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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Hail Hail big Tam. I remember you booting a German fella up the erchie. Who was it and what led up to it? Still makes me laugh!
MWD- did you mean ‘x legned’?
Willie Maley had his flaws; I expect Fergus Mccann has his off days.[btw, when is Mr McCann appearing on CQN? Get him on when he’s over to raise the Flag!]
Only God and His Angels are perfect.
DBBIA
Is say you were correct except that I’m no a hunner % sure on the ole god/angel thing just yet. Although having said that Wee Oscar has brought me closer to that hypothesis once again as the wee fella could only have been an Angel amongst us for all the good he brought out in people.
MWD
Turkeybhoy
12:19 on 16 May, 2014
‘Ernie,
So when do you call a halt to the “Realistic view”of Big Jock.The man is not here to defend himself.Anything written about him now,could be a made up load of crap.How are we to know?.’
##
You exercise your judgement, like an adult.
You consider the source, what they would have known, what agenda they might have, and whether their version chimes with other peoples’ recollections.
As I said, judgement.
big wavy – there is no wee partnership.
DJ67 – Two players disappointed that their time at the club had come to an end and one the club didn’t want to lose at that time. Jock doing his job. Players telling their stories. All three books are very much pro -Jock Stein. Have you read any of them?
winning captains,
I have no problems with the book.What I do have a problem with is letting the DR try to denigrate Big Jocks memory,with the writers apparent permission to try and sell more books.Good god,can you not see the sheer,naked hypocrisy here?.
Some fans on here trying to ignore the facts.Show them a “Lisbon Lion”and they are like putty.
As for “Its no problem knowing about the man,warts and all”,as I said earlier,whats next,the BJK story plastered all over the DR.Would we all be happy to see that?.Where does it end?.The man cannot defend himself,and if its taken 40 years for this story to break,then quite frankly,I am dubious,to say the least.
Tommy Gemmell scorer in 2 european cup finals for my team Celtic thank you for the great contribution to our club.a true hero.
Hail hail
Ps is Halle still orbiting :-))
An T
Tommy Gemmel.
If you were playing against the current atletico or real team in the champions league final this year, would you score one,two or more goals?
Tommy
Excluding the Lions, who has been your favourite player to watch in the Hoops?
Wee heavenly body, still orbitin’
Winning Captains
You know exactly what I mean. The next time you and the editorial team decide to go down the anti msm route just check you’ve got the right face on when you come out preaching.
Do we need them or do we not need them ?
Well done Paul67 and CQN for getting these real legends on to speak with the fans. Thanks.
Club legends have been given a platform to tell their stories as they lived them, to record the good and bad in all it’s glory.
The record corrupt those stories and it’s CQNs fault?
Well done CQN for giving these guys the platform. Shame on you Daily Record for sh@”ing on the platform.
Big wavy.
Do we need snidely comments like that?
Away and think it through.
ernie lynch
Ernie,how is it possible to make any judgement?.Only one side of the story.No rebuttal from anyone.Who is backing up these claims?.
I think you are missing my point,maybe deliberately.The DR is the last newspaper that should have been used.If it was used,only to sensationalize the book,to increase sales,then that is shameful.
The DR is the enemy of Celtic,or so we keep getting told on here,yet you think it is ok for this publicity,another slur on Big Jocks name,to be used.Sorry,not me.
Tommy, thanks for all you done for our club.
Firstly just to point out, as well as scoring in 2 European Cup Finals, you also scored Celtics first ever goal in the competition against Zurich. You must be really proud of these milestones.
Anyway I wanted to ask did you keep any of your matchworn jerseys? Was that something the players did back then? Do you still have some ? Thanks.
Hi – diddle-de-de
wtf is Alice? 8)
big wavy – CQN did not have the serialisation rights for the book.
This remained with the author.
His friend of 50 years – who is a Celtic man – and who didn’t even know what CQN was until recently – organised that for him. The money goes to Tommy.
Two faced we are not. Seriously considering pulling this today. Way too much hassle.
dj67…
I posted this much, much earlier to GCT on the previous thread:
…Don’t get too upset… I don’t think the bhoys are doing anything other than placing their thoughts and personal experiences on record. Nobody is perfect, not Big Jock, not these bhoys!
To be fair to Yogi most of what he has written he has consistently stated for many years and was known to most people of the generation who saw his career. (Much like the belief/knowledge that for a time Wee Bertie wouldn’t pass to him lol). He also acknowledges his debt to Jock in improving him as a player and for providing a career of success.
Again much of the TG fallout was (unusually for that era) well aired in the media at the time. TG may have been proud of his sending off but the Club sure wasnt and were embarrassed by the nature of the event and its harking back to similar from the Racing Club game which was still a sore. The Barca/Spurs links are new to me admittedly but my recollection of that period was that despite the fallout Celtic and Jock in particular wanted TG to stay and the support thought the same. I’m glad to see TG state, in the same DR piece that he loved and still loves his memories of the Big Man.
I can’t comment on WW’s piece because I haven’t read it!
I do sympathise with your observation about Jock not being able to respond. I bet he could tell a few about them!!!
Don’t know if you ever saw a documentary by Hugh McIlvanney about the three managers, Busby, Stein & Shankley but I recall more than one story about difficulties and fallouts players had usually over money, testimonials and downright lies/deceptions. It was how management sometimes worked then and probably still does now!
Personally I prefer to know my heroes as men/women as real human beings and not idols. The imperfections and failings add to rather than diminish the achievements.
I enjoy biographies very much but autobiography needs treated more cynically…the stave in ones eye and all that…
That these commentaries have followed on from each other magnifies the effect of apparently ‘doing a job’ on the Big Man but if we keep encouraging the bhoys to tell their stories…
+ ALWAYS the players detail how much they owed Jock, whether or not they got on with him. TG explicitly stated he loved the man.
I wish I had been good enough to play for Celtic even if they did bump me out at the end lol.
I’m really interested to know all about those years and what the experiences were like for the players. I already know what it was like for the fans!
I do though get frustrated that serialisation via the msm seems to be necessary+
HH
Afternoon all. I gather the DR are doing a hatchet job on our greatest manager through TG’s new book. Ignore them. Much of the stuff will be well known to those of a certain age and anyway Mr Stein will always be the greatest and TG a legend. Celtic were well served by both.
holy wullies everywhere…great timing btw.
Turkeybhoy
12:47 on 16 May, 2014
Lee & Lance.
Is that whay you want?
Cos that’s what’ll happen.
Hail Hail Tommy, I’ve actually got four questions for you.
When you scored that magnificent goal in Lisbon how long did it take for the significance of what you and the team had achieved for Celtic Football Club and the support to sink in?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrlPAsMwZR8
Is your pride today still as strong as the day you brought us back the big cup given the change of format in the competition?
Did you know my late uncle, Henry (Harry McCrory)? He followed you guys like his life depended on it home and away and all over Europe, Lisbon included. Once he retired he worked in the London Road CSC up until the time of his passing.
Have you got any idea where Kevjungle goes when he goes “off oot”
Acgr
‘Two faced we are not. Seriously considering pulling this today. Way too much hassle.
Dearie me, we get the chance to ask a GENUINE hoopslegend a few questions and some people are more interested in driving home their own agenda.
Modren internet bampottery is rubbidge..
‘
Good Afternoon.
Can I throw my tuppenceworth into the Daily Record debate as opposed to the Tommy Gemmell debate.
As WC said on the previous page, CQN has nothing to do with the serialisation of the book at all.
I drew up the contract that covered both the relationship with Alex Gordon and with Tommy in so far as CQN publishing the book is concerned, and in standard form that contract deals with serialisation as a matter of contract and law.
CQN, as publisher, gains certain rights under the contract and in return makes certain financial commitments which include paying the costs of printing the book, having it distributed, promoting it and so on.
The serialisation rights were completely reserved and so no one at CQN has any control over if the book is serialised, where the book is serialised, how the book is serialised and when the book is serialised. Nor do CQN or anyone at CQN gain any money or financial reward from any such serialisation.
Now that being the case, let’s point out something else:
The Book is called ALL THE BEST.
It is a book about the best players Tommy Gemmell has played with and against. In it he goes on to name several players within and outwith The Lisbon Lions whom he considers to be THE BEST.
Of Course, in the midst of the book he mentions his relationship with Jock Stein and various others.
So — tell me this.
From the serialisations that you have seen so far — do they tell you what this book is about given that there are 200 plus pages of book, or do they reaffirm any view you may have had of the newspaper that published the serialisation?
In essence, does the serialisation demonstrate the lazy and sensationalist journalism that we complain of, or does it demonstrate that those days are gone?
Now, those of us who have seen the book ( I haven’t read it yet but was involved in the discussions surrounding it ) know what it is about, why it was written and what Tommy wanted to say ( By the way think of another meaning for the phrase ” All the best” ).
And that intent is definitely not reflected in the snippets deliberately chosen by the newspaper.
Many of the lions will tell you that their relationship with Jock Stein was far from perfect. In many ways towards the end of their time, the players, the manager and the club did not find a way to part company easily and so toes were stood on and ego’s bruised….. at the time.
However, time heals old wounds and at the same time perhaps reveals that whilst not everything was as rosy as once thought, nor was it as black as some thought on some occasions.
However,as I type serious, discussions are taking place about whether to cancel the blog appearance by Tommy — and if that happens then the Daily Record really has done a better hatchet job on the big man than any opposition player ever did — to Tommy, wee Jimmy or anyone else.
Honest mistake
I ll rise above your call for censorship. I have a point that isn’t alone.
dontbrattbakkinanger
12:50 on 16 May, 2014
Wee heavenly body, still orbitin’
…….
Haven’t opened, but assume its yer usual…..
Should you not post a health warning for those with ticker trouble?
Hi Tommy from a clear night in Sydney. Never saw you play, but in my 1st season watching the hoops you managed a team that beat us 5 1 and we lost the league the Wednesday after:(
My question is. What is your view on our club now in the fact we don’t sign players to put bums on seats , but purely as an investment ??
Welcome Tommy,
Q1 Thanks to you for letting us know, as did other Lions, that Big Jock had his frailties along with every other human being, but as Bill Shankly said at the time “Jock your immortal” in footballing terms, would you agree?
Q2 Do you remember late sixties early seventies a newspaper running a fastest shot competition and you up their with the winners?
HH Tommy and thanks for the great memories (did you think you looked like Danny Kaye?).
Ravishing Rondures – whilst we wait
Tommy…you’re late!
You used to always arrive just at the right time lol
Big wavy.
No call for censorship. Just a call for you to stop being snidey and use your brain.
Anyway there’s a legend on the blog who has done more for the club than we could ever dream of. Thanks for everything tommy.
Hail hail
Bourne…
That’s a ‘Like’!
Jaysus what a place for flouncing.
Winning captains get big Tam on please. Every Celtic fan should be proud of these bhoys and what they done for our club. If they don’t like the serialisation simple don’t buy the rag or the book for that matter but to lambast TG an hour before he is due to give us his time in my opinion is just wrong.
Good afternoon, Celtic fans
I’m delighted to be here on Celtic Quick News to chat with the greatest supporters in the world.
I loved playing in front of you and if I put a smile on your face, then that was an added bonus.
Right, let’s get started.
First up we have vmhan who asks: “What is your favourite ever game?’
That’s an easy one to start with, Vinny.
It’s got to be Lisbon, of course. Everything came together that day and it was a very special game.
We went into it realising we were underdogs and Inter Milan had won the trophy twice in the previous three years.
They had also won the world club cup, too, during that period, so they were well worthy of their favourites tag.
But we were a confident bunch of guys and I can tell you we were convinced we would become the first British club to conquer Europe.
And so it proved.
That was just a marvellous chapter in all our lives. Unforgettable, really.
No chance TG not turning up…never took a backward step in his life!
TD
any message for lurkin’ Hun’s?