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:
972 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- »
Petec
A cheap city centre boozer.
Crystal Palace, Jamaica St.
M McGill
Their eyes are deid. Then, now, forever.
The internet bampots must have offended China”s feudal Lords ….. Youtube is blocked!
delaneys dunky
02:57 on 17 May, 2014
Cadaver eyes?
I was sent to the Shops
The Shops meant survival
I set out
Down the back pad
I walked I saw a man
He shouted me over
He offered me 50 pence
I ran
I knew
I came back and walked in
She was drinking with 3 men
I went to bed
I was in a room with sandy aged 6 and hughie aged3
I was 8
In the other rooms were my sisters
Rose had her own room
Then Liz and Irene shared a room
I was nearly sleeping
Something woke me
It was the dreaded footsteps on the stairs
I stopped breathing
I was shaking
Where would they go
They went into the other room
With the girls
I breathed
A sigh of relief
I heard the screams
We heard them most nights
I felt guilty
But relieved
It wasn’t me
I slept
Then I awoke
Punched in the face
Grabbed by the hair
Dragged into the toilet
He put the light on
Then I recognised him
He was offering me 50 pence a wee while ago
He started to burn me
Just enough
He proceeded to put me through an ordeal where I prayed for death
I woke up I didn’t want to
My siblings
3 dead
Irene and Liz survive along with me
Both can’t have children
I was going to kill myself today
Had a bad week
Only thing stopping me is my children
The pain spreads across you face and you can’t look at anybody
I’m automatic
Need drink
And God said to the board
All Tim’s should hoard
Them God said to Peter
Better than a street sweeper
1. EPL fodder
2. Nice turnover
3. Karagandies are gonna getcha
4. Awunna whit the Huns are Darin
M McGill
Corpus Hunnite!
Travellerbhoy
See you Friday bud.
delaneys dunky
Hideous corpus or habeus corpus?
Delaneys Dunky
02:54 on 17 May, 2014
Petec
A cheap city centre boozer.
Crystal Palace, Jamaica St.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sounds good to me, hopefully it is good for TB.
When will we have a Celtic great on doing a Q and A session who does not have a book to punt ?
M McGill
Hideous! Hahaha
Petec
Suits me sir! :)
dontpatmadug
03:27 on 17 May, 2014
Go ahead. Ask me anything?
Damascus
Dixie Deans
Delaneys dunky
Next question
Ok aff oot
Margaret McGill
03:31 on 17 May, 2014
dontpatmadug
03:27 on 17 May, 2014
Go ahead. Ask me anything?
______________________________
Why are you so unique? ;)
And I love you to bits for that.
Mother was comatose
In they came
Flora and Geordie
Geordie slapped me and pointed
To the room
Flora demanded drink
And tried to slap Rose
Rose was 12
She set about Flora
And grabbed her by the hair
And kicked her in the face
Flora was f*****
She came into the room like the red headed heathen she was
Geordie the coward pulled his trousers up and ran
Fae a 12 year old
And they never came back
Margaret McGill
03:31 on
17 May, 2014
Whits the price of cheese roon your way ?
Dontpatmadug
When my favourite ever Celtic player, Danny McGrain, gets an interview. God bless Danny. Another minor setback for the perfect footballer. Get well soon, my hero!
Delaneys Dunky
Good shout.
Off oot.
Leave y’all with this CLASSIC.
There is a dude I know called Danny, who thanks to OSCAR, is returning Home. I cannae state how happy this makes me feel, let me just say, I’m not unhappy. :))))))
God Bless the Thumbs Up.
We were part of a well organised ring in the late seventies and early eighties
Some social workers were invoked
Big cover up
My mother was involved
She sold us
But still alive
Good morning Timland……
And it really is….. with many thanks to TnT…. Coupled the Commander with the aptly named Bears Affair for what they (and me) call a nice little earner!!
Could this summer get even betterererer…….!
Mags…
Shanghai.. You based there or visiting??
Should be there end of May.
HH
Archive: 6 May, 1974, Celtic 3-0 Dundee United
17 May
2014
03:40
Published 17/05/2014 02:03
SO THE Saturday Night Mob have scooped British football again. Every Saturday, when the day’s work is done, Jock Stein has Bill Shankly on the telephone and usually Don Revie, and there is a three-way exchange of views and ideas and gossip, and now among them they have won the Scottish League and the Scottish Cup and the English League and Cup.
The inference must not be that because they talk they have won everything but rather each recognises the qualities of the others and maybe with nobody else could they talk football at the level at which they operate and in a sensible, down-to-earth way.
Stein, Shankly and Revie are basic, pragmatic football people. None affects the jargon of the coaching schools and each is plentifully endowed with good commonsense and they play the game from that ground. They are so similar in background, in talk and in attitude that they are happy in each other’s company. They respect each other, so that each is humble in the other’s presence.
We used to hear of great generals having this sort of relationship away from the battle and of fighter pilots fraternising out of respect for a worthy foe and it seemed romantic rubbish, but here in football, before our very eyes, we see it happen.
Their similarity spills over from the field of play. Each has this great gift of being able to speak to people at every level of society and being able to do so naturally and to their amusement. Each handles his players as human beings and knows their problems, personal and professional, and can apply native wit to resolving them and knows their families and is interested in them and proud of them.
Stein once told me that the greatest satisfaction for him was to see one of his players come from poor circumstances and marry a good girl and buy a fine house and have nice children. He could have been speaking for them all.
Of course, they know more about football than anyone else in Great Britain and this morning we hold them up as an example to players who might let a bit of success go to their heads. The Saturday Night Mob have shown that these days managers win trophies and championships and they are managers who keep their feet on the ground.
On Saturday, Jock Stein at Hampden Park showed relief above the ordinary at Celtic winning yet another Scottish Cup. He had explained beforehand that this cup had to be won to stop the talk that Celtic did not win cup finals.
What he did not explain beforehand and for obvious reasons was that the team were in a bad way. They had brought back a bug from that depressing trip to Madrid. Several were showing distress at Seamill. Connaghan and Murray were barely fit on Saturday and McGrain would not normally have been called upon to play.
Such were the doubts about the fitness of the players that an economical plan had to be set and it involved avoiding elaboration in midfield and instead throwing long balls to the runners. It was a pattern which was not spectacular, for, especially in the first half, the midfield was by-passed by Celtic and that is where the excitement of their play is usually manifest.
Still, it was a plan which took Celtic into a two-goal lead after 25 minutes, for the Dundee United defence proved too uncomfortable turning and chasing. Hood and Murray struck scores when they were in disarray from the runner’s work.
Before the goals, Dundee United had a lot of the ball but without troubling Connaghan. It was neat possession football which took the play all over the midfield but it was play for that area and not directed at goal. They found the square pass to the man coming on easy, but when it came to putting the ball through, that was a different matter.
It was good drilling which gave Dundee United the appearance of having control, but really what was being demonstrated was that, as the manager, Jim McLean, had hinted, they were in the final too soon and before their players were ready.
The young ones showed a distressing lack of experience and there was that embarrassing situation in which the young ones would have had to carry some of the more experienced who were finding the going heavy. Young Graeme Payne never was able to reproduce his true form and Andy Gray found Billy McNeill nearly insourmountable.
Yet Gray was a great trier and he it was who raised the excitement just after half-time, when Dundee United were so unfortunate not to score. Connaghan’s saving of his close-in header was breathtaking and then Knox’s firmly hit shot struck McNeill on the head as he sat on the ground.
That was the only time Celtic were really in trouble and the second half became dreary indeed and they sat comfortably on a two-goal lead, concerned more with winning the cup than with the spectacle. And so the final became an occasion for yawns rather than roars.
It was disturbing to see so many of the Scotland World Cup players lacking in sparkle, but perhaps that was the result of the Spanish bug ennervating them. Dalglish did not show the sustained brilliance we have come to expect from him. Hay was dull and McGrain latterly had to be taken from the field and will not be in the party at Largs this week but will join the pool after the match against Northern Ireland and be available for the Welsh and English games.
Jimmy Johnstone was not spectacular, but he was good. He put away more neat, perceptive passes than anybody on the field and he could bring out the trickery when needed. He was handicapped by Celtic not using their usual build-up in the midfield for such would have brought him more into the game. He was not suited to chasing those long passes from defence.
The Dundee United manager thought that when Deans scored the third goal in the last minute that was hard on Dundee United. It was not really. They made a good try but they were not ready for this Celtic, whose sustained success is taking the thrill of the unexpected out of the game.
The Cup and League double used to be the height of club achievement. It used to be the Everest of football, but now Stein has won the league and cup double five times and it is so very ordinary, at least for him. The last thought is that Stein has just himself in Scotland. In England, Shankly and Revie have each other, so there is some measure of competition.
Celtic: Connaghan, McGrain (Callaghan), McNeill, McCluskey, Brogan, Johnstone, Murray, Hay, Dalglish, Hood, Deans.
Dundee United: Davie, W Smith, Copland, D Smith, Kopel, Gardner, Knox, Fleming, Houston, Payne (Traynor), Gray.
Referee: J Paterson.
Attendance: 75,959
Blatter admits choosing Qatar for the World Cup was a mistake.
Hmmmmm….does that mean he should hand the money back:-)
Stokesy and Griffiths do a Rooney and get hair transplants.
Another case of having no consideration for the fans. Quite a few of my pals have the same hairstyle as them:-))
Travellerbhoy, your a survivor, that takes real strength
HH
Top of the morning to you all from a fair, grey Fife.
Off out walking then back for a full fried breakfast.
If you know the history………..
100 years ago today the press were lauding the remarkable financial figures coming out of Ibrox, but were silent on the treble-winners who were making their mark in Europe.
The more things change the more they stay the same eh?
http://www.thecelticwiki.com/page/1914-05-17%3A+Ferencv%C3%A1ros+TC+2-2+Celtic%2C+Tour+of+Hungary%2C+Austria%2C+Germany
Good luck to Jackie’s boys today but may the best team win.
Gutted we’re no at Hampden today!
HH
TG on fhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6H3kleEmi8&feature=player_embeddedantasy football made me giggle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=g6H3kleEmi8#t=31….this time
Big Nan
Glad we’re no at Hampden today
danny
I`m with you.
Let`s go to Hampden and pay homage to Scottish football authorities and their flagship tournament?
No thanks.
Cut to the chase.Win the S.P.L.with the prize of C.L.
Our vision is Europe.Domestic football is a means to that end.
Experiment in the cups.
Go through the motions.
Off to Celtic park today with my utd supporting mate : gonna seem strange sitting in our stadium without the hoops playing but with Jackie Sid and Darren in the terrors dug out my allegiance is switched to them for a couple of hours
Anyone in Facebook ?
Take a wee look at a page called old Glasgow Celtic pics
Some great pics of players from the past and also some great nostalgia
Today the guy put up a picture of a Celtic action man from the 70s ..
Don’t think there will be much of a crowd at Hampden today:-))
I found this interesting (extract from Field of Dreams)
” The irony, of course, is how close to the truth John Brown actually was. He simply failed to understand the complexities of what he was talking about, even if his gut was telling him it wasn’t quite right. When Stockbridge showed the deeds to the Daily Record, all their hacks had to see was the word “Rangers” on those deeds and no more questions were asked.
When this crisis reaches its nadir, when the long con is revealed in all its gory glory, I am willing to lay a bet that the word “Rangers” will still be on the title deeds at Ibrox. But there will be two, or even three, “Rangers” entities by then, and one of them will be charging the “club” rent.
That’s where the danger lies, where it has always lay, and last night’s “victory” for the Sevco Rangers fans is another step closer to that day. It closes the door to one possibility, and immeasurably strengthens the more profound, more dangerous, one.
One last time I’ll say it … for their fans there is no “victory” to be had here, only degrees of losing. If what they are hoping for is a return to the “grand old days of yore” they better buckle in for a bumpy ride, because it’s not going to happen, and the sooner they realise it the sooner their club can extricate itself from the god-awful (and highly amusing) mess they are in.
There is going to be blood on the walls before this is over.
For the Sevco fans it will be a long, horrible summer. For Celtic fans, I can see high times and much chortling and amusement. For neutrals, it will be another spectacle to leave the senses reeling and the mouths wide open.
There’s going to be plenty more to write about, that’s for sure.