Former Ibrox player Kevin Muscat has been tipped to ‘cross the divide’ with reports linking the Australian with the assistant manager’s post at Parkhead.
Ange Postecoglou looks set to take over and Muscat has been his assistant before at Melbourne City.
The story jogged my memory of the last time there was a jump of significance within the coaching staff.
Long time Celtic Reserve coach Kenny McDowall was sounded out for a move to Ibrox straight from his post at Celtic by Walter Smith who was leaving the Scotland setup to rejoin the Ibrox club. McDowall accepted the post and said his farewells to the bhoys knowing full well they were now enemies.
At the time, Celtic legend Tommy Burns was part of the Celtic and Scotland setup with Gordon Strachan in charge at the club.
Burns, known for a prank or two among the bhoys played the ultimate prank on the players when he announced he was also leaving for Ibrox too!
Football News quoted Derek Johnstone, who relayed the prank to Clyde SSB at the time.
Johnstone said: “Tommy played a magnificent trick on the Celtic first-team players.
“He came in with his bags packed and said cheerio to all the players before they went out to train.
“He said, ‘I’m going to join the dream team with Walter Smith and Ally McCoist’. He kept a straight face and the players looked at him and thought ‘no’.
“Tommy told them he had been offered a great deal and it was a big challenge for him.
“He told them, ‘I’m going, all the best for the future but not when you play against us of course’.
“There was silence in the dressing room as Tommy turned his back. But he quickly turned round to show the players they had been hoaxed – it was a belter.”
Tommy was a man who transcended the Glasgow rivalry and had many friends on the other side of Glasgow.
A spokesperson for Celtic at the time confirmed the prank: “Tommy had the players going and they fell for it hook, line and sinker. But they all had a right good laugh about it.”
Tommy was the personification of Celtic. A man of great faith, great passion and who always had time for the Celtic support.
I happened upon Tommy at sports dinner event back in my younger days as a waiter. After arguing with myself of whether to bother him while he was socialising I approached him just to say hello and thank him for all he’d done for Celtic – being a lad who got his season ticket during Tommy’s period as manager, I will never forget the football we played under him.
As I retreated sheepishly to get back on with my job, Tommy reached out to shake my hand. The next ten to fifteen minutes he would converse with me about all things Celtic, from the past to the present. By the end of the conversation I was ridiculously aware I was neglecting my waiter duties, I politely had to let Tommy know I had to get on – I got the feeling he could have talked all night!
It was with great sadness when his diagnosis and subsequent passing was announce.
The Celtic family lost a great man that day. There are good Celtic men and then there’s Tommy Burns. An absolute legend.
Different times. We are talking about taking an EBT recipient on our payroll sad days indeed.