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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Was Roy Aitken a St Mick’s bhoy or did he fail his 11+ …. he used to come down to the park in ardrossan and bully the big boys at football.
Maybe he went to the Proddy school, dunno.
Floatin’
Can we start a list of who is in the clique? :)
Big Jim McCutcheon, used to throw a 2″ thick copy of Virgil’s Aeneid at you if you nodded off. Sister Cecily the 5′ tall,round glasses wearing nun who could bruise your arm for weeks with 2 of the belt, and wee Eddy Melon the French teacher who was second only to Sister Cecily with the leather…
Ahhh the good old days
Floatin’
In a previous career I attempted to keep crime at bay in the East End. This uphill struggle had occasional highlights and one in particular was meeting the great man and spending some time with him behind the scenes at Celtic Park albeit I was there on business.
It was late January 1990 and we’d just lost at home to Motherwell, I think. The London Road Loyal aka The CID were ripping it out of me as usual. A call came in about half five that a wee lady had been robbed at knife-point in one of the pie stalls in the Celtic End after the game. It turned out as the crowd left, a Barrowfield worthy sneaked in and carried out the robbery.
Just as we arrived at the front door I could see the great man make his way through the after match throng in reception. He’d heard what happened and wanted to see if the lady was okay. He took her into the boardroom chasing everyone else out, made sure she got a cup of tea and sat with her as we interviewed her. Now I felt terrible for the lady who was badly shaken but I was sitting with a Celtic hero in the inner sanctum of Paradise. My blue-nosed colleague was respectfully silent for once and like me admired Billy’s care and compassion especially with everything that was going on around him after the match.
When I’d taken her statement as per procedure I got her to sign it; it was too good a chance to miss and I asked Caesar if he’d sign it as a witness. This wasn’t needed but…every cloud has a big Cup silver lining as I goaded the bluenoses later.
YNWA
Does heading a football cause brain damage? Good question. In my humble opinion the answer is definitely yes. My father was a professional football player for2 Scottish clubs through the 50’s and into the 60’s. He played centre half, left half and centre forward. He was known for using his head, in fact in his last season he scored 11 goals all with his head. He was a giant of a man 6’4 or there abouts so heading was natural to him. Anyway in 1973 on his way home from work Glasgow Fair Thursday he collapsed in Gairbraid Avenue Maryhill. Now at this point the police got involved and mistaken my father for being drunk arrested him (haha). What happened in the old Maryhill police station is for another day but if it had not been for a police doctor called in when my father started vomiting blood he would have died that night in the cells. He was taken to the Southern General where after a brain operation of several hours and subsequently having a third of his skull removed and put in a bone bank, the surgeon told my mother that he had done all he could and it was between my dad and his maker. After one of the meetings that followed with the surgeon my mother asked that besides the fractures to his skull what.could have caused the initial brain hemorrhage. The neuro surgeon suggested that it very possibly could have been the fact that my dad headed the ball so often, especially those old heavy leather ones and equated it to a boxer being repeatedly punched to the head. He new my dad’s background he also new that although he had stopped playing over a decade before and that he was still very fit, he coached kids in the old Waverley club in the Drum twice a week and no history in his family, not a heavy drinker or smoker he was fairly adamant that the hemorrhage was caused by repeated heading of old leather balls.
So do I believe that what Big Billy and Billy McPhail have and are suffering and what my dad and countless other footballers have gone through by heading old footballs causes various types of brain injury. YES 100%.
My mother nursed my dad for 20years he was like a big kid due to the brain damage. Funnily enough he could remember almost everything before this happened but could not remember if you went to visit left th room for 2 minutes to put the kettle on went back in to living room he would ask you when did you come in.
Anyway sorry for the rant jus thought I would share my experience of old footballs and brain injuries.
HH
KTF
UTLR
I think Roy Aitken may have gone to St Andrew’s in Saltcoats, his being that wee bit younger…
!!Bada Bing!!
Are you in it?, if not we don’t care for your unsolicited intervention :)
If we make a list can we do it when Toad’s on the board?
Crackin own goal by the way !!Bada Bing!!
Floatin’
Floatin’ -Big Roy a St Andrews (Saltcoats) FP I think. You have brought back painful corporal punishment memories!
Off to watch the Under 20s hammer Motherwell. KO 6pm Excelsior Airdrie.
Roy C a COP! Madre Dios
You can go right off fholk :O(
VP
I was on missionary work…
HH
Must be desperate for crowds over at the sevco as I got offered 6 match tickets for free today by someone who thought I was a hun lol
looks like They Are Walking away :)
Empty stadiums csc
Roy C
I was sitting here thinking you where in the RA :o)
LETMEDOONBIGFHELLA C.S.C
mighty tim
Remember gettin a Hoops strip, shorts, socks and boots, the whole outfit for xmas when I was 7 yo ish.
Also got a laced leather ball, a lethal implement.
Not a rant! Feel for any family having 20yrs of that pain.
Floatin’
MT- there was a good piece on John Beattie Show today on Radio Scotland re dementia type injuries and heading a ball.There were 5 from 11 Killie players diagnosed , from their famous team in late 50s early 60s, prob on iplayer, or as it’s Radio Scotlamd, the Ochaye Player…:)
VP- last trip to Dublin for Roy C…:))
Bada
Don’t mention Dublin :O(
Miighty Tim,
Who did yer da play for if ye don’t mind me asking?
!!Bada Bing!! on 27th February 2017 4:30 pm
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
——–
Yeah I heard that.
Seems a bit strange – announcing that somebody is your target. Why not just wait until he is appointed?
And why would he leave Southampton to go to Sevco?
I smell a Level of something smelly!
Floatin’ re the laced, leather ball.
In our house, it was called a tubin cover which may have been phonetics for a tube and cover.
Would I be right?
Zlatan the great is the EPL refrain.
Obviously a great player and has had a season saving effect on Man Utd.
If he had gone to another league would the arrogant English have dismissed his achievements as he was not playing in EPL?
Can’t help thinking that part of his success is due to the defensive limitations of the EPL.
Bada Bing I will give that a listen mate thanks.
Tricoloured Ribbon. 12 years with Clyde and 2 with Falkirk.
HH
KTF
UTLR
Caroline! What do you do at the evening Tmes? So rediculess you have to make awards up for thems, ffs, seen it all now.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/15120800.Ibrox_stadium_nets_top_hospitality_nomination/
Glass2- Dick Wilson claiming a ‘coup’ is predictable lamb munching , he is an embarassment.
I grew up thinking a football was called a bladder
FAN-A-TIC on 27TH FEBRUARY 2017 5:09 PM
Yes, they would have. Some of them had the cheek to question if he would be able to do it in the EPL. Honestly, there’s no end to their self aggrandising.
Efe off to Hibs emergency loan
FOR THE ATTENTION OF ALL ST MICK’S FPs.
I have fond(sic) memories of the following:
Sister Pauline – aka ‘wee Paulie;
‘Big’ Jim McCutcheon – aka the bouncer for the Pretorian Guard;
Eddie Mellon who would nip oot of a class every 5 mins to go for a fag, and come back reeking of smoke;
Jim Scullion the PE teacher;
Sister Dominic Savio who taught(!) history.
To be continued.
HH!!
Roy croppie
It’s like a scene from the pelican brief or 6 days of the condor
Just how much does Roy croppie know have we said too much
Is it safe, Roy
BMCUW
Petition signed
The book that folk ask me about the most is A BHOY Called Bertie, which hasn’t been available for a number of years.
Anyway got 6 copies today ( there are 5 left) and if you want one go to cqnbookstore.com – only £7.99 plus p&p.
Wonder what the ole emergency is at Hibs?
The Sky Sports news monkey Charles Patterson almost tied himself in knots there trying to explain the lack of movement on a DoF and Coach for Sevco, they are getting very worried.
Mighty Tim,
Thanks pal.
Bada,Emergency and Efe go hand in hand!
WINNING CAPTAINS on 27TH FEBRUARY 2017 5:22 PM
The book that folk ask me about the most is A BHOY Called Bertie, which hasn’t been available for a number of years.
Anyway got 6 copies today ( there are 5 left) and if you want one go to cqnbookstore.com – only £7.99 plus p&p.
—————————————————————————————————————————————–
I have a copy of that book in my collection.
Pristene condition and yours, or anyone’s, for £1888.
:-)
HH!!
majay@9.30 am
“The sins of the father………………. ?
Who must have had some influence on the poor infortunate lass- after all she inherited his political party,
Did you look at the You Tube ?
You should.
I did. I have to wonder if you did, though since you posted to James Gang the complaint of “I said nothing about Muslims. “- maybe not but you introduced a video of the French fascist who did speak about muslims. Were you, perhaps, linking the video to say “This sort of thing should be deplored”? If so, I think you could have made your stance a bit more clear.
I posted it . Principally for thinkers .
I don’t think that’s the NF audience demographic really.
Not for the predictable response from the ideologically myopic.
Now, that is more the demographic that Marine likes- no hard questions n’at.
Who predictably responded in predictable fashion with predictable rhetoric.”
Or asked a question which, true to form, you did not directly answer.
Just had a funny chat with Southampton chairman Ralph Krueger. Told him he’s not allowed to buy any more Celtic players. He replied: “l’ll stop buying Celtic players when Liverpool stop buying Southampton players. It’s like a big feeding frenzy. They buy our guys, we buy your guys…’
He’s American. Likes van dyke. Peter and him would have a good chat I’m sure
watchthemotors
Just remember it hurt like hell to kick it never mind head it, ended up in a cupboard….
CM- ask him about Sevco swooping tor the bestest ever ever ever DoF, Ross somebody? Who is currently at Southampton…