Tommy Burns – Obituary (Guardian, Brian Glanville)

"I've never heard a bad word against him" was the sad motif in Scotland after the death of the football player and manager Tommy Burns who has died from melanoma cancer, aged 51. As a left-footed midfield player, eight times capped by Scotland, he was known for his exceptional skill and ability to drive forward in attack. The ex-Rangers player Bobby Russell said Burns was the best footballer he ever played against.
Burns was unlucky enough to be Celtic's manager from 1994-97 during a period of dominance by the auld enemy Rangers, whose run of nine consecutive championships ended in 1997.
Born in Glasgow, he began his career at Maryville Juniors, then signed for Celtic. His debut came in 1976 when he came on for half an hour as a substitute against Dundee. The following year he made his full Celtic debut at Pittodrie in a 1-1 draw with Aberdeen.
The first of his international caps came in the 1980-81 season against Northern Ireland, the last as a substitute against England in 1988. That season, Celtic – in their centenary year and managed by their former centre-half and captain Billy McNeill – not only took the Scottish championship from Rangers but forced them into third place, no fewer than a dozen points behind. Celtic also won the Scottish Cup and Burns was outstanding throughout.
After achieving the double with Celtic, Burns moved to Kilmarnock for £50,000 after an emotional farewell at Parkhead, where he threw his shirt into the crowd after a friendly game against Ajax. Three years later, Kilmarnock made him their temporary manager, only for him to insist he wanted the job permanently, and get it.In 1993 he took Kilmarnock up to the Premier Division and beat Rangers 1-0 at Ibrox. But in 1994, his team lost to Rangers in the semi-final of the Cup. He left the club in July and was appointed Celtic's manager the next day. Celtic were fined £100,000 for "poaching" him from Kilmarnock, who were allowed to retain his playing registration, effectively ending his playing career.
Burns brought the prolific Dutch striker Pierre van Hooijdonk from NAC Breda to Parkhead in 1995. Van Hooijdonk duly won Celtic the Scottish Cup with a goal against Airdrie, their first major honour for six years. Burns had inspired moments as a manager but he was entitled to despair when in 1996 Rangers pipped Celtic for the title, even though Celtic lost only one league game. He lamented that Andy Goram, the Rangers keeper, "broke his heart", which led to a mocking song by Rangers fans beginning "Cheer up Tommy Burns".
In 1997, he was fined and banned from the touchline for a year after an outburst during an Old Firm derby, though the ban was reduced on appeal. Celtic released him in May and he became assistant manager to their former star Kenny Dalglish at Newcastle United. In 1998 he moved south to become manager of Reading, a job he lost the following year. He returned to Celtic with Dalglish, as his assistant manager. Burns became head of youth development when Martin O'Neill took over at Celtic in 2000, and then first team coach with the arrival of Gordon Strachan in 2005.
Burns combined his roles at Celtic with work for the national team, having been made assistant to Berti Vogts, then manager of Scotland, in 2002. He became caretaker manager of the national team in 2004, though he had an inauspicious beginning when they lost 4-1 to Sweden in Edinburgh. In 2006, he had an operation to remove two cancerous lumps from his leg. When Walter Smith resigned as Scotland's manager last year, Burns followed him, devoting himself full-time to his role at Celtic, the club for which he played 352 games and scored 52 goals.
Contemporaries spoke of him with great warmth. "He was a very good footballer," said David Provan, "but more than that, a great human being." In the words of Frank McGarvey: "He was one of the good guys, a winner with a great sense of humour and he will be badly missed."
Burns is survived by his wife Rosemary.
Tommy Burns, footballer and manager, born December 16 1956; died May 14 2008.