Johnstone, Stevie May, looks an exciting prospect.
Sorry, I can’t put a team together for you, but I have enjoyed some of the emerging youngsters I have witnessed during this campaign.
That’s a healthy state of affairs for Scottish football.
TG,
You have made my day with your comments about Charlie Gallagher, my all time favourite Celtic player and what a player.
Thank you for the memories, especially those European goals. Brilliant.
valentinesday
Jim Baxter and Willie Henderson were two class acts. Slim Jim was superb with his passing and vision.
Wee Willie was just a super player. If I took my eye off him, I knew I was in for a torrid time.
He still reminds me of some of better games to this very day!
Thanks Tommy,Winning Captains,P67 and all who made the chat with another legend possible.HH
Tommy Gemmell
Great stuff. We are always debating the potential signing of some of these kids and wanted your thoughts.
Many thanks
LB
beatbhoy
16:57 on 16 May, 2014
“CADIZZY
You’re not hard to please, are you??”
What?…… It’s not too much to ask to have seen Tommy in the Quiz Ball team
Last Friday night, Lawrie was boasting how he used to beat you at snooker all those years ago…..that’s how bad he was!
weet weet weet
Suarez was an excellent player for Inter Milan and a lot was made of the fact he was injured and didn’t play against us.
Actually, I believe Inter might have suffered a bigger defeat than 2-1 if he had played.
He was a superb midfielder, but he couldn’t tackle a fish supper. Bertie would have roiled all over him.
I wouldn’t mind someone offering me £300,000-per-week to get the boots back on.
I can always dream!
Tommy Gemmell
great to listen to all your comments, some of my earliest memories are of Celtic winning the Big Cup.
All the best.
cadizzy…
Quizball … It wasn’t Lemon it was Whispy!
Laugh? I neatly choked to death lol
Tommy Gemmell
16.18
Cheers for taking my question. Looking forward to how you reveal the secret in your book.
All the best always, Big Shot.
Hi Tommy
I’m too young to have seen you play, but I’m well aware of the Lions’ unique place in football history.
Are you aware of the excellent book on the history of football tactics, “inverting the Pyramid” by Jonathan Wilson? You get a pretty good mention:
“Celtic weren’t being stifled, and the chances kept coming. Bertie Auld hit the bar, the goalkeeper Giuliano Sarti saved brilliantly from Gemmell, and then, seventeen minutes into the second half, the equaliser arrived. It came thanks to the two full-backs who, as Stein had hoped, repeatedly outflanked Inter’s marking. Bobby Murdoch found Craig on the right, and he advanced before cutting a cross back for Gemmell to crash a right-foot shot into the top corner. It was not, it turned out, possible to mark everybody, particularly not those arriving from deep positions.
The onslaught continued. ‘I remember, at one point, Picchi turned to the goalkeeper and said, “Giuliano, let it go, just let it go. It’s pointless, sooner or later they’ll get the winner,”’ Burgnich said. ‘I never thought I would hear those words, I never imagined my captain would tell our keeper to throw in the towel. But that only shows how destroyed we were at that point. It’s as if we did not want to prolong the agony.’
Inter, exhausted, could do no more than launch long balls aimlessly forward, and they succumbed with five minutes remaining. Again a full-back was instrumental, Gemmell laying the ball on for Murdoch, whose mishit shot was diverted past Sarti by Chalmers. Celtic became the first non-Latin side to lift the European Cup, and Inter were finished.”
justafan
I sit corrected. I think I have made that same mistake before
an tear man
Benfica with Eusebio in full flight were an amazing team.
We beat them 3-0 in Glasgow, but they turned that around in Lisbon.
You had to be some team to take three goals off that Celtic side.
Ajax with Cruyff were special, too. They gave us a bit of a doing in Amsterdam when we thought the hard work had been done. It was goalless with about 20 minutes to go and we lost 3-0.
We won 1-0 in Glasgow, but the damage had been done. They were worthy winners of the European Cup that season. They won it three years on the trot and that tells you all you need to know.
cadizzy…
The thing is…Willies answer was technically correct!!!
Hi Tommy
This is not a question and please do not feel the need to reply as there will be lots of other guys with things to ask.
I just wanted to say that this is an amazing thing you are doing today.
A chance for us mere mortals to talk to Legends?
Unthinkable a few years ago and i wish my old man was here to ask you a thing or 2.
Like all The Lions he held you in such high esteem and quite rightly so.
I must admit Bobby Murdoch was his favourite though!
Anyway…..he cannot thank you himself although he would have loved to so on behalf of my Dad and myself, thank you for everything you did to help make Glasgow Celtic famous.
Hail Hail Tommy Gemmell
jude2005
I think it would be best if you actually see the Jock Stein chapter before passing comment.
In the book, you’ll get the real flavour of how I thought about him.
CADIZZY
Had that ever happened, he’d have every right to boast about it!!
justafan
Garryowen a tipster?
following him would not have made you rich
fencelt
I don’t think Celtic would lose its soul if it headed for England.
I’m sure that would be a launchpad for the team to be one of the biggest and richest in the world.
Mind you, getting English top flight teams voting for Celtic into their league would be a bit like getting turkeys to vote for Christmas!
I can see it happening, though.
I wouldn’t bet against it.
Not a question Tommy, just a comment. I saw you and that magnificent Celtic team play many times and consider myself privileged to have been born when I was.
Looking forward to reading your book .
All the very best.
pintaguinness
I don’t recall Danny Kaye playing for Celtic.
And I never appeared in a Hollywood movie, so it was unlikely we would be confused for each other.
I’d like to echo many others here in saying thank you to Tommy Gemmell for taking the time to do this today. It’s been enthralling, and a privilege.
A track, that takes us all back.
Frankie Knuckles
Love is Powerful.
albert kiddcsc
I’ve answered this one elsewhere. The vote goes to Wee Jinky in training and George Best in an actual game. Two rare talents.
pogmathonyahun
Can I still jump over fences?
Well, that depends on who’s chasing me!
Tommy,
Great stuff this afternoon sir.
Thanks very much.
JC
cadizzy….
LOL
Nice one!
sav001
Celtic have been brilliant to their former players in recent years and I think that is down to Peter Lawwell.
What a marvellous gesture in taking the Lions to Lisbon for the Champions League Final later this month.
Fergus had other things on his mind when he was at Celtic, so that has to be respected.
In truth, he was sorting out the present while looking to the future.
I would like to think I have always had a strong affinity with Celtic, no matter who has been in charge.
There is such a thing as the Celtic Family and I’m delighted to be part of it.