Book Description
An entertaining and frank account of Gemmell's life as a player in the sixties and seventies, including what it was like to play under the iconic Jock Stein, his career at Celtic and Nottingham Forest, the game as he knew it and what it has become today. Mischievous, forthright, witty and packed with anecdotes, this is an essential read for all footballs fans.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Synopsis
Tommy Gemmell is one of the all-time Celtic greats. It was his trademark thunderbolt shot that brought Celtic their vital equaliser in the 1967 European Cup Final, and for that reason alone he is a huge favourite with supporters. It was a goal typical of Gemmell who, although nominally a full-back, loved to join the Celtic attacks as often as possible, providing his team-mates with wonderfully creative options. It was no coincidence that Gemmell was also at the heart of the move that created Celtic's winning goal in Lisbon and, having also scored in the team's 1970 final against Feyenoord, he became one of the few players in world football to have scored in two separate European Cup finals. An exciting and extrovert player, Gemmell's career was marked by controversy. He was no stranger to the referee's notebook and had many lengthy rows with both the Scottish FA and the legendary Celtic manager Jock Stein. After a decade of unrivalled success at Celtic, he and Stein eventually fell out and Gemmell was transferred to Nottingham Forest.
His Scotland career too was cut short at the age of only 27, although he did manage to appear in one of Scotland's greatest ever games - their 3-2 win over the then World Champions England at Wembley in 1967. Spells as a manager followed at Dundee, where he sold a young Gordon Strachan to Aberdeen, and Albion Rovers before he eventually retired from the game. But as one of the famous Lisbon Lions he would always be associated with their night of triumph, and that honour has affected his life for better and worse on a daily basis ever since. This is the first time Tommy Gemmell has written a full autobiography. In it he compares life in the sixties with the modern game and offers many forthright views on footballers today and Celtic Football Club. Packed with wit, anecdotes and his fun-filled approach to playing and life after retirement, this will be an essential read for all football fans.
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