Tommy gave my dying dad one last smile by making me skipper..i'll never forget that act of kindness

May 18 2008 Andy Walker A Personal Tribute

I WILL remember Tommy Burns for many things but one particular act of kindness stands out.

My dad was dying of cancer in October 1994, just months after I had returned to Celtic Park for a second spell at the club.

Tommy had taken over from Lou Macari as manager and on Saturday October 1, along with my team-mates, I travelled to Fir Park for a league game against Motherwell.

Tommy knew my dad had just days to live and was aware I had spent most of Friday and the early part of Saturday morning at his bedside with the rest of the family.

Knowing it would bring a smile to my father's face, Tommy made me Celtic captain for the day - the one and only time I led a team out in my 16-year career.

At half-time I was very emotional - I just couldn't get the picture of my dad's suffering out of my head.

And when Tommy approached me quietly in the dressing-room to congratulate me on the goal I had scored he whispered in my ear that my father would be very proud of me.

At that point I sobbed uncontrollably into his shoulder for a few moments.

He helped me gather my composure and when the game finished I couldn't get to the Bon Secours Hospital quickly enough.

My dad died on the October 4 and one of his last smiles was raised when I told him I had captained Celtic.

I was so thankful to Tommy for giving me that exceptional pleasure and allowing me to share it with my old man.

To underline just how much he cared for individuals Tommy then made sure every member of the Celtic squad attended the funeral as a show of support for me and my mum. I will always be grateful to him for that.

It's true to say Tommy touched the lives of thousands of Celtic fans.

He had been a hero of mine when I went to see the team play with my dad and brothers in the late 70s and early 80s.

And when I joined the Hoops in 1987 it soon became the most enjoyable period of my career, playing in a winning team alongside Tommy in the club's centenary year.

I took part in his testimonial against Liverpool and marvelled at the fans' reaction to one of Celtic's favourite sons.

Only a few select names are held in such high esteem by the Parkhead faithful and Tommy is as much loved as Jock Stein and Jimmy Johnstone.

He will go down in history as one of the club's true legends.

Tommy had become a team-mate and a friend and I was constantly amazed at how much of his own time and effort he was prepared to give to the supporters.

Billy McNeill, a man who had similar thoughts in how the fans should be treated, often came into the dressing-room carrying a folder two inches thick with requests for players to attend dances, functions and hospital visits.

More often than not the majority of players were too busy, couldn't be bothered or just didn't want to commit to anything that affected their own free time.

Not Tommy - he couldn't do enough.

When he was volunteering to go here, there and everywhere to meet the punters his influence spread through the dressing-room and more and more players began to do their fair share.

Whether it was down to feeling awkward, embarrassed or slightly shameful we all followed Tommy's lead.

And what a leader he was.

He showed everyone how easy it could be to live a better life by valuing the most basic human characteristics.

A certain level of respect for everyone he met - and good manners to go with it - were part of his natural make-up.

I can't think of Tommy without referring t the passion for his family and for Celtic. He was devoted to his wife Rosemary and their four children and just loved being employed by the club he grew up supporting.

When he was under pressure in his role as caretaker Scotland boss in 2004 there was a huge clamour from the press for Tommy's opinion on what should happen.

When asked how he would feel if he was overlooked for the job, he gave the perfect response when he said: "I am the luckiest man in the world. I have a beautiful wife to go home to and she loves me."

How's that for getting your priorities right and putting things into perspective?

As a team-mate he made me a better player by constantly demanding more of me and I grew to love the passionate rows we had on the training ground. I learned a great deal from him.

When I think of him as a Celtic player one image constantly stands out. And it's the delight on his face when he scored a goal at Celtic Park in the centenary season against Aberdeen. It wasn't a brilliant strike - he had miss-hit a right-foot shot into the net - but his celebration was wonderful.

He ran to the Jungle with that infectious smile of his and a face that was beaming with satisfaction. Tommy was playing for Celtic and so proud of that.

If he wasn't out there in the Hoops, Tommy would have been the type of guy to stand in the Jungle and cheer on his team. He was one of them.

In the last couple of days I've spoken to former team-mates like Pat Bonner, Peter Grant and Derek Whyte.

They all said the same thing. They will miss his friendship.

I will also miss Tommy. I'll miss his class, his dignity, his humour, his drive and his determination to succeed.

God bless him.