Celtic fans were delivered some sad news earlier this month, with the passing of Dixie Deans.
The Johnstone-born striker was one of the main Celtic figures of the early 1970s, establishing an attacking partnership with Kenny Dalglish.
A popular figure long after his Hoops career, he later became a match-day host at Celtic Park.
Deans is the only player in Scottish football history to score hat-tricks in multiple cup finals, doing so against Hibs and St Johnstone.
And ahead of his funeral service, the club have communicated to fans how they can commemorate a true Celtic great.
Celtic legend Dixie Deans passes away
Celtic give details on Dixie Deans’ funeral service
Deans’ funeral service will be held on Monday, December 29, Celtic have confirmed.
His funeral cortege will travel down the Celtic Way at approximately 10AM, where fans are welcome to gather and honour the Hoops legend.
READ MORE: Hugh Keevins reveals ‘unexpected’ phone call from Peter Lawwell before Celtic farewell
The front of the stadium is bound to be mobbed as Celtic fans pay tribute to one of the great strikers of the club’s history.
Tommy Callaghan was among Deans’ teammates during his time in Hoops.
And speaking to the Daily Record about Dixie, Callaghan’s son Tam paid a brilliant tribute to the ex-Celtic hero.
He said: “Dixie was a brilliant man, I loved him. He was my dad’s best pal along with George McCluskey.
“I saw loads of him through my life and I’m just off the phone to my son Thomas who lives in Adelaide. Dixie played in Adelaide for a year and Thomas would meet Dixie for a coffee.
“He was a funny, funny man and his patter was brilliant.
“Dixie used to tell a story about when he was in Adelaide and Bob Marley was in the city at the same time.
“Dixie kept a picture of the two of them together in his wallet for the rest of his life. But, in true Dixie style, he always claimed it was Bob who wanted a picture with him, not the other way round!”
“There’s a lot of doom and gloom about that generation of Celtic players we are now losing. But there is also so much humour and joy to celebrate.
“When my dad Tommy senior was diagnosed with dementia, Dixie was very supportive, he would come all the time to the house and visit. Before that my dad would pick him and George up on their way to work in the hospitality at Celtic together.
“They were some threesome. Dixie’s patter might have been brilliant but his legacy will always be as a brilliant goal scorer.
“My dad spoke about him being a great man to have inside the Celtic dressing room.
“He may have been only five foot eight inches but you wouldn’t want to fight him as he was tough as nails.
“He will go down in history as one of the all-time Celtic greats. Some players are handed the title of Celtic greats and some of them in my opinion don’t deserve it. But Dixie is a true legend of the club.”
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