A final farewell to Tommy Burns

HUNDREDS of mourners from the football world today joined the family of Tommy Burns for a final good-bye to the Celtic legend.

Mourners began arriving for the funeral of the popular football player and manager two hours before the requiem mass at St Mary's Church in the Calton area of Glasgow. Hundreds of fans filled the street outside the church and an estimated 10,000 gathered at Celtic Park where the service was broadcast.

Celtic boss Gordon Strachan arrived with the first team squad to loud applause from those outside the church. Others arriving included Rangers boss Walter Smith and captain Barry Ferguson.

Former Scotland and Rangers manager Alex McLeish also attended along with SFA chief executive Gordon Smith. There were also a host of former Celtic players, including Roy Keane, Kenny Dalglish and Pierre van Hooijdank.

Even before guests began arriving, the street outside the church turned green and white as hundreds of fans turned out to pay their respects. Floral tributes were laid outside the entrance to the church and Celtic scarves hung from the railings.

Thomas Mitchell 50, from Uddingston, Lanarkshire, was among fans saying farewell to Burns. He said: "This is just a very very sad event, it's a terrible loss to Scottish football. But the amount of people who have turned up just shows you how appreciated he was."

The coffin was carried into St Mary's by former Celtic teammates Danny McGrain, Peter Grant, Pat Bonnar and George McCluskey. Smith and his assistant Ally McCoist, who were part of the Scotland international coaching set-up with Burns, were also among the pall-bearers.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond also attended the funeral.

Other figures from the football world who arrived to pay their respects included Everton manager David Moyes, Motherwell boss Mark McGhee and former Celtic manager Martin O'Neill.

Burns, a former Scotland international, died on Thursday after losing his battle with cancer. He was 51.

Approximately 1,000 mourners packed into the church where Burns had worshipped as a boy for the mass. Some mourners in the church wore the Celtic FC top with Burns' name on the back.

The two-hour service, which was broadcast on screens inside the church, was led by the Rt Rev Joseph Devine, the Bishop of Motherwell.

In his eulogy, Billy Stark said Burns' roots had been in Glasgow and he had been an elegant and classy football player with a "cultured left foot full of poise on the ball.

"He always wanted the ball," added Stark, a former teammate at Celtic and Burns' assistant manager at Kilmarnock and Celtic.

Stark said: "A list of Tommy's wonderful qualities is endless – a dignified man of principle, his generosity of spirit knew no bounds. He showed great compassion for those less fortunate than himself.

"Tommy Burns treasured three things in life above all others – family, faith and football, particularly Celtic Football Club.

"You would see him on the training ground in the morning, demanding and driven. When he returned from the lunchtime visit to the chapel, he turned into a calm and serene man."

Mourners laughed as Stark recounted how his former Celtic teammate Burns may have been a family man but he was not a "DIY man".

Stark recalled how Burns' wife had asked him to remove a banister and instead of unscrewing it he had sawn it off.

At the close of the eulogy, breaking down as he finished speaking, Stark said: "Tommy Burns was a unique and special man, an inspiration to many of us."

This was met with a prolonged round of applause.

At Celtic Park, a tearful crowd listened to the mass on giant speakers outside the main entrance. Many wore the club's strip, while others were dressed in black suits and ties as a mark of respect.

The area outside the ground was awash with the club's green and white colours. Thousands of scarves, strips and flags were left by fans of Celtic and other clubs, including Glasgow rivals Rangers, in tribute.

Monsignor Tom Monaghan, a priest at Burns' local church, said: "The ordinary people of Glasgow have joined with the fans of Celtic Football Club and indeed, other teams to express their regard and appreciation for Tommy.

"It may be that better footballers and better managers have passed through the gates of Celtic Park but there really can't be anyone more loved."

Mourners continued to flood to Celtic Park as the mass progressed. Original estimates on the number of people there was close to 3,000, but by 1.30pm police said the crowd at the ground had grown to 10,000. Two women fainted with the heat and had to be taken to the first aid room for treatment, a police spokeswoman confirmed.

Postwoman Susan Gillespie, 46, travelled over from Edinburgh with her family for the occasion.

Speaking of the turnout she said: "I wouldn't have expected anything else, not only from our fans but from football fans in general."

Pointing to tributes laid by fans from a variety of other football clubs, she added: "That's especially nice to see and it just proves how much he was loved throughout football."