Winning claim
READERS are still reminiscing about the late Lisbon Lion Tommy Gemmell. Jim Friel recalls being in the Ballieston pub owned by Celtic star John Hughes, when Tommy was manager of Albion Rovers, whose owner Tom Fagan knew every dodge to save money.
Says Jim: “Tommy drops in to see John, and an Albion Rovers fan further up the bar pitched in with, 
‘I hear your jacket’s oan a shaky nail down at Cliftonhill.’ Tommy disagrees and tells the fan, ‘We’ve been on a good wee run just now.’
“’That’s the point,’ says the fan, ‘Tom Fagan’s no happy with all those win bonuses he’s having to pay out’.”

Putting his foot in it
AND David Martin recalls Tommy’s great shot that scored a goal in the Lisbon final. David was with work colleagues in the Invergowrie Inn for lunch when one of them asked the three gents at the next table if they could move their table forward a little. “What are you looking for?” one asked.
“Nothing really,” said his colleague. “I just wanted to see that foot again,” as it was indeed Tommy Gemmell who was sitting there.

What’s in a name
A READER sees the Sky News heading “Animal death zoo loses its licence” and he thinks to himself: “Probably didn’t help, having a name like that.”

Bit of a blow
FED up with all those fake occasions that card sellers seem to dream up? Tim Fairs, at Clintons Cards, tells us this is Play The Recorder Month. But we forgive him as he goes on to explain: “The first recorder probably dates from mediaeval times and was excavated from a castle moat in Holland in 1940. Whether or not it was thrown into the moat by parents exasperated by their child’s practice is anyone’s guess.”
He then added: “For those less enthusiastic about the sound of recorder practice, I’m told that Boots sell earplugs, and there’s usually one near a Clintons store.”
 
The truth hurts
A GLASGOW reader was amused when he heard a young woman walking down the street after a drink or two in the city centre tell her pal: “Sorry that I got so mad and said all those things that I really meant.”

Pottering about
AUTHOR JK Rowling is enjoying teasing President Donald Trump on social media. After his attempts to divert attention on to President Obama, JK composed a make-believe Donald Trump Tweet: “OhmyGod I SO can’t believe you think I’m in bed with Putin bcos there’s this whole thing with Obama that you don’t even know nothing about.”

Trumped up
TALKING about Trump, a reader 
in America emails: “The Justice Department asked the FBI if the claim that Trump’s phone had been tapped was true or not. The director of the FBI replied, ‘The claim President Trump made to his son-in-law in a phone call to his private apartment at 11.19am last Monday has no basis in fact’.”

Drawing the line
SPORT, and a reader hears Celtic manager  Brendan Rogers talking about Craig Gordon’s new contract being almost “over the line”. “Surely,” says our reader, “that’s the last thing you want with a goalkeeper?”