Tommy Burns was a true gentleman who never forgot his humble roots, says long-time friend Jim Black
FOOTBALL GAVE Tommy Burns a lifestyle far removed from his east end roots. But they could never have taken the east end out of the Bhoy.
Tommy never allowed the
luxury trappings of a plush home on Glasgow's south side to mask his humble beginnings and his links with the past.
He lived his Celtic dream, both as manager and player, and remained a fan right to the end of his life - at the ridiculously early age of
just 51.
All too often when a sporting hero passes away the platitudes flow like a river in spate. "Great guy", "Great player", "The salt of the earth". Regrettably, the words do not always offer a true or accurate reflection of the individual.
But in Tommy's case the myriad of tributes that have been showered on him in the past few days have mirrored the man perfectly. Not a single word has been misplaced.
Tommy Burns genuinely was a "nice guy". I cannot recall having an angry exchange with Tommy and I knew him for more than 30 years.
Even in his darkest days as Celtic manager, when his treatment at times bordered on the shabby, Tommy retained his dignity in a manner that spoke volumes for his ability to see the bigger picture.
There were times, I know, when Tommy was hurt by
newspaper headlines and some of the
comments that accompanied them. I was at the sharp end of the football writing business with the Scottish Sun and that is not a newspaper that pulls its punches.
I must have written hurtful things about Tommy, expressed views that must have cut to the quick. Yet, the phone never rang, as it had done many times in the days of one his predecessors, Jock Stein, to deliver a rebuke.
In the same way that my old pal, the late Jim Baxter bridged the Old Firm divide, Tommy - a deeply
religious man but no saint for all that - had the gift of bringing the best out of bitter rivals.
I do not mind admitting that the sight of Rangers supporters being applauded by their Celtic
counterparts as they placed scarves and shirts at the shrine to Tommy at his beloved Parkhead brought a lump to my throat. If only it could always be that way: brothers in arms.
I suspect, too, that tears flowed in the McNeill household when that Celtic legend, Billy, and his wife Liz, were given the awful news that Tommy had lost his fight against cancer.
Billy knew Tommy at least as well as anyone and better than most, having been his manager and close confidant and advisor in times of crisis.
Listening to Billy offering yet another tribute to a man who was blessed with goodness as a human being, talent as a footballer, and a chirpy personality was both
emotional and enlightening.
Billy recalled: "I first encountered Tommy around 1975 when he was a skinny wee redhead. But it was only when I returned to Celtic as manager three years later that I got to know him.
"What impressed me enormously was his desire to improve himself as a player. Tommy wasn't a natural runner but he trained so hard to develop his movement.
"Tommy also had a lovely left foot, but he had a tendency to try to swing on to his right, which was the wrong option, in my opinion. So I encouraged him to concentrate on playing with his left and staying wide, and not wander across the pitch and risk over-running the ball and losing it.
"Tommy took my comments onboard and responded as he always did, by working on that aspect of his game.
"I remember holidaying in
Tenerife at the same time as Tommy and his family. He went running every day to ensure that he was properly prepared for pre-season training. Tommy had dedication in abundance and it rubbed off on the younger players.
"I also liked the fact that he was blessed with a bit of cheek,
aggression and temper. He handled adversity well, but he also hated losing, an essential quality in any successful sportsman."
Although Tommy always found it difficult to tell a lie, Billy revealed that the midfielder kept secret from him the fact that he wore contact lenses.
Billy did not find out Tommy's "secret" until one wet and muddy evening at Parkhead when the latter approached the dugout to inform his manager that he has lost one of his lenses.
"I said to Tommy that I hoped he wasn't suggesting that the rest of us should come on to the pitch and help him look for it," said Billy. "But that incident taught me a valuable lesson.
"From that day on I ensured that I kept a spare pair of contacts for every player who used them as back-up in the event of an
emergency."
Tommy was, of course, an influential member of Celtic's league and cup double-winning side in the club's centenary year in 1988.
But it was only the other day that Billy realised just how influential Tommy had been when he watched film of the 88 side strutting their stuff on Celtic TV.
"I was reminded that the
double team played some utterly
unbelievable football and Tommy was a very important part of the side," said Billy.
"He was also a Celtic supporter in the truest sense of the word. He never walked away from fans. He always let them know that he was one of them and at a club like Celtic that is very important.
"The fans also had a genuine affection for Tommy and that has been shown by their reactions over the past few days, which has been lovely to see.
"I shall miss him, and so too will Celtic Football Club."
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