Tommy Gemmell
The right-footed left-back who scored in two European Cup finals.
Thomas Gemmell (16 October 1943 – 2 March 2017) was a Scottish footballer who played primarily as a left-sided fullback, despite being right-footed. He is best known for scoring the first goal in the 1966–67 European Cup final as part of the 'Lisbon Lions' side that secured Celtic's historic Treble and Quadruple. Gemmell made 418 appearances for Celtic, scoring 63 goals, including a record 34 penalties from 37 attempts.
- Role
- Left-Back
- Affiliation
- Celtic FC (1961–1971)
- Major Honours
- European Cup, League Titles, Scottish Cups, League Cups
- Defining Moment
- Scoring in the 1967 European Cup Final
- Status
- Club Legend & Hall of Famer
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Gemmell joined Celtic from Coltness United in October 1961, signing the same day as Jimmy Johnstone. He played in all 59 major matches for the club during the Lisbon Lions era. Although he ignored team orders to stay back when Jim Craig had already advanced, his shot from outside the penalty area secured a place in history against Inter Milan. Later in his career, he faced sectarian abuse from some teammates and supporters due to being a Protestant playing for Celtic. He also scored in the 1970 European Cup final, becoming one of only three British players to score in two different finals.
In Their Own Story
In December 1971, Gemmell moved to Nottingham Forest before spending a short time with the Miami Toros in 1973. He returned to Scotland to sign for Dundee, where he won the 1973 Scottish League Cup final against his former club Celtic. After retiring as a player in 1977, he managed Dundee until April 1980 and Albion Rovers during two separate spells in the mid-80s and early 90s.
Reader's Guide
Key Career Milestones
* **Celtic Debut:** October 1961 from Coltness United. * **European Success:** Scored in both the 1967 (win) and 1970 (loss) European Cup finals. * **International:** Earned 18 caps for Scotland, scoring once against Cyprus. * **Post-Retirement:** Managed Dundee (1977–1980) and Albion Rovers (1986–1987; 1993–1994). * **Legacy:** Inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Did You Know?
- Gemmell was one of only two Lisbon Lions to appear in all 59 major matches for Celtic, alongside John Clark.
- He is one of just three British footballers to score in two different European Cup finals, the others being Phil Neal and Gareth Bale.
- Despite being right-footed, manager Jock Stein deployed him as a left-back where he excelled with powerful shooting and overlaps.
- Gemmell scored 34 goals from 37 penalty attempts during his time at Celtic.
- In 1994, he sold his collection of Celtic medals for £32,000 to businessman Willie Haughey, who loaned them back to the club.
More in Club History
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