BY AMAZING coincidence Lisbon Lions Tommy Gemmell and Jimmy Johnstone signed provisional forms for Celtic on the same evening of October 7 1961.
Previously, they had been on nodding terms at Burnbank Technical College when Gemmell trained as an electrician and Johnstone prepared for life as a welder.
That was back in 1960 and three years later the legends-in-waiting made their first-team debuts – the flamboyant full-back in a 5-1 win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie on January 5 and the mesmerising winger in a 6-0 loss to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on March 27.
Writer Alex Gordon co-authored Tommy Gemmell’s autobiography, All The Best, published in 2014, and recalls the genuine fondness the defender had for his long-time friend.
Here, in another CQN EXCLUSIVE, we turn back the clock to present a three-part series of Gemmell’s affectionate reminisces of Celtic’s Greatest-Ever Player.
Please enjoy.
LISBON, HERE WE COME…Jimmy Johnstone and Tommy Gemmell, wearing Dukla Prague shirts, celebrate Celtic’s 3-1 aggregate semi-final victory in Czechoslovakia on their way to history in the Portuguese captial on May 25 1967.
JIMMY JOHNSTONE was always one of my favourite guys. Obviously, he was much, much more than a mere team-mate.
He was great company and I always thoroughly enjoyed our time together, whether it was on a football field, sitting by a riverside doing a spot of fishing, taking in a movie, having a quiet drink in a bar, oh, anywhere and everything.
His courage in his gallant battle against motor neurone disease was humbling. I used to pop into his home in Uddingston to say a quick hello almost on a daily basis. His wife Agnes had rigged up a room that was custom-built for the Wee Man.
He had a big comfortable armchair and a massive TV screen that was normally tuned into one of the sports programmes. I would go there to try to cheer up my little chum, but, more often than not, it was he who had me in gales of laughter by the time I got back to my car.
I remember a day Bertie Auld and I arranged to visit him. We were sitting in his room simply shooting the breeze. There were just the three of us as Agnes had taken the opportunity to do a bit of shopping in Glasgow.
We were nattering away when the doorbell sounded. ‘Are you expecting anyone, Jinky?’ I asked.
‘Aye, Rod Stewart said he might drop in,’ replied my wee mate, who was one of the best wind-up merchants in the business.
TWO IN A ROW…Tommy Gemmell and Jimmy Johnstone are among the celebrating Celtic players as Bertie Auld, Bobby Murdoch and Billy McNeill hoist Jock Stein into the air after the club had beaten Kilmarnock 2-0 after sealing their second successive title in May 1967.
‘I’ll see who it is,’ I said as I made my way to the front door. I opened it and standing there right in front of me was…Rod Stewart.
‘Hiya, Tommy,’ said Rod. ‘How’s it hanging?’
Before I could think of a witty reply, he said, ‘Is Jinky coming out to play?’
We both fell about laughing. Rod was completely on his own, no minders, no entourage, just a chauffeur who remained in the Bentley which was parked in Jinky’s driveway.
Of course, it didn’t take long for half of Uddingston to turn up on Jinky’s doorstep to get a glimpse of the celebrity Hoops fan.
I showed Rod to Jinky’s room and all four of us, three Lisbon Lions and one of the world’s biggest rock stars, were sitting there talking about the good old days.
Amazing, really.
One the saddest aspects of Jinky was the fact he could never quite comprehend or take in the fact that he had been allowed to leave Celtic. He was only thirty years of age when Big Jock gave him a free transfer.
I don’t think he could ever quite accept that he was no longer a Celtic player. The club and the fans became his world.
LORD OF THE WING…Celtic’s Greatest-Ever Player Jimmy Johnstone.
He was a true working class hero and the supporters identified with him. He was easily one of the best footballers in the world during his prime.
I will never forget his impeccable display against Real Madrid in the Alfredo di Stefano Testimonial Match at a sell-out Bernabeu Stadium, with 130,000 cramming in to say farewell to their legendary striker.
Wee Jinky went onto steal the show after Alfredo, who had been a boyhood idol of his, left the field after fifteen minutes.
The forty-year-old icon looked as though he could have lasted the entire game, but he decided to take his seat in the stand. And from that vantage point he viewed my mate at his virtuoso best.
That was near to perfection I have ever seen from an individual on a football pitch.
I am not saying that out of misplaced sentiment, I really mean it.
*TOMORROW: Don’t miss Part Two of CQN’s EXCLUSIVE series, ‘When Wee Jinky Met Big TG’
