They say you should not get to know your heroes as they will only disappoint. Very few heroes grow in stature when you get to know them as individuals, but Billy McNeill did just that. He was more than just a football hero, more than just the first Briton to lift the European Cup, more than an imperious player, manager and authority in the game. He was generous with his time, interested in those he met, always happy to engage with fans, the perfect ambassador of our community. We lost him today, aged 79, after years of dementia.
None of us today, including those who are old enough to remember the fifties, could probably explain just what an impact Billy, Jock Stein and the rest of the Lisbon Lions had. Eight years had passed since Celtic won a trophy before the big man rose to head the winner in the 1965 Scottish Cup Final against Dunfermline. That in itself was a momentous event. If the story ended there, that Cup win, that header, would be secure in our memory. But so much more followed.
A club which had been starved of success for 40 years was deluged in glory. Nine-in-a-row was a world record. When the run ended, there was disappointment, but we were also able to look back on a staggering achievement. The European Cup, a further final and two semi-finals took Celtic and Billy’s reputations across Europe. This was a team of winners led by a titan. Billy, articulate and charming, was master of all.
He became manager of Celtic, who finished the previous season in fifth place, in 1978, immediately restoring the club to the top of Scottish football. He repeated this obligement in 1987, but by then the tides were turning. Money would determine success from that point on and Billy retired to what was his first role at Celtic – a supporter.
News of Billy’s dementia spread before the family made the announcement and I met him a few times during that period. On one occasion, he stopped my son with a question: “When did Celtic win the European Cup?” On hearing the right answer, Billy joked, “You’ve got a better memory than me.” And with a smile, added, “I suppose I should stop making jokes like that”. The inner strength the man had was astonishing.
The last time I spoke to Billy he was in the company of John Clark and I was with my Dad. After a few moments chat, Billy said, “I remember you, you delivered butcher meat to my mother.” 40 years had passed since that was true, and Billy was already suffering dementia, but he remembered the ordinary Celtic fans who returned the joy he gave them for so many years. Even through his illness, he inspired and impressed.
For all the trophies, the goals and the glory, my fondest memory of Billy is when the Celtic media team took him back to the tunnel at Estadio Nacional. He explained the team’s walk from the dressing room and how they raised themselves in that tunnel for the task ahead. None of what that team did was easy. It took courage, hard work and extraordinary ability.
If you met him, if you knew him, tell people about him for the rest of your life. Share the memories and the joy. Remind people that he was hard as granite when he needed to be, that he was intelligent, funny and a great football player.
Today’s loss is overwhelmingly to Liz, the family and their close friends. The rest of us can only wonder at how lucky we were to have Billy in our lives.
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A moving tribute Paul.
You will be missed Billy, may perpetual light shine upon you.
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“Celtic these days is such a massive business — changed beyond all recognition from my involvement at the sharp end.
But one fact that will remain constant is the club’s supporters. They are magnificent. The best in football.”
Billy McNeill
I mentioned on here last week that I am amazed and enthralled with the eloquence and passion that people on here display when they write about the passing of their loved ones. Well, you’ve all outdone yourselves today. What wonderful stories,memories and tributes to the Great Mhan.
And thank you, Bada Bing, for your gesture on behalf of us a bit too far away and for those not able to be at Paradise today.
Immortal Billy, May You Rest In Peace.
Amen
Mere words are not enough to describe Cesar and the impact he has and will continue to have on our great club.
To be in the presence of Billy was to be in the presence of a giant.
He contributed to nearly a third of all our successes and achieved the ultimate.
Never has 1 Bhoy has so much pride to be a Celt.
Never has there been a better leader.
I was at his last game as a player as a young Bhoy and his first as manager in pre season at Montrose.
My Da loved Billy and has a brick at his statue.
Id love to think Dad will be welcoming Cesar into Paradise again.
Thank you for everything Billy, from the bottom of my heart.
RIP
Superlatives ……there are no enough to paint a picture of Mr Billy McNeil…a gentle gentle giant ….with the strength to lead the Lions…
thank you Bada Bing as one who cannot be there..
may his wife Liz and all his family find peace…..
NB
Farewell Billy, My Hero
I was 7 years old when i was given my first Celtic Shirt. Less than a month after Lisbon.
I was never going to wear it. i was too scared to get it dirty, so it was hung on my bedroom wall. Very soon afterwards, a picture of Billy’s face was pinned just above it, cut out from Shoot! magazine, or The Celtic View. I forget. The shirt stayed there for a long time, until it was changed out for Posters of Bowie and Farrah Fawcett-Majors. neither of whom could ever replace Billy and my Celtic shirt. I have no idea what happened to the shirt…my Mum probably kept it, but it became lost in time, somehow.
I adored billy from afar, mostly at Pittodrie, as I wasn’t old enough to travel to Celtic games on my own, and I think i cried the day he finished playing for us.
I was delighted when he became manager of Aberdeen, after managing Clyde, because I thought it would increase my chances of meeting him. The closest I got to that was when he waved to me once, as he walked down the touchline towards the dugout at Pittodrie.
Years after, I finally got the chance to meet him, and have my photograph taken with him, when he was Guest Speaker at a Referee’s Dinner in Aberdeen. I wanted to speak to him but was so in awe of the Man, that my Brother had to go up to him and ask if he wouldn’t mind having his photograph taken with me. He was everything I thought he would be. A perfect gentleman who immediately put me at ease when he shook my hand and asked how I was, using my name. I spent 5 minutes chatting with him – might have been longer, but it seemed to go past in the blink of an eye. One of the proudest moments in my life, and will live with me forever, as will the memory of a colossus of a man who for me, was everything that was good about Celtic, and to this day, My Hero.
It’s as well the house is empty right now. I couldn’t have written this earlier, as everyone in the office would have seen me cry. I’ll cry again on Saturday, no question, and I won’t be the only one.
Today is a very sad day.
God Bless You Billy, and may your soul Rest in Peace
https://youtu.be/IXdNnw99-Ic
‘Another wonderful goal from the golden head of Billy McNeill’ how often did I hear those immortal words of David Francie the legendary commentator as he described yet another leap from Billy McNeill as he rose above a forrest of defenders to nod home a beauty into the top corner of the net. Something of a rarity from to-days team. This was the radio sountrack to my youth growing up in Dublin and lucky to be there during the golden age of Celtic even though the opportunity to see this wonderful team on Tv was a rare occurrence it was just crackling radio.
Billy McNeill was a commanding figure as he graced all those domestic and big European games with style and panache and was probably one of the best central defenders in world football in his pomp. Rest In Peace.
Tremendous to see so many Posters returning to the Blog today just to pay tribute to the great Billy McNeill, all fights & fall outs forgotten, just one family united in grief standing shoulder to shoulder,
someone mentioned earlier about tributes being paid to billy on follow follow, just logged on my god it was heartwarming, page after page of genuine tributes, brought a tear to my eye, just shows you how well billy was respected. hail hail ceasar.
One of my early memories of going to Celtic park was a game against Aberdeen
71 or 72 Billy pulled the ball down rounded a Aberdeen player and played a pass,
my ole man chastised him, just clear yer lines McNeill.
I have lot’s of memories of Billy but that one sticks out,both men were giants in my
life.
How lucky were we that fate contrived to give us that moment when Billy McNeill stood imperious and alone to lift the European Cup.
We will never see another cup presentation like that – and I have often wondered how Billy must have felt in that moment.
We are truly blessed to follow the Celtic and to have witnessed such great players and great moments in our lifetime.
Hail Hail and Rest in Peace Billy McNeill.
BOONDOCK SAINT , brilliant post , ps Sean Mc
Thanks WEEBAWBABITTY
Never will we see his likes again.
Sad day, but a day for many of our younger Celts to understand a true LEGEND
Hail Hail.
Sean
Paul 67,
Your words are like an epitaph to a real legend. You put exactly what I feel about Billy, only far more eloquently.
Very few ( if Any ) could unite a divided city and beyond.
RIP. YNWA.
I never did get to meet Billy but in capacity as Secretary of Whifflet St. Mary’s Coatbridge CSC I wrote to him C/O CFC. I was inviting him to our Club’s 60th anniversary as he had been our first player of the year. He wrote to me within weeks apologising as he had been booked already, a hand written letter. This was about 9 months before the event. You wouldn’t get that response now from the current players or manager. Then about four weeks before the event he phoned me, telling me he had not replied and apologised. I felt so humbled that he called me in person. I didn’t have the heart to tell him he wrote me, his dementia had already been diagnosed.
I have a stone at the foot of Billy’s Statue, first row from the wall that surrounds the Legend’s permanent memorial, I feel humbled.
Thank you Billy for everything.
May God Bless your Soul.
Until we meet again…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Sadproud day!
Thoughts and prayers with his family.
Very good STV tribute to Billy.
Well done to them.
HH and RIP to our great Captain.
Gerry
Brilliant piece by Bernard Ponsonby there on the STV news.
Old bhoys – tell us what you can tonight about his time at celtic – manager, ambassador, leader and ’67! I never saw the greats play but through youse I can……
Just watched Bernard Ponsonby’s tribute to Big Billy on STV. Excellent stuff.
Boondock Saint.
On a day of marvellous memories and stories of big billy, I have held it together, well just.
However,
when Billy gives you that hug, my heart is in my throat and tears welling up.
Your personal Celtic Roller Coaster, so close, but that cruelness of injury. But then your still able to tell the story of being with your hero.
Ta for sharing.
I always wanted to play like Big Billy
I remember the opposition goalies punting the ball up the middle and big Billy jumping above the center forward to head it back in
My mum loved watching the lovely blond lassie (Liz) who danced on the tv show the white heather.wasnt that a match made in heaven.
RIP
Thanks for the memories
Good evening CQN from a very sad Garngad
God bless Big Billy and thank you for everything you done for us.
You will never be forgotten. What a player, what a human being.
Sincere condolences to the McNeill family.
D. :(
I guess I knew it was coming but that does not diminish the shock and sense of loss today. I hope that the floods of tributes coming in from all over the world provide a little comfort to Liz and the family.
God bless you, Billy, and thank you. Not just for all the unforgettable goals and immortal moments you gave us as our finest-ever captain, then as our manager, but also for being a giant of a man who played the game the right way and who gave this wee bachle from Drumchapel a wonderful role model to look up to while he was growing up. I always walked a little bit taller after seeing you play.
You’ll never walk alone, Billy, and you’ll be remembered with reverence and love as long as the game of football is played.
Rest in peace.
A horrible day for the McNeill family , their friends, Celtic supporters and all those who Billy in the highest esteem.
Radio 5’s coverage of Billy’s passing away has been very good. I heard their interviews with Matt McGlone and ex-mp , Jim Murphy who gave good accounts of what Billy meant to them.
I never got to meet Billy .
My main memories of Billy are going to cup finals in his playing days , 1971 league cup final , 1972 and 1975 Scottish Cup finals. We won two , losing one, the 1971 league cup final when Billy was out injured.
A crowd of us were in his pub in Queens Park a few months after it opened. One of my pals was dismayed that Billy was collecting empty glasses to take back to the bar . My pal said , Cesar should never be picking up empty glasses , he is our leader and always will be .
Heraghty’s bar had a Lisbon twentieth anniversary night , a fantastic night all round. Billy arrived in the pub just as he was presented with the big cup on the television screen. It was the highlight of a special night.
One of Billy’s grandsons is the same age as my son. My son played against Billy’s grandson a number of times. It was fitting Billy’s grandson played centre half.
Billy McNeil will always be in our hearts and minds.
Saint Stivs,
That was the measure of the man.
That is what Celtic is about. I woke up this morning with tears of sadness.
Upon reading everyone’s thoughts of Mr. Mcneil, those are now tears of Joy.
Thank you.
Sean
As a fitting tribute i think Mrs Liz McNeil should unfurl on 8iar flag next season HH
Our
God Bless Billy McNeill YNWA !
Bada Bing
Thank you for placing the scarf at the statue for all of us who couldn’t get to Celtic Park.
Me and a few of the Norway CSC are sitting around in Oslo feeling useless and bereft so it made us feel a bit better. That was a lovely thought.
Thanks bhoys
Green B- thanks, I’ve never lived more that 10 miles of CP in my life, i always think of the guys who make the efforts from further afield, to support the team.HH
hi bhoys such a sad day billy mcneil was my idol growing up, I was too young to go to the 65 cup final but was there against Vojvodina in 67, ive told this story a hundred times and you are probably sick of me telling it, but im going to anyway as a tribute to a celtic legend, my uncle packy that is where the blog name comes from and I are in the old rangers end of the stadium, we start to to head for the exits we are right at the top of the terracing and those of you who are old enough will remember it was quite steep, we get a corner my uncle packy says right lets wait for this corner, my abiding memory which I will never forget as long as I live, is looking way down from the top of the terracing under the parkhead floodlights, and watching Charlie gallagher swinging in the most beautiful corner kick ,,and billy mcneil bulleting that header into the back of the net cue bearhugs from all around, yes mr mcneil you brought tears to my uncle packys eyes that night now he is with you in paradise.hh
RIP Billy McNeil, Celtic personified.
Evening folks,
Lovely tribute Paul. Farewell to big Billy, a man of courage, humility and class. You will always be in our hearts and we are eternally grateful for your huge contribution to the Celtic family.
A beautiful tribute also from Bernard Ponsonby on STV.
RIP Billy.
HH Dan
@CelticResearch
Amidst the outpouring of emotion today, it’s also worth remembering that Billy is the grandchild of Lithuanian immigrants to Scotland
We have Kafis and Ursula Walatkaviczus to thank for deciding to to settle in Bellshill and for providing us with our most iconic sporting moment
smiley open hearts and open doors thing
Saor Alba
Braw
BBC Scotland channel 115 on Sky,showing Lisbon Lions Documentary at 8pm tonight
I met our captain twice,once in his pub and the next time at Tommy Boyd’s testimonial dinner dance in the thistle hotel.He looked about ten feet tall in that white tuxedo.Anyway waited in the que for a photo with my wife and he stands between us and looks at my wife then looks at me then looks back at my wife and asks her,are you sure you want him in this photo hen.
An absolute colossus of a man in every way.
He also gave me my greatest ever season watching the centenary winning team
God bless you Mr McNeill