Dublin Lion In Craigneuk, North Lanarkshire, on this day in 1943, Tommy Gemmell was born to happy parents Alfie and Margaret.
He was the player at Parkhead who utterly revolutionized the left-back position with his flashy raids and terrifying shooting ability that terrorized rival goalkeepers.
In response to Alex Gordon, a longtime friend and author of the Celtic book, Gemmell said, “My dream was to play for Motherwell. “I used to ride my bike to the stadium on game day to support them from the terrace.
“However, everything came to an end the day I signed with Celtic. They came to be my main focus, and even after I stopped playing, they remained my favorite club. A Celt is a Celt forever.
Unbelievably, Big TG began his professional career as an outside-right for Coltness United in the Junior League in 1959 before switching to full-back when he signed with the Parkhead club in 1961.
Interestingly, he joined the Parkhead team the same evening Jimmy Johnstone did. The winger got off at Uddingston on their shared bus ride home.
On January 5, 1963, Gemmell, just 19 years old, replaced the more seasoned Jim Kennedy as No. 3 in a match against Aberdeen at Pittodrie. Celts triumphed 5-1.
He made 418 total appearances for the team and netted 64 goals, an incredible total for a defender.
On December 12, 1971, Gemmell completed a £40,000 transfer to Nottingham Forest, where he scored six goals in 39 league games.
Years later, Tommy admitted, “I never wanted to leave Celtic.” “I believe that was known by everyone. However, Jock Stein was impossible to disagree with. A couple of us were on our way since he had decided to reinvigorate the team.
“There was a split within the Lions.”
“I don’t believe either of us had any desire to go, but you had to understand that in football, things like this happen. However, no one could ever take away the memories. They would stay with me always.
With Dundee, Gemmell returned to Scotland. He was appointed club captain and helped Dundee defeat Celtic in the 1973 League Cup Final by a score of 1-0.
In his book, “All The Best,” which was written with the help of his friend Alex, Tommy remembered, “That was a little bit embarrassing.” I had to pass a lot of my Celtic friends as I ascended the steps to receive the silverware.
To be honest, they all gave me their congratulations for winning. That implied a “After being given the League Cup, I had to raise it and wave it in front of the Dundee supporters. I complied with protocol as required, but if you watch video of that moment, it is obvious that I was eager to present the trophy to Thomson Allan, the goalie who was next in line.
In 1977, the Dens Park team named him manager after ex-Rangers manager Davie White was fired as a result of a string of league defeats.
Gemmell resigned in 1980 to pursue a new profession as a financial consultant in the city, but he later made a comeback to football in 1986 as the manager of Albion Rovers.
He barely spent a year with the Coatbridge club, but he was convinced to return for an additional twelve months in 1993.
When it was over, Gemmell grinned, “Now that was an experience.” It’s a long way from Celtic to Cliftonhill, I assure you. Interesting times, anyway.
At Hampden in 1966, Gemmell earned his Scotland debut against England in a 4-3 loss.
He made a total of 18 appearances for his nation, and in a 1969 World Cup qualifying game against Cyprus at Hampden, he only managed to net one goal, a penalty kick.
The legendary Celtic figure passed away on March 2, 2017, at the age of 73.
