RODGERS: IT’S TIME TO HONOUR LISBON LIONS
Rodgers calls for Lions to be given proper civil honour as Lisbon anniversary looms
BRENDAN RODGERS has called upon the Lisbon Lions to be formally honoured.
The Celtic manager spoken of his surprise at the lack of formal recognition for the first British team to win the European Cup.
Rodgers said: “I find it hard to understand why they haven’t been commemorated in a greater way.”
His comments come following the death this week of Tommy Gemmell and the disclosure that former skipper and manager Billy
McNeill has been struck down by dementia.
A posthumous appeal for Jock Stein to be knighted was turned down by Gordon Brown in 2007 as only living people can receive it.
But Rodgers believes there has to be some recognition given for the achievements of Celtic’s greatest ever team.
The Celtic manager said: “For a Scottish team to win the European Cup, they really set the trail for every other British club.
“What they inspired of others to go on and down – managers and coaches – they really pointed the way. They put the signpost in.
“You see these things handed out left, right and centre now but these guys are true icons and they put the signpost in the ground for British football.
“At that time for 11 players within a 30 mile radius from Celtic Park just doesn’t happen.
“These types of achievements are given out to people who devote their lives to something or do something exceptional, and I’m nearly sure that everyone would say that’s what they’ve done.
“Sometimes these things can come too late. I always think that if you can honour good people and people who have truly achieved something, then these guys absolutely deserve it.
“Look at the way they carry themselves. I was at a function last night at the club for the foundation and Bobby Lennox was there, John Clark, Bertie, these are guys that have lived the life of a Lisbon Lion.
“They’ve played that role with great honour and esteem for the club.”
Rodgers insisted that Celtic will seek to honour the Lisbon Lions by the kind of football they play on the pitch but he maintained that the Parkhead side are not under any more pressure to go out and deliver a Treble this week.
“There is a real duty on us this season in particular to shine a light on their achievements,” said Rodgers.
“I think that’s the biggest honour we can pay them on the 50th anniversary.
“The greatest honour we can give that team is to play the Celtic way, which was Tommy’s way and is our way of working.
“Hopefully we can entertain, and if we can entertain even half the way they done, then the Celtic supporters I’m sure can accept that.
“But you have to park respect and honour, and emotion. Professional emotion.
“With these types of things the emotion can take over, and then you start to not perform, and when your performances are affected then anything can happen.
“We’re trying to park the two. I said it in my first day here that the biggest respect that I can give this club is getting these stands full again, and getting that Lisbon Lions Stand full again.
“I’ve never veered from that, but there’s a process to that, and in my experience the more emotional it gets, even though you have to tap into that emotion, it has to be controlled.
“I don’t feel any pressure to deliver.
“The pressure is every day to be the best we can be, but of course, it would be a huge honour to do it.”