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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Tallybhoy
Father Wynn who taught French.
Remember falling asleep in his class. At the end of the lesson he had everyone leave quietly so not to disturb me, he then taught the next class all sitting at the front of the room in a whisper.
The class of first years after that woke me with their giggling. I had been asleep for an hour and the whole school knew about it.
Worst punishment he could have given me, I was a laughing stock :(((
Floatin’
FLOATIN’ on 27TH FEBRUARY 2017 5:30 PM
watchthemotors
Just remember it hurt like hell to kick it never mind head it, ended up in a cupboard….
****
With the dubbin?
Floatin’ on 27th February 2017 5:30 pm
watchthemotors
Just remember it hurt like hell to kick it never mind head it, ended up in a cupboard….
When did you get out mate? :)
!!Bada Bing!!
Not coming out of the closet now, no point :)
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 27TH FEBRUARY 2017 2:04 PM
And next time yer in Ardrossan,Laurieston for the old-timers from The Garryowen
*did ex ref Bert Padden whose claim tae fame was sending off both ham and egg and sir furious in the same game no travel tae Celtic games on the Garryowen bus.
Like a lot of soccer fans I’ll be watching the Liverpool v Leicester game tonight with mildly renewed interest, in my overall distinct lack of taste for SKY and what the EPL has become. Felt for Claudio Ranieri, stupidly as it turns out the old Fox wasn’t really that bothered was he?
Walks away with another vast fortune tucked in his back pooch, and if we’re one of the lucky ones we’ll live and work for a relative pittance till we’re 66.
Mugs R Us csc
Ron Bacardi,
I only knew it as a bladder when I was a wee bhoy.
TRICOLOURED RIBBON on 27TH FEBRUARY 2017 12:55 PM
Sean O’Grady.
*the only thing Irish about him was his name, no a casey affleck either but a southern baptie. Didnae stop the smsm stirring up the usual animosity before the bout. There was more of a Tim connection with his opponent whose wife was of the same faith as bammy 8 and the bin bags wives and his bhoy being a Celtic supporter.
interesting report (well, I thought so) that, during the week, Klopp’s liverpool team dont train much duing the monring/daytime, but do most of their training starting at 3:30 or 5 pm (unless they have an evening, in which case they train around 10:30)…..
apparently, the players aren’t happy.
VFR800 is now a Monster 821 on 27th February 2017 12:14 pm
the 3 words we were struggling with last night and would like a clear dictionary defin ition on were:
vituperation
tergiversations
and
Dear muderator please delete my last post. I only added it for completeness.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 27TH FEBRUARY 2017 5:26 PM
Wonder what the ole emergency is at Hibs?
——————-
Usually the outbreak of a world war when the ole Hibernians start talking about an emergency…!
When I was wee. still am 5’4″ the ball was called a ‘bladder”, my dad would dubbin it before we went out to play. A big ugly thing it was, then came the Thomlinson “T” ball that didn’t require as much dubbin more like shoe polish. I also remember the auld leather boots that also required dubbin, they came halfway up your leg and had big leather studs that had to be nailed in. My dad would have to put a last into the boots so that the sharp end of the nails would bend. What we went through to get a kick at the ball………HH
NatKnow on 27th February 2017 5:51 pm
Efe’s coming
MARGARET MCGILL on 27TH FEBRUARY 2017 5:55 PM
NatKnow on 27th February 2017 5:51 pm
Efe’s coming
———————–
Potty mouth!
:-)))
Margaret McGill
Last night’s audit, last I looked. . . 2 out, Bletchley Park working on C***S, and one so cleverly disguised it escaped.
You pay the living wage, right? Sort Code: 25-05-67. Account number: 1888196771.
Asked this yesterday Emdea any experience of using a Firestick??
Like Celtic supporters worldwide I was shocked when I read about Big Billy. On reflection now I’m not surprised especially given his talent and penchant for heading the ball, which in his early years would have been the old leather one, heavy when wet.
I saw on tele the game where Danny’s cousin Danny then captain of Clyde, and the youngest ever in their history still to this day, fractured his skull, it was a typical dreich February day and he stopped a piledriver on his own goal line with his head, saved the goal but in the end it eventually would cost him his life. 18 months later he was forced to quit the game and 29 years after that he suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage, dead at the age of 51.
There have been other former players including members of the ’66 WC winners who have been diagnosed with this the cruelest of diseases. Most notable for me are our own Hampden in the Sun hero Teazy Weazy and former England international Gerry Hitchens one of the few British players at the time to make the successful transition to Italian football, both were notable headers of the ball, in fact the latter collapsed during a charity game seconds after heading a cross over the bar, he was only 48.
As I said Billy’s situation shocked me as he was an integral part of my life growing up, when the Big Mhan succumbed to a fatal heart attack it was sad but FGS Jock was older than my day, this is Billy a true mhan for all seasons.
I was there at Hampden on April 24 1965 when his goal awoke the proverbial sleeping giant and then just under 2 years later when a similar header from a Charlie corner would propel us intae the semis of the EC and give us a wee bit of belief that mibbees just mibbees we could win this damn trophy.
We can all wax lyrically about tales of Billy including being the only Scottish player, this included Dave Mackay, Denis law and Ian St John, who left the field with any credibility on the same day big Frank, 3rd choice goalie, was crucified between 2 thieves.
A few of the many memories of him came to mind yesterday. One was of a reserve cup final 2nd leg against Falkirk who had won the first game. My da had woken me earlier that morning on his way tae work, “meet me at the estate bridge we’re going up tae Parkheid the night”.
That night both Billy and Pat Crerand featured in a side captained by Jim Kennedy and more than likely managed by Jock against a Falkirk side which featured John White a 3,300 pound signing from Alloa who would move within a year to Spurs for 20,000, quite a considerable some when just 5 months earlier they had signed the jambo captain for only 12,000 more, the bairns were not going to give this lead up without a fight.
This resulted in nothing short of cheating, honest mistakes disnae come intae it and at the end of the game as the Stirlingshire side were being presented with the cup a slow handclap developed around the ground.
We were in the old stand and a youngish gentleman in front of us, quite well dressed, good coat, scarf and gloves, turned tae my da and said “that yin out there will never be a Celtic centre half’, my da in his usual unruffled fashion just said “is that right”. Incidentally Billy had already made his first team debut for the side.
Moving on to about a yearlater and my da on coming in from work told me we had sold my hero at the time Bobby Evans, don’t know if I started tae greet but my eyes possibly filled up. In consoling me he said “we’ve got a younger and better centre half coming through”, I reminded him of the “man in the stand” to which he replied “he disnae know what he’s talking about son, this boy is the best centre half I’ve seen since willie woodburn”.
Fast forward now and this wee primary school lhad is now married with 2 weans and preparing tae leave the country for the second time tae the colonies. Instead of staying in the pub celebrating another victory I had come home from what would be not only my last cup final but also several of my hoops heroes tae watch the highlights on the tele.
After the game the cameras switched to the Ashfield Club where the team was celebrating their fine win. Jock and Billy are sitting on either side of the Cup beaming when Jock mentioned that this was Billy’s final game, the commentator, I believe it was Archie Haircut almost swallowed his microphone.
The following Saturday we played deidco in the GC Final at Hampden, my last ever visit there, captain for the day was Jim Brogan on his final game for the club, another who it was announced last week suffers from this dreadful disease.
Of all the great and wonderful memories we have of Billy both as a player and manager there is one disturbing one for me and that is watching a game when the cameras panned ontae the Director’s Box and there’s Billy in conversation with terry cassidy, unknown tae us at the time one of hopalong’s first jobs on being hired was the firing of our finest ever captain and greatest living Celt.
An effin nobody and as the great mhan himself once said “in my dealings with cassidy I found him a thoroughly unpleasant, untrustworthy, overbearing and offensive individual.”
St Michael’s Teachers
Ali Bongo
Wee Dom
Nellie Duffin
Aul’ Pete
Charlie ‘The Purple Man’ Scullion
Jude- make sure you have a good broadband speed, try and get someone to load programmes on it, Kodi etc
JUDE2005 IS NEIL LENNON \O/ on 27TH FEBRUARY 2017 5:59 PM
Asked this yesterday Emdea any experience of using a Firestick??
……….
Tell her an electric toothbrush does the biz !!!!
Smileybigbangthing
Braw
Good evening friends
MARGARET MCGILL on 27TH FEBRUARY 2017 5:48 PM
Mags, those 2 certainly deserve a WOTD entry. As for the 3rd word, I can do that right now: BFDJ.
KTF
Crystal Palace fans giving huns a run for their money in stupidity stakes.
http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/crystal-palace-fans-accidentally-vandalise-own-team-bus
kevinbhoy
Welcome to CQN’s newest clique.
Ali Bongo, Nellie Duffin, Aul’ Pete what did they teach? vaguely familiar.
Floatin’
June 16 – going for 55 – mark warburton.
November 16 – a strong second and a scottish cup – dave king
Today – “is 3rd place good enough ?”
a european place was what we allways targeted – mcmurty.
end of season ?
“sixth is a good finish for a newly promoted club”,
Ali Bongo i think did ‘the classics’ like Latin and stuff, Nellie Duffin taught me some French, Aul’ Pete was Maths. Wee Dom did RE an History which, to her, was the same thing. And Charlie Scullion taught how to be purple and how much fun it was to belt people. Oh and wee Bernie the guitar playing Flying Nun…
BR said Efe has never missed a training session, outstanding pro he said.
Good on Garngad CSC. They have started a GoFundMe page to help St Mary’s raise money to replace what was stolen and damaged in the r cent breakin. https://www.gofundme.com/help-st-marys-chapel-calton?rcid=fba1448cbcca4df0988b354e4e04df83
We are also running a Race Night this Friday. Horses and Jockeys available for £10 with a chance to win £50. Mail me at vfr@gurfuy.co.uk if interested.
Races can also be sponsored fur £25.
KTF
KevinBhoy
Coming back to me now :))
Hated school, can I be in another clique please?
Floatin’
COWIEBHOY
You were right enough I don’t have those LP’S I’m sorry. I also spent an hour searching the downlod web sites I know and also tried youtube to. So I think JOBO’S method may be the way to go. I found another wee gadget though that might be of use to you in your quest. The link is below I hope it works.
http://www.getinthemix.com/accessories/turntable-accessories/ion-vinyl-forever.htm?opt=20937&gclid=CKyp84LzsNICFcy37QodqYgBgQ#
If you can get them changed into mp3 format somehow I would be more than happy to recode and burn them onto cd for you. Once again sorry I couldn’t help and good luck.
KEEP THE FAITH
Actually a few more coming back to me now… ‘Jess’ McKinlay the chain smoking Chemistry teacher… who’s periodic table of elements we made into a paper aeroplane and flew out the window down the banking there. And Sean Pendleton who was also a science teacher, Physics I think? Wee Mary, dearie me, surely she was a hundred by then as she’d taught the entire generation before me.
Shortbread telling us the potential Sevco DoF, discovered big Virgil….oh my aching sides..
Floatin’
I hated school an aw. Is 2 a clique?
;)
I never EVER thought I would say this but I have just listened to an absolutely outstanding speech by a former Tory Prime Minister.
If you have not heard Sir John Major’s speech from Chatham House then I suggest anyone interested in proper politics should do so.
In my opinion, he has just savaged the entire reasoning behind Brexit and pointed out the huge difficulties for any British Government faced with negotiating an exit from the European Union.
He delivered a history lesson, a perfectly plainly spoken reason as to why this is a stupid STUPID decision and points out that the British public have been lied to and that for the sake of our children politicians must see beyond stupid party and “local” politics.
Effectively he has savaged current politics in Britain.
I’m convinced that heading the old lace ball caused serious head injury that would eventually manifest itself. In what way, I don’t know. Does it directly cause Dementia? Or Motor Neurone Disease?
Perhaps it accelerates the onset?
What it doesn’t explain is why the only people I know personally with Demtia are women. Nor why a family friend is struck down with MND in his mid 30s or a colleague who accompanied me to Seville was diagnosed with MND last year before he was 50 and has now had to give up work?
Are these modern diseases or have they always existed but called something else? In fewer numbers?
Please God, someone find the link and a prevention for these. And would it be too much to ask for a cure?
KevinBhoy
Remember all those especially Wee Mary Whiston, she was a favourite of mine, maybe ’cause maths was my best subject.
2 would be a very exclusive clique but remember I haven’t come out of the closet yet.
Floatin’
B B
TA AND H H