It’s been a joy to read all that’s been written about Billy McNeill since his wife Liz decided to tell the story of his dementia yesterday. Much of it, inevitably, reflected on a magnificent life. For now I’m not going to tell you about what he did for Celtic, what his leadership made possible, even today, or what he was like as a human being. That’s a story for another day. Dementia is not the end of the story, so we should not treat this news as such, but it does become a profound end to most of what defined the life that proceeded it.
For long enough after his diagnoses (seven years ago), Billy remained as charming and entertaining as ever. I knew of his condition but would never have been aware if his ability to talk football, or about Bellshill, was anything to go by. He once joked about his fading memory to me, before issuing himself a tongue-in-cheek caution, “Don’t suppose I should joke about that these days”.
The last time I met him was with Davie Hay at a publicity shoot in late 2014 for a book we did. He could still recall great detail about the young Davie, but for the first time I could see a fragility about the man. There was no joking about his memory this time.
It may be 50 years since Billy’s greatest moment, but his stature remains unparalleled. In speaking openly about his condition, Liz will hopefully give strength to the many other sufferers in our communities. It also gives us reason to consider the consequences of heading the heavy footballs of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. While the modern ball doesn’t retain water like earlier models, it is still a 1lb weight that is regularly propelled at 70mph. Small sample sizes lead to bad conclusions, but if you put your head on a long clearance as it drops from the sky, it will not take a lot to convince you it’s not a healthy activity.
When news like this breaks people are often full of regret at opportunities not taken. Not with Billy. He was adored by his elders, his contemporaries and by those who got to know him by his legend. He spent his life living among his people, openly and accessible. We all got a moment with Billy McNeill. And you know what? He loved every minute.
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BMCUW
Signed
BMCUWP
Petition duly signed — as you say a matter of right and wrong.
That is not the actions of a country I would wish my kids to grow up in.
I have also shared the whole thing via twitter.
BMCUWP
Signed.
MWD
BMCUW
“Petrol money”, eh? Sounds very Murray-ish right enough!
Wasn’t it Advocaat that pushed it through cos he wanted him playing regular football in the lead-up to the 2004 Euros?
Half a season and he’s some kind of “Rangers legend”!
Can’t see there’s any way he would go there anyway. More MSM guff to make out that Sevco are some kind of big team that can attract big names.
Just back in the Emerald Isle following another great trip over to Paradise. I’m getting to rate big Moussa more and more every time i see him close up – hopefully Brendan works his magic and we hold on to him for another year at least. Also, i’m heatened to see the support for big Billy from all sides, heartening to see.
Hoping to get back over to Glasgow at least once more before the season is out. HH from a cold but dry Éire.
Hrvatski Jim 2:05 – Hear hear. Not much else to say except that grown middle aged men shouldn’t have heroes.
But we too – unbelievably according to the young wans – used to be wee bhoys. Billy McNeill was my hero then and always will be.
God bless him and his family.
BMCUWP …. petition signed. Thanks for passing that on.
BMCUWP
Signed mhate.hh
BMCUWP
Petition signed M
HH
Pretty sure Sean O’Grady was know as the bubble gum kid
HH
I see loads of expat Brits are signing up to become German citizens.
Well if it’s good enough for Queenie….
BMCUWP.
Petition signed.
BMCUW – thanks for highlighting the petition. Grotesque that they should target a potential honours engineering graduate who is committed to the UK. Exactly who we should be embracing.
Om my now infrequent visits to CQN, weird to find references to the Kilmeny, Lauriston, etc as these are (were) very familiar.
(St Micks FP)
Thanks,lads.
I could greet. For what’s happening,but more for the fact that people still care.
(Btw,not kidding either,so cot for me.)
Timgreen
We have a right to know who these St Micks people are…
Floatin’
We should be telt Floatin’!
Afternoon
Petition signed.
I remember the O’Grady fight with Jim Watt. I think it was a voluntary defence for Jim after his mandatory defence against Davis and alrhough O’Grady had an impressive record on paper it was expected to be a straightforward defence. instead it was a brutal classic with Jim Watt very , very lucky to win.
O’Grady got a title shot against a guy called Hilmer Kenty whom the great Aaron Pryor said was the best fighter in the game at the time and yet O’Grady absolutely destroyed him. And then O’Grady did not much.
I see that Hearts and Everton great Alex Young has passed away. A great player according to family members who saw him.. RIP
Jimbo67
As St Micks FPs are dominating the blog, 4 FPs signed by Celtic in 64/65 Lou Macari, Joe Murray, Jim Clarke and one other. Canny remember. And Lou was the biggest surprise at the time.
What petition…. where?
https://twitter.com/celticfc/status/836225658502144000
Paddy back training before end of the week
The petition again:
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 27TH FEBRUARY 2017 2:39 PM
DAVIDOPOULOS
I can do better than that. Here’s the article.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/exception-student-deportation-three-months-before-graduation-sri-lanka-home-office-amber-rudd-a7600511.html?utm_content=buffer30e3c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
The petition is embedded near the end of it.
My parents were exposed by a steep rise in interest rates in the early eighties. My dad a young engineer sought work abroad in the Middle East to support his wife and four children. We spent the next 10 or so years in Dubai. As you can imagine it was a very different place in the eighties and early nineties, although looking back the pace of development and change was staggering.
School football practise was like a scene for a Sky advert with a wide selection of different strips on show, I always wore the hoops. Unbeknown to me at the time, the father of my friend, who always wore a Liverpool strip, worked for Coca Cola, the sponsors of the Dubai Cup, where the winners of the Scottish league played the winners from the English one. There was a lot of excitement amongst my family about the upcoming fixture, as Celtic took on Liverpool (a rematch from two years earlier that Liverpool won on penalties when the game finished 1-1). One of my uncles managed to tie in a visit from Glasgow with the game, he now lives in Ireland but he still manages to align his visits with Celtic fixtures.
A week before the game my mother took a call from someone from Coca Cola, my friend’s father, his son was going to the Liverpool mascot and had heard there was a little boy at football practise who wore a Celtic strip and asked if I wanted to be the Celtic one. My mother didn’t ask, she didn’t need to, I was Celtic daft already by that age. When we were back in Glasgow for the summer holidays, my uncles used to take me to the games. They used to get me to tell my mum that we had sat in the family section, rather than being sat up those bars in the terracing of the jungle. I loved it. I remember we went for a walk as a family after we found out, I was literally jumping up and down with joy, as 8 year old boy I was on cloud nine.
On the day itself, my friend’s dad took my friend and me to the game. I don’t really remember waiting around and how it all worked but I do remember when I met up with Celtic it was with Billy McNeil. I don’t remember being nervous, I think I was too excited, what I do recall was the manner in which he conducted himself and how welcome he made me feel. He was friendly and kind but in a way that was totally effortless. He asked who my favourite players were and took me to meet them. They were Paul McStay and oddly enough Billy Stark (I seem to remember being very impressed by a diving header from about 25 yards out). When Andy Walker and Mick McCarthy went to warm up, Billy asked if I wanted to go with them and I ended up knocking the ball about with them behind the goal. The game finished 1-1 but this time Celtic prevailed 4-2 on penalties, an exact reserve of the game two years previously.
My last memory of that day, was after the game, Billy chatting away to my parents and my uncle about half an hour. Normally in those situations I would have being pulling my mum’s arm bored but I was in complete awe of the man.
I have not thought about this day in a long long time. When I reflect, I owe and relate a lot of my love of Celtic to Billy and this day. Hail Hail Caesar.
PS Funnily I googled the fixture and saw someone had uploaded a vid to youtube.
https://youtu.be/JmRDSjh8PaE
I haven’t watched it properly as I am at work but in some of the early Celtic chances you can see me behind the goal. At about 1.45 in, there is a replay from behind the goal as Celtic put one over and there I am! I honestly until today had never seen this!
God bless the St Mick’s FP clique!
HH!!
KJam, marvellous thanks for that.
Billy Stark was a favourite of mine also and had many fine games for us.
There is something distasteful about Tories…sorry. I’ll rephrase that…there is something distasteful about politicians…poor girl.
KJAM- great story and memories.
Thanks whitedoghunch, I enjoyed sharing it. As I said I hadn’t thought about it is a very long time.
Cheers Bada Bing :)
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 27TH FEBRUARY 2017 4:10 PM
There is something distasteful about Tories…sorry. I’ll rephrase that…there is something distasteful about politicians…poor girl.
***
Not with you. This is straight tory policy with no mandate. Opposite of, for example, SNP policy. Not all politicians are distasteful or barbaric.
Judging by the amount of personal experiences from posters, the curse of Alzheimers is very wide spread and has touched many families.
It is the families who carry the burden and not everyone is equipped to manage the situation.
To those who can’t, the back up services are vital, but, due to successive cut backs, that care is being stretched.
Home care is very difficult, especially as the disease progresses.
Some days you feel murderous. Other days, suicidal.
It can be a very lonely journey for the carer, therefore they need all the support they can get.
God Bless the carers.
Home care is very difficult, especially as the disease progresses.
https://twitter.com/fcrotterdam
Crazy own goal.
TIMGREEN on 27TH FEBRUARY 2017 3:44 PM
As St Micks FPs are dominating the blog, 4 FPs signed by Celtic in 64/65 Lou Macari, Joe Murray, Jim Clarke and one other. Canny remember. And Lou was the biggest surprise at the time.
****
Aiden McKellar completes the trio signing of Lou Macari and Jim Clarke. John Murray was signed later. It may be apocryphal, l but I believe his claim to fame is that he was Jock Stein’s first signing after winning the European Cup. Jim Clarke is uncle to Steve Clarke.
WTM
St Michael’s FP
1964-1969
In a clique, at last :))))))))))))))))
Can we start an 11+ passer clique as well? then I’ll be in 2 cliques.
Then we could start a ……….. gettin carried away now.
Floatin’
Was chatting with my Dad earlier about Big Billy. We only touched upon his dementia, as we had been aware of it (and we have had to deal with it in the family). He chose to speak of Billy’s contribution to Celtic. Says he inter alia, “Murdoch, McNeill and Clark- the best half back line ever”. No argument from me.
Totally correct WTM! Suddenly I remember! Thanks.
Jim McCutcheon teach you Latin too?
Shortbread saying a guy called Ross Wilson (me neither), is wanted by Sevco as DoF, after a quick Wikipedia, Dick Wilson said it would be a coup to get him……….obviously Dick.
That was an excellent testimony to Billy McNeil Paul. He was a man with qualities we would all do well to try and follow.
I’ve hesitated to tell my Billy McNeil story because it goes back more than ten years and involves memory.
Billy was a speaker at a Round Table charity in EK and was talking about his early days when he first played in first team.
During a break I spoke to him in the lobby and me being a bit geeky on what I had watched, reminded Billy that his debut was at Right Back in place of the injured Dunky McKay.
He thought for a minute and smiled his smile as he confirmed my recollection of events.
I spoke to him much more recently in the foyer at CP and whilst it was clear he had lost some of his sharpness, none of the warmth from the previous encounter had gone.
TIMGREEN on 27TH FEBRUARY 2017 4:22 PM
That’s the same SNP who cleared a member of Settler Watch to stand as a candidate.
Nothing distasteful or barbaric about them then.