 Gemmell (1971) | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1943-10-16)16 October 1943 | ||
| Place of birth | Craigneuk, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 2 March 2017(2017-03-02) (aged 73) | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Left back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1959–1961 | Coltness United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1961–1971 | Celtic | 247 | (37) |
| 1971–1973 | Nottingham Forest | 39 | (6) |
| 1973 | Miami Toros | 0 | (0) |
| 1973–1977 | Dundee | 94 | (8) |
| Total | 380 | (51) | |
| International career | |||
| 1966–1971 | Scotland | 18 | (1) |
| 1965–1968 | Scottish Football League XI | 5 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1977–1980 | Dundee | ||
| 1986–1987 | Albion Rovers | ||
| 1993–1994 | Albion Rovers | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Thomas Gemmell (16 October 1943 – 2 March 2017) was a Scottishfootball player andmanager. Although right-footed, he excelled as a left-sidedfullback and had powerful shooting ability. Gemmell is best known as one of theCeltic side who won the1966–67 European Cup; he scored the first Celtic goal in thefinal. Gemmell played 18 times forScotland, and also played forNottingham Forest,Miami Toros andDundee. After retiring as a player in 1977, Gemmell managed Dundee andAlbion Rovers.
In October1961, Gemmell joinedCeltic fromColtness United;[2] he signed youth terms on the same day as right wingerJimmy Johnstone, who lived a few miles away and would also have a long association with the club.[3] He was one of the 'Lisbon Lions' who won the1967 European Cup final againstInter Milan, a final in which Gemmell scored an equalising goal with a shot from outside the penalty area.[4] Ironically, Gemmell should not have been in position to score the goal, as he had ignored team orders for one full-back to stay in defence at all times; the right backJim Craig had already ventured forward, and it was he who played the square ball for Gemmell to shoot, with both advancing on the Inter box.[3] With this triumph, Celtic also sealed the first EuropeanTreble and the only Quadruple to date.[5][6] Gemmell was one of just two Lisbon Lions to appear in all 59 matches in major competitions, the other beingJohn Clark.[7] Gemmell also scored in the1970 European Cup final in a defeat toFeyenoord,[8][9] making him currently one of only three British footballers to score in two different European Cup finals, the others beingPhil Neal ofLiverpool andGareth Bale ofReal Madrid.[10][11]
Gemmell made 418 appearances for Celtic and scored 63 goals.[12] This total comprised 247 league (37 goals),[11] 43 cup (5 goals), 74 league cup (10 goals) and 54 European (12 goals) appearances. His record for penalties was 34 goals from 37 attempts.[13] He placed sixth for theBallon d'Or in 1967 and 24th in 1968.[14][15]
In his book,Lion Heart, Gemmell revealed that, during his time at Celtic, he was on the receiving end ofsectarian abuse from certain teammates; he and teammateIan Young had been the target of "a handful" of colleagues who had wanted an all-Catholic team.[3] He also stated that he received verbal abuse on several occasions from some supporters ofOld Firm rivalsRangers due to his perceived status as a 'turncoat' (as a Protestant who played for Celtic), such as when attending matches many years after retiring.[3]
In December 1971, Gemmell transferred toNottingham Forest to cover forLiam O'Kane. At the end of that season Forest were relegated from the top flight.[16]
In 1973 he had a short stint with theMiami Toros in theNorth American Soccer League. He returned to Scotland, signing forDundee in July 1973, and won the1973 Scottish League Cup final against former team Celtic.[17] He retired from playing in 1977.[13]
Gemmell made his international debut forScotland againstEngland at Hampden on 2 April 1966.[18] The following year on 15 April, he played in the famousHome Championship match where Scotland recorded a 3–2 victory over World Champions England atWembley Stadium, ending that team's run of nineteen games without defeat.[19] He won 18caps and scored one goal from the penalty spot againstCyprus in an 8–0 win in a1970 World Cup qualifier.[13][20] Gemmell's final appearance for Scotland came in 1971.[13]
At his peak, Gemmell was considered one of the finest left backs in the world. Although right footed, Celtic managerJock Stein placed him as a left-back. Gemmell was known for his overlaps and powerful shot, and was also a fine tackler, as well as penalty taker.[21]
After retiring as a player, Gemmell stayed to manage Dundee from 1 June 1977 to 15 April 1980.[4][22] He signedJimmy Johnstone, his former teammate at Celtic, for Dundee.[3]
Gemmell later managedAlbion Rovers from 1986 to 1987[23] and again from 1993 to 1994.[24]
In 1994, Gemmell sold his collection of Celtic medals at auction for £32,000; they were purchased by Glasgow businessmanWillie Haughey, who has close ties with the club and loaned them back to Celtic to be put on display.[3][25] He was inducted to theScottish Football Hall of Fame in 2006.[26]
Gemmell died on 2 March 2017, aged 73, after a long illness.[12][4][27] His funeral was held on 10 March with a procession starting from Celtic Park, and was attended by former teammates, serving Celtic managerBrendan Rodgers andRangers managing director Stewart Robertson.[28]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
