[Official TC Thread] 25th may 1967

Would love to watch that full game in colour.

 

On this day in 2001, Lisbon Lion Bobby Murdoch passed away aged 56, the first of The Lions to pass away.

 

The BBC are showing a 1 hour tribute on the 24th May

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08rg0bd

 

BOBBY MURDOCH was always, first and foremost, a Celtic supporter. He also just happened to be one of the finest players ever to have worn the green and white Hoops.

He had been part of the most successful Celtic squad in the history of the club but more than that, he had been a vital member of the team which brought so much silverware to Celtic Park.

Between 1959 and 1973, Murdoch made 481 appearances for the club, scoring 102 goals in the process. He won eight league championship medals, four Scottish Cups, five League Cups and, of course, a European Cup winner’s medal.

Born in Bothwell on August 17, 1944, Murdoch joined Celtic in 1959 straight from Our Lady´s High School, Motherwell. He was farmed out to Cambuslang Rangers to gain experience, and made his debut in 1962 in a 3-1 League Cup victory over Hearts at Celtic Park, scoring after just seven minutes.

It was the Hoops´ first competitive fixture of the season and the 17-year-old Murdoch was chosen when it was discovered that John Divers had forgotten his boots.

And it was to be in the League Cup that he made his final appearance for the Hoops - on August 29, 1972, in another 3-1 victory, this time away to Arbroath. This time, however, he was not to be on the scoresheet.

In between then, he helped Celtic to eight of their nine titles in a row, and was part of the team which beat Inter Milan on May 25, 1967. Indeed, it was a Murdoch shot which was knocked in for the winning goal by Stevie Chalmers.

Originally played as an inside-right, the arrival of Jock Stein in 1965 saw Murdoch move back to right-half, the decision by the Celtic manager helping to create one of the finest midfielders in the world. The switch had an immediate benefit, and Murdoch helped Celtic win the Scottish Cup in ´65 with a 3-2 victory over Dunfermline.

Inter Milan´s coach at the time of the European Cup final, Hellenio Herrrera, described Murdoch as 'my complete footballer' after having watched the Celtic midfielder orchestrate the defeat of the defensive-minded Italian side.

In 1969, that extraordinary ability was recognised when he was given the Scottish Football Writers´ Player of the Year Award.

Like many of his Celtic contemporaries, Murdoch never received the number of Scotland caps commensurate with his ability. He represented Scotland a total of 12 times.

Murdoch left Celtic for Middlesbrough where he quickly established a reputation as one of the best players that club ever had.

Indeed, the man who signed him, Jackie Charlton said: "Bobby Murdoch was the first player I ever signed and he was also my favourite. I played against him for Leeds when he scored to send us out of the Eutropean Cup... but I forgave him for that! Yes, he was a smashing lad and there´s no doubt that he went on to become a major part of my team at Middlesbrough.

"Bobby was an amazing passer of a ball who could drop a ball on a sixpence from any distance and, although I´ve had players who covered more ground, I never worked with anyone who could strike the ball as well as he could."

And Graeme Souness, a team-mate at Middlesbrough as a young player, said: "He came along at just the right time, not only for me but for the whole team. His experience settled us down as we went for promotion and he also proved to be a big influence on my career.

"Bobby was an excellent passer of the ball and he had an excellent attitude. He would always pull me to one side to pass on advice or to tell me when he thought I was acting wrongly."

Murdoch finished his playing career with Middlesbrough in 1976, then becoming coach at the club for five years before a brief spell as manager.

On May 15, 2001, Bobby Murdoch died. He was aged 56. And the thoughts and prayers of the Celtic family remain with his wife, Kathleen, and all his family and friends.

Bobby will always be remembered as a great Celt whose love for the club remained undiminished throughout the years. And Jock Stein himself said of Murdoch: 'As far as I´m concerned, Bobby Murdoch was just about the best player I had as manager.'

 

A special painting commemorating #Lisboa50 by Gerard M Burns is about to be unveiled at Paradise which will raise money for charity.

 

Bertie Auld and Jim Craig unveil "The Glittering Prize" at Celtic Park.
https://mobile.twitter.com/celticfc/status/864411900179775488/video/1

 

Don't like it, too much going on in the painting.

 

CONTEMPORARY Scottish artist, Gerard M Burns has created a stunning, multi- layered, 6‘ x 4’ painting, entitled “Glittering Prize” to commemorate the Lisbon Lions’ 50th anniversary, celebrating the historic 2-1 European Cup final win against Inter Milan in Lisbon’s Estadio Nacional on May 25, 1967.

It was launched at Celtic Park with Lisbon Lions, Bertie Auld and Jim Craig, accompanying the artist alongside Celtic’s Chief Executive, Peter Lawwell, the Foundation’s Chief Executive, Tony Hamilton, and Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, Mary’s Meals Founder and Chief Executive.

“Glittering Prize” and an edition of 25 prints will be available for purchase through Celtic FC Foundation to raise funds for #LionsLegacy -a fundraising campaign which is raising and distributing funds to Celtic FC Foundation programmes which honour the Lisbon Lions and create a legacy in their name.

Gerard and Celtic FC Foundation have agreed that 100 per cent of the proceeds from sales of the prints will go towards supporting Celtic FC Foundation’s and Mary’s Meals’ joint campaign - The 67 Kitchens. Funds from this campaign will fund 67 kitchens in schools in Malawi and emergency food supplies for Aleppo and South Sudan.

Each of the limited editions has been embossed with its own unique version of a specially commissioned replica of the 1967 winner’s medal (the Glittering Prize). Each print will be sold for £5,000. Print purchasers will also be invited to name one of the 67 Kitchens alongside Celtic FC Foundation and #LionsLegacy.

The 67 Kitchens campaign will also be a beneficiary of the Henrik’s Heroes v Lubo’s Legends Charity Match at Celtic Park on May 28. In addition, a number of Celtic Supporters’ Clubs and other fans are arranging fundraisers to support the campaign.

Gerard visited Lisbon with five of the Lions, Jim Craig, Bertie Auld, Willie Wallace, John Fallon and Bobby Lennox along with members of the Jock Stein, Neilly Mochan and Sean Fallon families, back in February this year to inspire his vision for “Glittering Prize” and get a first-hand sense of the incredible achievement by11 Celtic players, all born within a 30- mile radius of Celtic Park.

Gerard explained: “I was really excited about the trip. I had a rough idea of how I wanted to visually represent all of the team and capture all the press reaction and the magnitude of their success... what I didn’t bargain for was how overwhelmingly emotional the entire experience was going to be.

“Actually being in the stadium with the Lions and family members and seeing the experience through their eyes and hearing their stories of that day was completely overwhelming. I am not too proud to admit I bawled my eyes out. Bertie Auld had me in stitches one minute and in floods of tears the next.”

“I have supported and worked with the Celtic FC Foundation for many years and my wife Ellen does a lot of work with Mary’s Meals so we decided that “Glittering Prize” would be our way of making a contribution to The 67 Kitchens and #LionsLegacy.”

Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: “It’s been a tremendous season for the club and the Foundation and we have an exciting few weeks ahead.

“The 67 Kitchens campaign gives Celtic fans all over the world the chance to unite in the common causes of food for the hungry and honouring our legendary Lions.

“Our sincerest thanks go to Gerard and Ellen for their tremendous support for The 67 Kitchens campaign and #LionsLegacy.”

Tony Hamilton, Chief Executive of Celtic FC Foundation, added: “We are very pleased to be continuing our partnership with Mary’s Meals. Food for the hungry is something Celtic fans are passionate about and it resonates so strongly with the roots of our club where children were encouraged into school with the hope of a meal.”

Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, Mary’s Meals Chief Executive said: “Through our joint efforts with Celtic FC Foundation over the years, Mary’s Meals knows only too well the conscience and goodness of the Celtic support and we will work hard – on their behalf – to bring that incredible generosity to bear in some of the world’s poorest communities.

“On behalf of each of the many children who will benefit, we thank Celtic FC Foundation and its supporters.”

Lisbon Lion Bertie Auld said: “It’s been a great pleasure for the boys to stay so closely involved with the club through the Foundation. We love to see the founding principles of the club carried forward and the modern-day Celtic and its charitable side rise to the challenges at home and abroad that others shy away from.

“The boys are all proud to be Celtic fans to this day and together all Celtic fans are showing that we care about the great inheritance Brother Walfrid passed down to us.”

Lisbon Lion Jim Craig added: “Celtic is a global family of fans living and working all over the world who also know of poverty on their own doorstep in the communities in which they live and work.

“Yet against all that, the unsurpassed charitable nature of Celtic fans has always meant a real conviction behind a core value – there is always somebody worse off than yourself – and we have always found ways of supporting the world’s poorest people.

“The Lions are very touched by this #LionsLegacy initiative and proud to see our club getting behind initiatives like The 67 Kitchens.”

 

https://www.snsgroup.co.uk/16-05-17-celtic-lisbon-lions-photocall

 

On this day in 1956, Jock Stein plays his last game for Celtic in a friendly against Coleraine in Ireland.







and on this day in 1966, he was named British manager of the year.

 

Simpson, Craig, Gemmel, Murdoch, McNeil, Clark, Johnstone, Wallace, Chalmers, Auld, Lennox

 

WHEN the Lisbon Lions ruled supreme in 1967 they were able to rely on a calm, talented and incredibly experienced performer between the sticks.

That year, the 36-year-old Ronnie Simpson was entering the 22nd year of a career which had seen triumphs on both sides of the border.

As his nickname ‘Faither’ implies, he was immediately recognised as the senior figure of the side, one who commanded the respect of his team-mates, but was also an approachable and encouraging presence, always on hand to give his advice.

He was recognised as one of the Greatest Ever Celts by the supporters in 2002 and remained a regular at Celtic Park up until his death on April 22 2004.

It was a worthy accolade for a true great and here we look at his extraordinary career.

Ronnie was sitting in school late one Friday afternoon in 1945 when he was urgently summoned to the headmaster’s office. Half-expecting trouble, the 14-year-old entered the room with some trepidation to see his headteacher standing alongside the chairman of Queen’s Park. Ronnie was ‘signed’ up to his local club as a youth player, with the Simpson house actually overlooking the Spiders’ Hampden home. With their regular keeper, Bobby Brown, on duty with the Navy, the chairman had actually come to seek the school’s permission to play Ronnie in the following day’s Summer Cup meeting with Clyde. Less than 24 hours later the schoolboy was running out at the National Stadium to make his debut at the age of 14 years and 243 days in a 5-2 win watched by over 25,000.

The Olympic Games were held in London in 1948 when Ronnie lined up in an * select team led by the legendary Matt Busby. Ronnie actually represented Britain four times as an * and so impressed was Busby with the young keeper that he told him to give him a call at Manchester United if he ever fancied turning professional. As it transpired Simpson would have to wait before joining the professional ranks after being called up for National Service with the Royal Armoured Corps in Catterick. He then joined Third Lanark in 1950, spending a year with the Southside club before Newcastle United came calling.

The years 1952 and ’55 were the seasons of Simpson’s triumphs in the English FA Cup with Newcastle United. This was the Magpies’ golden era and Ronnie was actually involved in three FA Cup finals, taking his place on the bench as substitute keeper in a 2-0 win over Blackpool in 1951. Ronnie was in the team for the 1-0 win over Arsenal in 1952 and again, for the 3-1 win over Manchester City in 1955. He was a regular for seven seasons on Tyneside, but his career there effectively ended when he missed the whole of the 1958/59 campaign with a serious injury. During that time he helped coach Newcastle’s third team and there was an outcry from the fans when he was released the following season at the age of 30. He is still remembered as a Newcastle United great.


Having moved on to Hibernian, spending four years at Easter Road, Ronnie was promptly sold by new manager Jock Stein. When Stein followed Ronnie to Celtic Park just five months later in 1965, the keeper thought his Celtic career was over. Instead, Simpson established himself as Stein’s first choice, with his boss recognising the value of his experience and the calming effect he had on the team. Rather than finding that his top-class career was finished, Simpson was instead embarking on his most glorious chapter.

The year of 1967 may have been the greatest in Celtic’s history, but it was also Simpson’s unexpected triumph. Aged 36, he played his part in all of the victories of the clean sweep season, winning the Glasgow Cup, the league, League Cup, Scottish Cup and European Cup. There were many stars that year. In fact, going through that squad you were faced by a team of prodigiously talented footballers, but it was the unassuming Ronnie, who had been christened ‘Faither’ by his youthful team-mates, who was voted Scotland’s Player of the Year.

Jock Stein said that they did it ‘playing pure, beautiful, inventive football’ and if one little moment captured the flair, style and precocious sense of entertainment in Celtic’s win over Inter Milan, Simpson’s cameo was it. With Celtic playing Inter off the park the ball was played back to Ronnie, who was well outside his area, some 25 yards from goal. With one striker bearing down on him, he waited to the last second before back-heeling the ball to team-mate John Clark. It was typical Simpson, coolness personified and years later Billy McNeill commented: “He was as much a footballer as he was a keeper. Anything that went behind the defenders, Ronnie dealt with it.”

On April 15, 1967, Ronnie made his return to Wembley and took his international bow at the ripe old age of 36. Just how this talented player was overlooked by the selectors before then beggars belief, although it was perhaps typical of the selection policy of that era. His debut turned out to be worth waiting for as Scotland humbled world champions England on their own turf, with the 3-2 win still regarded as one of the national team’s finest moments. Ronnie earned five caps in all for Scotland.

 

Passed some time at lunch making this

 

Simpson doesnt need gloves.


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Real man


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