‘It won’t be done again’ — Craig backs Lions campaign

CRAIG GORDON last night backed Sportsmail’s campaign to see the Lisbon Lions recognised in the Honours list as the 50th anniversary of their remarkable achievement approaches. The Celtic goalkeeper believes that such recognition — posthumously in the cases of Ronnie Simpson, Bobby Murdoch, Jimmy Johnstone and Tommy Gemmell — would be thoroughly deserved for a feat he believes will never be repeated. ‘What the Lisbon Lions achieved was incredible,’ said the 34-year-old Scotland international. ‘They were a small tight-knit group, all coming from within 30 miles of Glasgow to win the European Cup. There’s not a chance that will be done again. ‘It was such a fantastic achievement and it’s one that I think Celtic recognises well. ‘It is the 50th anniversary of the Lisbon Lions and the club has a lot of things planned to celebrate their achievement. ‘But, of course, it would be the perfect time for the Lisbon Lions to be recognised in the Honours list. I would back those calls, absolutely.’ Rangers legend Colin Stein also joined the Sportsmail campaign, launched following an emotional few days for the Parkhead club which started with the family of Billy McNeill announcing for the first time that he was battling dementia and ending with the death of Gemmell at the age of 73. Stein, who scored in the Ibrox side’s famous 3-2 European Cup Winners’ Cup final win over Dynamo Moscow in 1972, agrees with calls to see the team honoured. ‘To be the first British team to win the European Cup was tremendous and is a feat that should be recognised,’ he said. ‘I think it’s a surprise that they have not all been honoured before now. ‘I knew Billy McNeill had dementia. I met him at a function in a hotel in Glasgow a while back, so I knew he wasn’t keeping well. ‘I hope with the publicity the issue is getting now, they can do some research into links with football and dementia. ‘I knew Tommy Gemmell well, too. Those Celtic players were friends and foes for us because we played with them for Scotland and against them in the Old Firm games. ‘I think it would be fitting if the whole team was honoured. It’s a team sport, after all. It’s now up to the powers-that-be to decide.’