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Fullname: Tommy Gemmell
Born: 16 Oct 1943
Birthplace: Motherwell - Brought up in Craigneuk,Wishaw.
Signed for Celtic: 1961
Left: Dec 1971
Games: 418
Goals: 64
Internationals: Scotland, 18 Caps

Biog

Tommy Gemmell is another Celtic legend,a member of the Lisbon Lions, who scored the equalising goal in the final as Celtic lifted the European Cup in 1967.

Tommy Gemmell was born on 16 October 1943 in his Granny's house in Cumbrae Drive, Motherwell - the family subsequently moved to Craigneuk in Wishaw when Tommy was five years old.. He played right wing for his school team and only moved to left back when his amateur team Meadow Thistle were short of a full back. He joined Celtic from junior club Coltness United in 1961, although he had already been training with the club two evenings per week. He signed provisional forms on the same night as Jimmy Johnstone.

In his youth he actually was a big Motherwell fan, growing up in nearby Craigneuk in tough conditions. The environment is likely what developed the hard edged spirit in his game. An aggressive attacking full back he lacked nothing and took no prisoners. He exuded confidence and enabled the Lisbon Lions to begin their attacks as much from the back as from the front. The big factor that changed his life was the arrival of Jock Stein at Celtic, and things were to change forever. Prior to this, he was going nowhere in particular.

Jock Stein pushed Gemmell, and quickly he became known not only for his stalwart defending but also for his charges forward and his thunderbolt strikes at goal. Even before the European Cup final, Gemmell was known for his long-range shots at goal. On September 28th 1966, he became the first Celtic player to score in the European Cup when he netted against FC Zurich at Parkhead.

He will forever be immortalised for one special moment int Lisbon for scoring the goal that helped us to win the European Cup in 1967. The strange thing is that he was not a heavy goal scorer, many of his goals actually came from the penalty spot (64 goals in 418 appearances for Celtic, 31 of those from the penalty spot). A fearless no nonsense player, he was the most adept to take them, or probably his vanity meant he had the over-confidence to fearlessly take them.

He also scored in the 1970 final, making him one of an elite of footballers to score in two finals. However, some have retorted that his performance was below what should have been expected in the final and some have admonished him as a reason for losing that game, but it's all history now.

He made his debut for Scotland in April 1966, losing 4-3 to England at Hampden. He won 18 caps but perhaps gained more notoriety for his sending off (the first of his career) in October 1969 against West Germany in a crucial qualifying match which the Scots lost 3-2, where he chased an opposing player to give him a boot up the arse (later famously sent up and recreated in a football sketch in the 1990's "Fantasy Football League" program on BBC in which Gemmell kicked Frank Skinner so hard that the man injured himself in the fall).

He had his differences with Jock Stein, but when manager Jock called him the greatest left back in the world he was being genuine. In retrospect, Tommy Gemmill's biggest asset was his ability to stand up to anyone. He was probably the only one player at Celtic willing to front up to Stein over any quibbles over things like pay. This wasn't necessarily greed and must be noted just how little players back then were paid in comparison to now. However, money was a major element to Tommy, reflected heavily in his biography sometimes too much. Nevertheless, he was still well loved by the players and the manager, and money concerns hardly single him out alone.

A genuine character, he was one of the more frank members of the Lisbon Lions players which endeared the fans to him. Tommy Gemmell is only exceeded by Jimmy Johnstone in the high jinx stakes. In fact, most of Jimmy Johnstone's tales seem to see Tommy having involved in some way or being at least present. Both were close and joined Celtic at the same time and worked together.

Tommy was a bit of a show-off and egotist both on the pitch and off, and had limited respect for responsibility many a times which created problems for himself. One of his first situations with Jock Stein was a row over his showing off! Gemmell liked to play it close to the edge, always enjoying the high life drinking to the last moment (or beyond it if he could get away with it) and then getting himself and others into bother with the manager. Jim Craig penned in one of books that he has many tales to recount about Tommy but most would be libellous! Jock didn't often take well to his behaviour, and a later episode recalled by Jim Craig, was that prior to the League Cup final in 1969 Tommy Gemmell was swanning about with the fans outside only to arrive in the changing rooms late to hear that Jock Stein had by then decided to drop him.

Continuous fallouts with Jock Stein's coaching team sealed his premature departure, but Jock himself had put up with Tommy for much too long, especially after high jinx during a tour of North America in 1970 forced Gemmell to be be sent home early. Jim Brogan's entry into the side meant that we'd found a capable replacement for Gemmell. To be fair, Jock himself was not always an easy character to work with either.

After leaving Celtic in December 1971, Gemmell spent two years at Nottingham Forest, playing alongside future Celtic manager Martin O'Neill and future Celtic coach 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 didn't go down well with some sections of the Celtic support who retorted verbally).

On retiring in December 1976, the Celtic legend managed Dundee from 1977 until 1980 - one of his first signings was Jimmy Johnstone although that didn't really work out. Tommy managed Dundee to victory over us in a match that helped to lose us the league that season. After being sacked by Dundee, he managed Albion Rovers, and later totally abandoned all football management moving into insurance sales. Still a regular speaker for Celtic in interviews and for dinners, he remains a popular Celtic man (in 2002 he was voted by the fans onto the club's Greatest Ever team) and forever will be adored, as much for his on-field achievements as for his off-field antics.

Celtic Career Stats

TOMMY GEMMELL'S CELTIC CAREER
	LEAGUE			LEAGUE CUP			SCOTTISH CUP			EUROPE			OTHER			TOTALS
	APPS	SUB	GLS	APPS	SUB	GLS	APPS	SUB	GLS	APPS	SUB	GLS	APPS	SUB	GLS	APPS	SUB	GLS
61-62	0			0			0			0			0			0		0
62-63	2			0			1			0			0			3		0
63-64	31			6			4			8			5			54		0
64-55	30		3	10			6			8		2	0			54		5
65-66	34		4	11			7			8		2	0			60		6
66-67	34		9	10		1	6		2	9		4	3			62		16
67-68	34		4	9		3	1			2			5		2	51		9
68-69	31		8	8		1	7		1	5		1	0			51		11
69-70	29		9	10		3	5			9		3	1		2	54		17
70-71	19		1	6		2	6		1	3			1			35		4
71-72	3			4			0			3		1	0			10		1
	247	0	38	74	0	10	43	0	4	55	0	13	15	0	4	434	0	69
OTHER	Glasgow Cup, World Club Championship

Books

• Autobiography
• The Big Shot (1968)
• Lionheart (2004)
  

Links

• Lisbon Lions

Pictures

• Picture Gallery