Friend pays tribute to Tommy Burns at golf tournament named in his honour

Former Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith has spoken of his admiration for Tommy Burns as a host of legends helped launch a golf tournament in his name.

The competition, set up by the former Celtic manager’s sons, aims to raise money for the Tommy Burns Skin Cancer Trust which seeks to increase awareness of the condition.

Founded in 2009, the group has made several donations to centres which care for patients affected by skin cancer across the country.

The event also coincided with the 45th anniversary of Celtic's 1967 European Cup win in Lisbon and the 40th anniversary of Rangers’ 1972 Cup Winners Cup victory in Barcelona.

Burns, who passed away from skin cancer four years ago, was a man who was highly respected on both sides of the Glasgow divide.

Event organiser Jonathan Burns said: "May 20, 2008 saw Celtic and Rangers unite in paying tribute to my dad on the day of his funeral - four years on it is really wonderful that so many Old Firm legends are again turning out to launch the Tommy Burns Masters and raise money for his Skin Cancer Trust."

And Smith says he was delighted to take part in the event. He said: “I’m delighted to be able to do it. I think it’s a very good cause and we all had a great deal of time and respect for Tommy.

“He was a lovely guy and I’m delighted to come and be able to take part in a charity event that continues his legacy and maintains his name because it was so sad when we lost Tommy.

“He was liked across the board and respected because of what he had done in the game, his methods, his style as a manager and a coach and privately he was a great guy to know.”

“Playing in games against him you would always speak to him during and after the game so he was never really caught up in it.

“There was never this thing with people fighting in Old Firm games and all that.

"Tommy was committed but you could talk to him even during a match, so my fondest memories were shaking hands with him after the games regardless of the score.

“The rivalry is fantastic between Rangers and Celtic it is just sometimes it gets a bit low in terms of the way people want to take it.

“I’m a great believer that we need that rivalry, we want to see a strong Rangers, strong Celtic so that they can also perform in European football as well.

“We want to see that rivalry maintained but sometimes there’s too much hatred.”

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