If the first goodbye was hard, the gathering in the rain tested emotions more than anyone should have to cope with in such a short space of time.
So little wonder that the tears spilled down the faces of the fans, the friends and the fellow footballing stars who joined together to say farewell to a second Lisbon Lion in less than a week.
Stevie Chalmers, every inch the warm-hearted and humble gentleman in life, was remembered by Celtic supporters who choked back tears as they shared memories of the scorer of the most important goal in the club’s history.
Hundreds of Hoops fans, young and old, came together as they did last Friday for Billy McNeill to pay their respect to the number nine, who died last week at the age of 83 following a battle with dementia.
A funeral mass had taken place earlier in the day at St Mary’s Church in Calton, where Celtic Football Club was first established in 1888, led by parish priest Canon White, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia and Father Boyd from Stevie’s own parish, St Mary’s in Irvine.
Other Lisbon Lions, Bertie Auld, Bobby Lennox and John Clark joined Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell, chairman Ian Bankier and other members of the Parkhead board in attendance, along with interim boss Neil Lennon and the Hoops squad.
Some more of the great and the good from Celtic’s history were also present. These included former managers Martin O’Neill and Davie Hay, as well as former captains Danny McGrain, Roy Aitken and Tom Boyd.
Also among the mourners were Chalmers’ former Celtic team-mates John Hughes and John Fallon, as well as Sir Alex Ferguson and another former Rangers player, goalkeeper Peter McCloy.
It was Father Boyd who delivered the most heartfelt tribute to the Celtic hero, remembering a man whom he described as “respectful, modest, humble, mannerly, but no pushover”.
The service went on: “Stevie wore the number nine shorts with distinction, but to be in Lisbon was a special privilege. To score the winning goal earned him the right to say he scored the most important goal in the history of Scottish football. He was proud to score that goal, but to him it was more important the team won. As we gather to honour Stevie Chalmers today, perhaps we remember we can all be heroes.
“It’s not what we do for ourselves that makes us great. It’s what we do for others and Stevie Chalmers was a living embodiment of that, for each and every one of us.”
But of those who travelled to remember Chalmers yesterday, the great man was summed up best by Archbishop Tartaglia, who said: “Stevie’s family say his priorities in life were his faith, family and football.
“That is surely a fitting legacy.”
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