Tom Boyd is Celtic’s Tennent’s Sixes manager

Scottish football is going back to the future with the return of the official SPFL Tennent’s Sixes. It was an iconic six-a-side tournament in the 1980s and ‘90s – with Celtic winning the tournament in 1992 – and it’s returning to the Braehead Arena on the weekend of October 3 and 4 – with the official backing of the SPFL. All 12 Premiership teams have signed up to take part in a legends version of the small-sided tournament, with heroes of the recent past wearing the official club kits of this season and leading the former Celts as manager will be none other than Tom Boyd. MANAGER: TOM BOYD Celtic 1992-03, 406 games, 2 goals Tom Boyd led Celtic into arguably the most crucial season in the club’s history. The premature retirement of Paul McStay through injury, saw the Maestro hand the armband to Boyd at the start of the 1997/98 season when the 10 had to be stopped – and as skipper he led the Celts to that vital title. A legend at both Celtic and Motherwell, Tom Boyd captained both clubs to memorable triumphs – he lifted the Scottish Cup when Motherwell won by defeating Dundee United 4-3 in the 1991 final, and, of course he was the captain of the Celtic team that made history in 1998 – the club’s first title in a decade. In eight years at Fir Park, he made 301 appearances, scoring seven goals. After a brief spell with Chelsea, he returned to Scotland when he joined Celtic in 1992, and he would go on to make 406 appearances for the club, winning three league titles, three League Cups and two Scottish Cups with the Hoops. That included the 1995 Scottish Cup under Tommy Burns – Celtic’s first trophy in six years – and the memorable Treble in 2001 when Martin O’Neill came in as manager for the first time. Tom Boyd was, is and always will be a true Celtic legend.The original Tennent’s Sixes captured the imagination of a generation of Scottish football fans during its nine-year stretch from 1984 until 1993, with Partick Thistle the last winners of the cult trophy. And the joint organisers – the SPFL and Braehead Arena – have worked quietly for months to give fans of all ages a family experience blending nostalgia with a modern twist. Saturday group stages will start with three regionalised groups of four, with each group winner and runner-up progressing to the knockout stages, along with the two best third-placed teams. To keep fans on the edge of their seats, every game will have a winner, with a bonus point for a penalty shoot-out win in the event of a draw. The sin bin will also be making a comeback, and organisers hope it will capture the imagination of football fans and families alike. Celtic are in Group C, alongside Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Rangers. More details and tickets are available via Braehead Arena: www.spfltennentssixes.co.uk