Tommy Gemmell RIP

[hampsteadclaret]

Another of the Lisbon Lions has passed away.

What an excellent footballer he was. RIP.

[evensteadiereddie]

Another of my childhood heroes gone.

[hampsteadclaret]

Tommy Gemmell scores in the European Cup Final in 1967 against Inter Milan; Celtic went on to win 2-1.

They were the first North European side to win the trophy.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvlaOgEHHn4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[hampsteadclaret]

- sorry this is the Tommy Gemmell goal..the post above is the Chalmer's goal..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i31RBFSpqbk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[minnieclaret]

Smashing FB with a hammer in his feet. RIP Tommy.

[CleggHall]

Must only have been 23 when playing in that Cup Final, an excellent attacking fullback, one of the first I guess.
Scottish football was top class then, that was a real Celtic side.
Very sad to see one's childhood heroes die,

[Clarets4me]

Tommy Gemmell told a great story about that European Cup final...

After the final whistle went, all of the players ran towards keeper Ronnie Simpson in the Celtic goal and gathered in a huddle. Interviewed some years after, the journalist asked why they'd done this...
Gemmell replied " Well, if you remember, the year before England had won the World Cup and there was that famous photo of Nobby Stiles dancing round Wembley, with no teeth in, holding the trophy aloft ", the journalist nodded.
Tommy continued, " Well, we were all working class lads from Glasgow, and our wives had warned us in no uncertain terms, that they didn't want to see us on the front pages, looking like that. Ronnie had a bag in the back of the goal that contained all our false teeth, and that's why we ran to him before starting the celebrations !! "

[CleggHall]

It was common in those days for Scots to have all their teeth out as a 21st birthday present. Mrs CH spent £470 last week on an inlay, wish I'd married a Scots lass!

[evensteadiereddie]

You should have married a Spanish less - an ole is usually free.

[ClaretTony]

More sad news - outstanding player for Celtic

[Baliclaret]

I seem to recall Celtic playing in a World Club Championship one off game in South America following their European success. Maybe against Estudiantes. Anyway it was a battle with players kicking each other all over the pitch. One of the funniest scenes I have seen on a pitch was Gemmell chasing a frightened opponent across the pitch in retaliation. Those were the days !

[IanMcL]

A hero dies, a legend lives on.

[Enola Gay]

Now That's What I Call Retaliation...

https://youtu.be/Lnja51VticQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Baliclaret]

Enola, that's the one I remembered. However the other game I now recall was Racing v Celtic, the Battle of Montivideo. There is a clip of Gemmell, but in this case he kicks an opponent where it hurts on the blind side of the officials. Men really were men in those days and Celtic had many players who could look after themselves. A really good football team as well.

[Clarets4me]

See below

[Clarets4me]

Celtic actually played Racing Club,of Argentina in the World Club Championship over two legs. Celtic won the 1st leg at Parkhead, 1-0, but lost the return 2-1 in Buenos Aires. No away goal rules in those days, so some bright spark decided that a play off game in Montevideo, just over the River Plate in Uruguay would be a good idea.. Six sendings off rather suggests they'd have been better off sharing the trophy !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95jKohSPSDo

Tommy Gemmell's rather unique contribution to affairs and his justification, starts at around 2.45 minutes..

Baliclaret...it was Manchester Utd who played Estudiantes a year later, and that was a war,as well !!

[Baliclaret]

4me, I thought Estudiantes were involved somewhere. When you consider what went on back in those days compared to the mild altercations involving our own Mr Barton !

[Clarets4me]

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... _1969.jpeg

AC Milan's French forward, Nestor Combin after the 2nd leg against Estudiantes in 1969...

[hampsteadclaret]

re 13.. Enola Gay

Tommy Gemmell boots Helmut Haller [and Skinner and Baddiel into the air]..good lad.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsCOydsjBmg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ecc]

I didn't know about this until ten minutes ago.

Very sad news about a true footballing hero and a member of a unique team.

RIP

[JohnMac]

RIP Legend.
That was a team to admire regardless of affiliation.

[Buxtonclaret]

First European Cup final I ever watched on TV.
Great player at a time of a good few great Scottish footballers.
R.I.P Tommy.

Clarets4me. Great post.
Tommy'll have a giggle at that one, up in the clouds.

[Clarets4me]

First European Cup final I ever watched on TV.
Great player at a time of a good few great Scottish footballers.
R.I.P Tommy.

Clarets4me. Great post.
Tommy'll have a giggle at that on, up in the clouds.

Aye, no doubt downing a sherbert with " Jinky ", Bobby Murdoch & Ronnie Simpson, whilst trying to avoid Jock's disapproval !!

[Funkydrummer]

I refer you to 2mins 50 seconds in and the subsequent chat to Tommy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95jKohSPSDo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bloody brilliant.

[Clarets4me]

I refer you to 2mins 50 seconds in and the subsequent chat to Tommy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95jKohSPSDo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bloody brilliant.

I respectfully refer the Honorable Gentleman to post 16, whilst agreeing with sentiments expressed !!

[Funkydrummer]

I respectfully refer the Honorable Gentleman to post 16, whilst agreeing with sentiments expressed !!

Oh llobocks !

I plead the fifth yer honour.

[Clarets4me]

Oh llobocks !

I plead the fifth yer honour.

Just to cheer you up, Bertie Auld used to tell a Lisbon story, that went something like this...

Many of the Celtic supporters who travelled to Lisbon were travelling to the Continent for the first time, and the day after the win, three of them were travelling in a taxi back to Lisbon's Portella Airport. They saw an unconscious figure, lying at the roadside draped in Green & White, and asked the driver to stop. They hopped out and could get no sense out of him, but being concerned for a fellow Celt, they bundled him into the taxi and proceeded to check-in.
Airport security in the 1960's was not what it is now, and the barely conscious young man was bundled through Security by his new found friends, and strapped into a seat on the Charter flight back to the new Glasgow Airport. They'd found his fresh British passport in the back pocket of his jeans, which revealed his name as Jimmy O'Neill, and an his emergency contact, his mother, with an address in one of the new estates on the eastern outskirts of Glasgow..
Once back on the ground, the three friends joined Jimmy in a taxi, and decided to deliver him home. The taxi found the address, and two of the " Good Samaritans ", led him unsteadily down the path whilst the third ran ahead and rang the bell. Almost immediately, a stern looking lady of a certain age, replete with curlers and her pinny, answered the door..

" We've brought him back, Mrs O'Neill " they explained, " He was in a real state, but he's home now "

The three Celts, looked at her expectantly, waiting for the warm words of gratitude and thanks, that would surely follow..

" Well, that's very kind of you Lads ! ", she replied, looking with a look of disgust at her son, " But he's actually supposed to be on his Honeymoon in the Algarve, he only went up on the day to watch the match "