Bertie Auld tribute: The Celtic force of nature with a rapier wit and heart of a Lion

That message is inscribed on the gravestone of Celtic goalkeeping legend John Thomson.

That very sentence with those poignantly brilliant words reverberated and resonated throughout the whole Celtic family on Sunday.

The death of Bertie Auld - "wee Ten-Thirty' - hit the Hoops faithful hard.

Just five months after being diagnosed with dementia, Auld tragically succumbed to it. 

Thankfully the 83-year-old lived a life.

As a player, he scored 85 goals in 283 appearances over two spells for Celtic. He won five league titles, four League Cups and three Scottish Cups at the club.

He made history as part of Jock Stein's legendary Lisbon Lions side as they became the first British club to win the European Cup with victory over Inter Milan in 1967. Bertie could play! Well, according to my dad anyway.

His measly international haul of three Scotland caps does not do him justice. He was a sublimely talented footballer with oodles of courage and skill to match. He was no slouch in the dark arts department either - Bertie could mix it in any company on and off the field.

Alongside a world-class footballer in Bobby Murdoch, the duo carved out a fearsome reputation as Stein's men bestrode Europe claiming scalp after scalp culminating in Celtic's crowning glory in the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon 54 years ago.

The enormity of that achievement still hits home with every passing year. No Scottish club will ever repeat the feat of the Lions. It is a small wonder Bertie never tired of speaking about it.

Bertie was a born entertainer, a raconteur. Billy Connolly once famously said Bertie should have been a stand-up comedian. The Big Yin wasn't wrong about the Wee Yin.

If Bob Monkhouse was the 'Million Joke Man' then Bertie was the 'Million story and song man'.

Like his £3 win bonus that he once gleefully told John Greig in the tunnel at Ibrox was 'guaranteed', you were guaranteed two things with Bertie. A laugh at one of his anecdotes or jokes and a sing-song.

His party piece was always The Celtic Song. "For it's a grand old team to play for..."

It scared the bejesus out of Sandro Mazzola and Giacinto Facchetti in the tunnel in Lisbon, didn't it? You could argue Celtic won the European Cup at that moment.

As Jimmy Johnstone pointed out their film star good looks and tanned adonis bodies, Bertie famously quipped: "But can they play?"

As it turns out Inter could play but not as well as Celtic.

Bertie revelled in that fact more than anything. He was always humble though. Gallus, yes, but braggadocio was never his thing. 

In fact, they should change the definition of gallus in the Oxford English Dictionary or any Scottish dialect dictionary to this: 'See Bertie Auld'. He was a force of nature with a caustic and rapier wit.

READ MORE: Celtic Briefing: Remembering Bertie Auld and Tony Ralston's Scotland call-up

That is why every Celtic supporter has a story regarding Bertie who was an original man of the people.

He played for Celtic, Dumbarton, Birmingham City and Hibernian. He managed Partick Thistle, Hibs, Hamilton and Dumbarton.

Bertie was the link to a football past, present and future. He straddled every generation of Celtic fans. He just always seemed to be there.

Bertie somehow made football from a bygone era... very real. He was the living embodiment of the spirit of that Celtic side of 1967. He was a treasure who oozed razzamatazz and entertainment. 

Everybody loved him.

"Tony, my son..."

That was his greeting whenever we met. We became friends... great friends. I still treasure that to this day.

I appeared on many a Q&A panel night with Bertie. They were an absolute joy.

As a result, I have many stories, but allow me just this one.

I was designated to phone Bertie when Billy McNeill passed away in 2019. I duly phoned him at 9 am in the morning.

His wife answered his home phone. She told me he was on the phone with Sky Sports.

She said: "Bertie...it's Tony Haggerty."

I could hear in the background a voice saying: "It's Tony...listen I'll have to call you back.

"Tony, my son...

"Oh, Bertie..."

We both had a wee cry down the phone. I told him I would call him back.

But Bertie said: "Tony, my son... I've lost my captain, my inspiration, my leader. The supporters have lost Mr Celtic. You do the rest."

Bertie then proceeded to compose himself and give me half an hour of journalistic gold on Cesar. How he managed it I will never know.

Later that same day, Bertie and John Clark were at a press conference to discuss Billy's life.

The press was ushered into the suite at Celtic Park.

Bertie grabbed my arm and said: "I won't repeat that line about we've lost Mr Celtic as that was a private moment between me and you."

He stood there staring back at me and I knew in that instant he was in dire need of a hug. I obliged.

As ever he said: "Thanks, Tony, my son. Now, let's do this!"

In Bertie strolled despite the solemnity of the occasion. There were tears, laughter and singing as he gave another virtuoso performance and the waiting journalists received more manna from heaven.

Bertie Auld was a fabulous footballer but he was an even better human being. That's why he was adored and loved by all.

He was immensely proud of the fact that he played for Celtic and what he achieved. He then went on to become one of the club's finest ambassadors.

In short, Bertie became a professional Celtic supporter. He bestowed the gift of Celtic onto everybody and anybody he met - whether they wanted it or not (search YouTube for footage of snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan meeting him, for a flavour of that).

Little did he know that when McNeill died the baton and the moniker 'Mr Celtic' was bestowed upon him.

Celtic chairman Ian Bankier got the tone bang on when he said in tribute: "I don't think words can ever adequately describe what Bertie meant to the club and our supporters. He was a giant of a player, a giant of a man and quite simply Mr Celtic.

"He scaled the greatest of heights as a player with his talent but it is who he was as a man that made him so much more to us all.

"He enriched all our lives so greatly with his humour, his character and personality and for that, we will forever be grateful."

What a wonderful life and what a wonderful gift Bertie Auld was to Celtic and their faithful supporters.

If there is to be any sort of silver lining that we can take from his passing it is possibly that he will now be reunited with the likes of Ronnie Simpson, Tommy Gemmell, Bobby Murdoch, Billy McNeill, Jimmy Johnstone, Stevie Chalmers and, of course, Jock Stein.

That thought alone should fill every Celtic supporter's heart with joy. Yet it's still somehow "enough to make your heart grow sad..."

Goodbye, Mr Celtic.