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aka: Steve Chalmers, Stevie Chalmers
Born: 26 December 1935
Funeral
Stevie Chalmers Funeral – Wednesday, May 8, 11.30am
PLEASE note, Stevie’s family have informed the Club of the following funeral arrangements:
Stevie Chalmers' emotional final farewell
http://www.celticfc.net/news/16144
By: Joe Donnelly on 08 May, 2019 15:04
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TODAY, the Celtic Family said an emotional final farewell to Stevie Chalmers, the scorer of Celtic’s most famous goal, who passed away last week at the age of 83. The Funeral Requiem Mass was held at Saint Mary’s Church, Calton, the same parish out of which Celtic Football Club was founded on November 6, 1887.
In a packed church, Stevie’s family and friends gathered to mourn the loss of, and to remember a great man. Celtic directors and staff were in attendance, as was Neil Lennon and the Celtic first-team squad. Many supporters joined fellow mourners inside the church, and special mention was paid to Stevie’s team-mate and captain Billy McNeill, whose funeral was held at St Aloysius’ Church in Glasgow last Friday.
There were also many Celtic legends in attendance, most notably Billy’s friends and fellow Lisbon Lions, John Clark, Bertie Auld, Jim Craig, Bobby Lennox, John Fallon, John Hughes and Charlie Gallagher.
As were many other former Celts, including Danny McGrain, Paul McStay, Roy Aitken, Davie Hay, Tommy Callaghan, Tom Boyd, Tosh McKinlay, Gerry Britton and Andy Walker, among many others. There were many other names from world football in attendance to pay their respects, including Martin O’Neill, Sir Alex Ferguson and former Rangers goalkeeper Peter McCloy.
The Funeral Requiem Mass was celebrated by Archbishop of Glasgow, Philip Tartaglia, along with a number of fellow priests, including Father William Boyd from St Mary’s in Irvine – Stevie’s local parish priest.
Throughout the service, condolences were expressed to Stevie’s wife, Sadie, and their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, with the family having requested those attending the funeral wear something green, in celebration of Stevie’s connection to the club.
In his Homily, Father Boyd paid tribute to an unassuming, loving and proud family man, and recalled Stevie's illustrious Celtic career which saw him score 231 goals in 406 appearances for the club, to become its fourth highest scorer of all-time. His most famous goal, of course, was the matchwinner on that historic night in Lisbon on May 25, 1967, when he put Celtic 2-1 up against Inter Milan to become Champions of Europe.
Away from the church, thousands of supporters waited respectfully at Celtic Park, and there was warm applause as the funeral cortege made its way down the Celtic Way. The cortege then continued to the cremetorium for a private service.
The Celtic Family has said its final farewell to Stevie Chalmers, a Lisbon Lion legend, and scorer of the club’s greatest and most important goal. The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Celtic Football Club continue to be with Stevie’s family at this very sad time.
The Chalmers family have said anyone wishing to make a donation to Alzheimer Scotland would be very welcome. This can be made at the following link: http://bit.ly/StevieChalmers
Stevie Chalmers funeral: Celtic fans remember 'humble and modest' Lisbon hero
By Niall Christie
See all 11 photos
https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/17626876.stevie-chalmers-funeral-celtic-fans-remember-humble-and-modest-lisbon-hero/
FANS wept on Wednesday at Celtic Park as they said farewell to a second Lisbon Lion in less than a week.
Talking of the warm-hearted and humble gentleman Stevie Chalmers, supporters of Celtic choked back tears as they shared their own memories of the scorer of the most important goal in the club's history.
Hundreds of loyal Hoops fans, young and old, had gathered 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.
Those who had turned out at Celtic Park were understandably full of nostalgia, but his attitude off it set him apart from many others.
Charlie Kelly, a Celtic fan and fellow parishioner at St Mary's in Irvine, held back tears as he talked of his admiration for Stevie.
The 69-year-old said: "They go on about the Celtic family, this is what it’s all about. He was a nice man when you met him and I was lucky enough to have a few times – very humble, but very shy.
"I always called him Mr Chalmers. Then one time I spoke to him, and after that, he’d shake my hand every time I saw him. I couldn’t have missed it today."
This was echoed by 77-year-old Phil Brown. He said: "I met him a few times in 2014, we had a long weekend in Lisbon and I went with the club.
"Stevie was a very shy, he would never walk by you. All the older players had time for the fans. Nowadays, they wouldn’t recognise you. What a gentleman."
READ MORE: Stevie Chalmers funeral: Lisbon Lions legend passes Celtic Park for final time
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 Irvine.
It was Father Boyd who delivered the most heartfelt tribute to the Celtic hero, remembering a man who 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. That day he ran around tirelessly, until in the 83rd minute when he ventured in and sealed the game with a winning touch.
"To achieve all this with his beloved Celtic was a dream come true. He formed a bond with his teammates, a comradery which endures to this day. These days have been extremely trying for the Lions, but be sure, for Stevie the friendship he shared with you was a blessing."
While there was focus on Stevie's achievements on the field, as much attention, was devoted to his life off of it.
It seems the two were greatly intertwined, with fans grieving alongside his family.
Father Boyd told his relatives: "Looking back on '67, it has grown to a significance we could never have imagined. And if it means that much for hundreds of thousands of Celtic fans, it means so much more for the Chalmers family. The last few years have been challenging, but you have put him before yourself.
READ MORE: Stevie Chalmers funeral LIVE: Glasgow's farewell to second Lisbon Lion in a week
"Now we commend Stevie to God’s love and a new love of eternity, in the knowledge he deserves that love, free from his illness, and ready again to be his true self.
"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."
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 of the club, 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, keeper Peter McCloy.
Before the funeral mass Jim Craig, who also played in the famous 2-1 win in Portugal, spoke of a testing time for everyone connected to Celtic as his thoughts went out to Chalmers' wife, Sadie, and her family.
The former full-back said: "It has been a difficult week to lose another team-mate. Stevie was a very popular guy with everybody, fans and players alike, and at this time our thoughts are with Sadie and the family."
"We hope the public in general will remember him greatly as they will with that goal in Lisbon.
"First and foremost, he was a nice guy, great fun to be with and we all enjoyed his company and he worked hard for Celtic both as a player and later in his job there as well."
Read more of today's top Glasgow stories.
But of those who travelled to remember Stevie Chalmers on Wednesday, 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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