Celtic Player of the Day – Tommy Gemmell, Lisbon Lion

A defeat to Rangers on New Year’s Day 1963 gave Gemmell an opportunity to play at Aberdeen on 5th January, and he impressed everyone on that frosty pitch with his hard tackling and grim determination.

It was the following season however before he really grabbed the left back spot, and he played well in that season which was marred by the “Rangers complex”. Like everyone else, he was at a low ebb of his career and his life until Jock Stein arrived in 1965.

The relationship between Stein and Gemmell was complex, but basically Stein recognised his value to the team and encouraged his buccaneering style of play. Inevitably there were falling outs and transfer requests notably when Tommy was dropped from the 1969 League Cup final because he had been sent off in midweek while playing for Scotland, but both realised the value of the other until the time that Tommy was sent home from America in 1970.

Tommy then went on to play for and manage Dundee, winning the League Cup with them in that dreadful final against Celtic in December 1973.

For Celtic he won 6 Scottish League medals, three Scottish Cup medals and four Scottish League Cup medals. He died in 2017 and remained a Celtic supporter until his death.

David Potter

It is now three years since Tommy Gemmell passed away. Thousands of mourners turned up to pay their final respects at Celtic Park in March 2017, for a man who goes down as one of the all time greats. A Lisbon Lion, Gemmell is one of very few players in world football to have scored in two separate European Cup finals – the fact he did so whilst playing at left back only adds to the extraordinary achievement.

Tommy Gemmell was born on 16 October 1943 at his Gran’s house in Motherwell. He started playing football for his school team, where he was used as a right winger until the point that his amateur team, Meadow Thistle, had no left backs available for one match. Needless to say, Gemmell excelled in the role and made the position his own, despite being right footed. He quickly went on to play play junior football and joined Celtic from Coltness United in 1961, having trained with the club on two evenings per week for some time. Incidentally, Gemmell signed provisional forms with Celtic on the same night as Jimmy Johnstone; the pair would of course become immortal at the club.

He was soon known at the club for his powerful shot, which he called the ‘dunk’. This eventually made him the first choice penalty taker, a role which gave him 31 of his 63 goals for Celtic, with Gemmell only missing three times from the spot. Aside of this, the left back wasn’t overly impressive during his early days at Celtic, yet that was about to change with the arrival of Jock Stein. Stein pushed Gemmell to achieve more, and quickly the boyhood Motherwell fan became known for his aggressive defending along with his explosive shot when breaking forward.

On 28 September 1966, Tommy Gemmell became the first Celtic player to score in the European Cup when he netted against FC Zurich at Paradise. However, he is immortalised for one of the most iconic moments in Celtic history, when he blasted home the goal that drew us level in the the European Cup final in 1967. He also scored in the 1970 European Cup final, with a free-kick piledriver. In addition to these goals, Gemmell scored in the World Club Championship 1967, making him one of an elite few footballers to have scored in more than one European Cup final, as well as a World Club Championship!

Tommy made his debut for Scotland in April 1966, losing 4-3 to England at Hampden. He won 18 international caps, scoring once, which is quite shocking considering that numerous football journalists and magazines around the world, not least in France, Hungary and Brazil – had named him the best full back on the planet in the 1960s and 70s! Perhaps emblematic of his Scotland career, Gemmell was best known on the international scene for the first sending off in his career, against West Germany in a crucial qualifying match in the late 1960s. Scotland lost the match 3-2, no thanks to Gemmell putting them at a numerical deficit when he chased an opposing player and kicked him up the backside. The incident was later recreated in a football sketch with comedian Frank Skinner. The hilarious footage can be seen here:

Tommy was an extrovert and fiery character on and off the pitch. He often challenged Jock Stein over player issues with pay, and first fell out with the manager in a row over his behaviour. Gemmell was fond of a drink and often got himself and others into trouble with the boss. A story told by The Celtic Star’s very own, Jim Craig, goes that prior to the League Cup final in 1969, Tommy was hanging about with the fans outside the ground and arrived in the changing rooms late. Therefore, Jock Stein had got frustrated with him and had decided to drop him. A year later, he full back was sent home by Stein during a tour of North America, for his behaviour and drinking! This sealed Gemmell’s fate and he was eventually moved on.

After leaving Celtic in December 1971, Gemmell spent two years at Nottingham Forest, playing alongside Martin O’Neill and John Robertson. He then spent three years at Dundee from 1973 to 1976, captaining the Dens Park side to a 1-0 win over Celtic in the League Cup final of December 1973, which shockingly saw him get abuse from sections of the Celtic support.

He retired in December 1976 and managed Dundee from 1977 until 1980. Whilst in the job, he signed Jimmy Johnstone, who was by then struggling with personal problems after leaving Celtic. After being sacked by Dundee, he managed Albion Rovers twice before he sought greater income. Not bequeathed with tremendous riches in his playing days, and working part time at the beginning of his football career, Gemmell moved into insurance sales in his late working days and gave up on the poultry wage offered in the lower echelons of Scottish football management.

A Celtic legend, he was a regular speaker at Celtic events and was/is adored by fans of Celtic beyond question. In 2002 he was voted by the fans into the club’s Greatest Ever team, which shows just how high he is regarded at Parkhead. Even his friend and foe, Jock Stein, once remarked that he was “The greatest left back in the world.”

His passing hurts all in Celtic circles, and today – the third anniversary of his passing – we should all take a moment to remember a magnificent character and an incredible player.

Liam Kelly

When I published Tommy Gemmell’s book All The Best in 2014 I organised a Q&A with him with a group of Celtic Supporters who got the chance to question the Celtic legend on any subject they liked. Tommy was on wonderful form, despite his failing health. I got to know Tommy well as a good friend over the final few years of his life, living nearby him in Dunblane. He would always brighten up as soon as the conversation got round to his time at Celtic. Incidentally at the time before Brendan Rodgers was appointed as Celtic manager he reckoned that Roy Keane would be the man to come in to sort out a weak-minded Celtic dressing room to get the best out of the players.

Tommy was determined to go to another game and we organised everything to bring him to the last away game for Ronny Deila up at St Johnstone. Celtic lost 2-1 that night and it was the game that was later remembered as the last time Celtic had lost a match as the unbeaten run of league games was about to get underway. Sadly Tommy wasn’t able to make that game but was able to share his opinion the next day on what went wrong!

We lost Tommy on this day in 2017 and today the Celtic family will remember him fondly! Here is Tommy in great form answering questions submitted by Celtic Supporters….

When you chased that German to boot him up the bahoochie, was it the fastest you had ever run and the hardest you had ever kicked? And was it the first time you completely missed the ball?

That was the angriest I have ever been on a football pitch. Helmut Haller deliberately tripped me just as I was about to shoot from my favourite distance – about 30 yards out – and I just saw red. There was a minute to go and Scotland were losing 3-2 to West Germany in Hamburg in a vital qualifier for the World Cup Finals in Mexico in 1970.

It was bad enough being fouled, but what really got me going was the fact the referee didn’t even award Scotland a free-kick. When I turned round I could see Haller running for cover, but I just made a beeline for him. Was it the hardest I had ever kicked? My shots were measured at around 80-miles-per-hour and I think he got the motherload! And, yes, it was the first time I had meant to miss the ball.

Big Tam, your free-kick goal against Benfica is etched on the memory, as is the arse-kicking in the World Club Championship debacle. Can you tell me something about these two incidents in your career?

First up, the goal against Benfica wasn’t a free-kick. Wee Bertie took the deadball effort and rolled the ball in front of me about 25 yards out. I just gave it a mighty whack with my right foot and was delighted to see the ball soar into the far corner.

That European Cup-tie came shortly after I had been dropped by Jock Stein for the 1969 League Cup Final against St.Johnstone. He wasn’t happy that I had been sent off in the midweek game against West Germany. But I was brought back against the Portuguese giants and was happy to play my part in a 3-0 victory. I wasn’t proud of kicking the Racing Club player where the sun don’t shine, but I’m afraid I had just had enough of the Argentines spitting, kicking and elbowing me during our three games against them. I just exploded. I’m only human, after all.

Tommy, how long did you play for Meadow Thistle and did you ever bring the Big Cup back to Craigneuk or is that simply Craigneuk folklore?

What a good memory! No-one ever asks me about my career with Meadow Thistle! I played for them when I was 14-years-old and we had a reasonable team. I recall a player by the name of Tom Duddy who joined Celtic. He never played a first team game, but went onto sign for Cowdenbeath and then Airdrie. And there was a bloke called Eddie King who joined Hibs. I played in the morning for my school team and turned out for Meadow Thistle in the afternoon. Happy days! And, yes, I did take the European Cup trophy to Craigneuk to show it off to our neighbours.

My parents were at Celtic Park when we returned from Lisbon the day after the Inter Milan game. Following all the celebrations at the park, I took a ‘loan’ of the silverware for the rest of the evening. Incredible! Could you imagine that happening today? I simply lifted the Big Cup and took it over to where I stayed with my parents in Craigneuk. There seemed to be about 300 people there to welcome me home. It was just fabulous. My parents’ home was a second floor apartment and I think everyone – and I mean EVERYONE – crammed into their wee place that night.

Big Tam, I think you kicked that bassa from Racing Club harder in Montevideo! Hardly anyone in the stadium saw it except for the TV cameraman. Belter! Can you tell me why you kicked him?

I’m pretty sure the guy’s name was Norberto Raffo. He had been at it against us in the games in Glasgow and Beunos Aires. He was a streetwise guy. He would spit on you, tap you on the ankles and give you a dig in the ribs. But when you tried to give him a dull one, he was alert and sneaky enough to get out of the way. He would jump out of tackles and leave you frustrated. When there was yet another lull in play he was standing there, just smirking. I lost it. That’s when I decided to mete out some justice on behalf of myself and my team-mates. I’m not proud of it, but he had it coming.

When you kicked that German player in the Germany-Scotland game (3-2 defeat) was it frustration because Muller fouled in the build-up to the German goal or did that particular player do something to annoy you?

No, it wasn’t Gerd Muller who fouled me. As I have answered, it was Haller. Gerd was great at sticking his backside into defenders and making it virtually impossible for them to get in a tackle, but, on this occasion, it was their midfield player Haller who did the dirty. By the way, I didn’t realise he could move so fast!

Tommy, thanks for many of my finest memories. My questions are. ‘What was in your mind when you stepped up to take a penalty-kick? And did those thoughts change the more penalties you took?’

My main thought when I was taking a penalty was to get the ball on target. Obviously, that was a must! And I wanted to hit it as hard as possible. With that combination, I reckoned I stood a good chance of scoring a goal. I made my mind up very early in my career that was the way to take them. I rarely changed my mind when we got an award. Get it bang on the button and leave the problem with the goalie!

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