Remembering the life of Celtic legend Bertie Auld after death at 83

Born in Maryhill on March 23, 1938, the former Hamilton Accies and Partick Thistle manager reigned a long and successful career in Scottish football. 

As a player, he made more than 200 appearances in the Scottish leagues - playing for Celtic, Dumbarton and Hibernian before going on to make more than 100 in England with Birmingham City. 

Despite his appearances across the country - including three caps for Scotland - Auld is well-known for his time as a player at Celtic.

He won five league titles with the Hoops on top of lifting the European Cup, five Scottish Cups and four League Cups.

Auld played in two spells with the club – 1955-61 and then 1965-71 – where he made 283 appearances, scoring 85 goals.

He became renowned for having led his fellow teammates to singing ‘The Celtic Song’ in the tunnel before Celtic beat Inter Milan 2-1 on May 25, 1967 in Lisbon’s Estadio Nacional to lift the trophy.

Celtic chairman, Ian Bankier said: “The most sincere thoughts and prayers of everyone at Celtic are with Bertie’s family at such a difficult time, following this tragic loss.

“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.

“It was an absolute privilege to have known Bertie and I know just how deeply his passing will be felt by all Celtic supporters. Bertie will forever be regarded as a Celtic great and he will forever be in our hearts.

“We all mourn his passing with great sadness and, of course, we offer our full support to Bertie’s family. May you rest in peace, Bertie.”

In 1974, Auld went on to management where he oversaw Partick Thistle, Hibernian, Hamilton Academical and Dumbarton during a 14-year period. 

After hanging up his boots following a 33-year-long career in football, he was regularly seen at Parkhead where he worked closely with the Celtic FC Foundation - the club's charity wing.

In 2008, the football great went on to publish a book about his life, named 'A Bhoy Called Bertie: My Life and Times'.

It delves into his rise in European football after coming from a poverty-struck childhood in post-war Glasgow.

Nicknamed ‘Ten-thirty’ – Cockney slang mixed in with Glaswegian pronunciation – Bertie Auld, born and bred and in Glasgow, was proud of his city. 

In June, Celtic announced that Auld had sadly been suffering from dementia.

The Parkhead side said that he was being well-cared for at his own home, surrounded by his family.