Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Ex-Dens skipper and Lisbon Lion dies at 73
FORMER Dundee FC legend and Lisbon Lion Tommy Gemmell has died at the age of 73.
Gemmell was a key member of the Celtic side which won the 1967 European Cup Final, scoring a spectacular goal in the famous victory over Inter Milan.
The left-back also played close to 100 games for Dundee FC and won the Scottish League Cup with the Dens Park side in December 1973 as captain.
Tributes began pouring in today from many leading football figures after Celtic announced his death this morning.
A statement from the Parkhead club said: “It is with great sadness that Celtic Football Club announces the sad passing of Lisbon Lion and Celtic great Tommy Gemmell after a long illness.
“Our thoughts are with Mary and Tommy’s family and friends at this very difficult time. Funeral details will be announced in due course.”
Andy Walker, president of the Lee Walker Celtic Supporters Club in Dundee, said: “He hadn’t been well for a long time but he will be sorely missed.
“He was just a really nice guy, a really likeable person. He’d never let you down for functions and I’ve met him many times at these events — he was full of fun and jokes. He was a fantastic player, a very unique, clever and fit guy.
“Gemmell was an inspiration to the Celtic team and he also did well for Scotland when he played.
“Of course he also scored that 20-25 yard scorcher in the 1967 European Cup Final. He was a penalty taker so he scored quite a lot of goals but he could also smash the ball in from far out.
“Gemmell was a fierce tackler and as a full-back he was good at getting forward. He was just different class, an overall great player.
“Of course he played for Dundee and was captain when they beat Celtic in the 1973 cup final.
“Nobody could begrudge him though. He was a great Celtic player and he served us well, so we said ‘good on him’.”
The famous 2-1 win for Celtic against Inter in the 1967 European Cup was the first time a British club won the prestigious competition.
Incredibly, all of Celtic’s players were born within a 30-mile radius of Glasgow, including Gemmell who was from Motherwell.
Gemmell moved to Dens Park in 1973 and was the last Dundee FC captain to lift a national trophy for the club after the 1-0 win over Celtic at Hampden Park. He went on to manage the Dark Blues.