I was nine years old and it was the Summer of Love.
Somehow the universe conspired to deluge happiness upon me in 1967.
Well, I didn’t have to go to school for months and my club were champions of Europe!
Of course, there was no internet then to yield up Fitba gossip, but around the corner in Greenshields Road was my grannie’s cousin Jimmy Gribben.
On several occasions that magical summer my grandfather took me to the best-informed house in Baillieston to listen to the sage counsel of “the Grib”.
Jock Stein never forgot Jimmy Gribben’s role in bringing him to Celtic as a player and would often drop by for a chat about the club they both loved.
This morning that part of my long term memory was unlocked for the saddest of reasons.
This news coming so soon after the passing of Cesar it feels especially sad.
However, my main emotion is a feeling of gratitude for what Stevie and his teammates bequeathed to us in the Celtic Family.
During those summer months, I was the manager of my own Celtic Subbuteo team.
I re-enacted the game against Inter many times on the carpet in the front room.
The nine-year-old me had only seen THAT goal once, as in when it happened on the 25th May 1967.
However, I replayed it again and again with an expert flick of the finger.
Today the footage of that goal is viralling across social media on devices in every inhabited continent on the planet.
It is being shared by those who love o jogo bonito.
The passage of play that led to the winning goal in Lisbon was truly a thing of beauty.
To the uninitiated, it looked like a bit of improvised genius by Stevie to finally render Giuliano Sarti a flat-footed onlooker.
However, the Grib was having none of it.
He told my grandfather that “the Big Man” had them working on this in training.
According to the man that Stein regularly confided, in the tactical genius from Burnbank saw an advantage in fashioning a last-second intervention to divert a shot.
Stevie Chalmers was a Jock Stein type of striker and in British football, in the 1960s he was rather atypical.
It was still the age of the battering ram centre forward supplied by wingers.
Unsurprisingly Stein was way ahead of his adversaries in the opposing dugout.
The Grib confided in my grandfather that Jock’s preferred front two was Chalmers and Lennox through the middle.
An unplayable combination of searing pace and mental agility.
It seemed like, as a Celtic striker, Stevie Chalmers was created to deliver silverware for the Hoops.
The eleven-year-old me saw this in the flesh when I was finally allowed to attend a Scottish Cup final in 1969.
However, it is that moment in Stadio Nacional, with five minutes to play that is burned into my memory as I stood in front of a small black and white telly that day in May.
Like the Celtic manager that day Stevie is one of the Immortals of Lisbon.
My thoughts today are with Sadie and the Chalmers family as their loss is the most profound and real.
I only have gratitude for the beautiful memories of a wonderful footballer who scored the goal that made my club one like no other.
Thanks Stevie.
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Think I’ve met most of the Lions
Must say most down to earth men I’ve come across winning the big cup never fazed them yet aye was star struck bhoy gentlemen the lot of them
rip Stevie Bhoy & my love to all the family 🍀🍀
Scandalous that he was only capped 5 times as an international.
Go join you’re captain now, Stevie and rest in peace. HH
3 goals in 5 games what a return going to look at the stacks off rest of forwards in Steve era
Phil eney news form your man down Shropshire way about how much Mike’s SPORTS DIRECT and due cant wait, your the only one to have some news,
My thoughts and prayers are with the Chalmers family.
Beautiful tribute Phil,very well said.
R.I.P. ⭐️ Stevie YNWA🍀💚✅🇮🇪☮️
More than half of them gone now. It’s truly sad when your boyhood heroes are passing away at an alarmingly increasing rate.
Another sad day tinged with thoughts of unbridled joy for what Stevie was part of in Lisbon all those years ago . I was there ( like so many , in spirit only ) but watching in black and white like most . As a teenager it seemed to be nothing extraordinary – we were the Kings of Europe – something I assumed we would do many times again . How naive are the young !
In my memory it is always big Tam Gemmell’s thunderbolt equalizer that comes to mind when thinking of Lisbon – but of course it was Stevie’s late winner that was decisive .
R.I.P. Stevie !
RIP Stevie 🍀
An unbelievable week of grief-first our captain and now the match winner. I still remember my father screaming to Stevie, “Pass, Pass!” as the human greyhound left the Ibrox defence in his wake in that ’69 Final. The camera view from behind the goal showed how narrow the margins were as Stevie slotted past Martin in a show of total inner-belief. That’s why Stein cherished him as did the Celtic support. A truly wonderful player who was simply one of us. God rest you Stevie! HH.
Like you Phil I was 9 years old watching the final on a black and white tv 📺, my dinner was in and out of the oven numerous times as it was teatime in Wishaw. A wonderful goal and now knowing it was rehersed makes it even more special. Condolences to Steve’s wife and family, he was always my mums favourite player.
Watched it in Coltness myself.
Did you eventually go to St Aidan’s, Coltness High or Wishaw High?
Often under rated part of the Lions but Stevie and Buzzbomb were the legs of the team.
Stevie’s most important goal was of course the winner in Lisbon but he is up there with the all time great Celtic goalscorers.
His contribution will never be forgotten for that historic one goal alone.
RIP Stevie and condolences to the family.
I sat close to Mr. Chalmers at Celtic Park for many years.
A very quiet and nice man.
He was a great servant to our Club.
My condolences to his family.
R.I.P.
Rest in peace stevie Chalmers a lion of Lisbon so sad God must want a striker he got his captain Billy my prayers go out to both families Celtic lost another great one yous will never be forgotten H,H thanks for your goal stevie,
Hail, Hail Stevie – A Lion forever R.I.P .