Today, Setting Free The Bears reviews Caesar & the Assassin, the story of Billy McNeill and Davie Hay’s periods as Celtic manager, in their own words, published by Celtic Quick News.
We’ve published a few books so far, telling some stories of our great players, or great events, but this book deals with the most important subject we’ve touched so far – how Celtic was run, from a manager’s perspective.
The personal thoughts of Billy and Davie, shedding light on the inside story of Celtic, is fascinating, especially for those familiar with the excitement and glories of the period.
Here’s what SFTBs had to say:
“Setting Free the Bears reviews CQN’s new book, Caesar & The Assassin – Managing Celtic after Jock Stein. Billy McNeill & Davie Hay with Alex Gordon…
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of our lost golden youth, it was the age of boardroom mismanagement, it was the epoch of honest mistakes, it was the epoch of incredulity at the honest mistakes, it contained seasons of light, it produced seasons of darkness, it was the spring of our hope of getting back to European prominence, it was the winter of our despair as the light of hope was extinguished by counter attacking foreign teams, we had everything before us, we had nothing much to look forward to, we were all going direct to Paradise, we were all going to Ibrox – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that this noisy authoritative book insists on it being received, for good or evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
It was the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seventy eight and if Charles Dickens had written this latest CQN book he could never have conjured up a plot of such last minute twists, Machiavellian back-stabbing, outrageous coincidences, and triumphs grasped from the gaping jaws of despair, as are present in this history of Celtic during our long lost youth.
There are a few CQN readers who are ancient enough to recall the pre-Lions era and the Lions themselves with admirable clarity, even in their dotage but for most of the CQN demographic, this book covers the period wherein the chains and shackles of Celtic-ness were firmly placed upon us. We remember them now with the rose tinted nostalgia of longing for our younger selves and we sometimes remember them as better than they were. These were our halcyon days and they are presented to us with more accuracy and honesty than we are often capable of when recalling them.
Alex Gordon has raided the memory banks and past publications of two of our finest servants, Billy McNeill and David Hay, to provide a more reliable pen picture of our glory days. Mark Twain said that “When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it happened or not.” This book gives us a chance to compare the contemporary account with what happened in real time in the order it really occurred.
These 32 chapters of history in the McNeill-Hay- McNeill management era, August 78 to May 91, when Liam Brady took over will set you straight. It was not a time of constant glorious victory by which we can denigrate the modern players and team in comparison. Billy’s first spell up to May 83 saw a win percentage of 64.2% (3 titles, 1SC and 1LC), Davie Hay from 83 to 87 managed 51.8% (1 League and 1 SC) and Billy’s last spell was 54.8% (1 league and 2 SCs). The 3 managers (including Frank Connor) that followed, however, won nothing and it would be 1995 with a Scottish Cup win under Tommy Burns before we celebrated again and 1998 before the League was ours.
The format of the book is to give 2 chapters to each season covering roughly August to December and January to May respectively with an additional chapter to recount our Cup runs that year. Occasionally a chapter is devoted to an important European event, the 1980 quarter final against Real, the Amsterdam win against Cruyff’s Ajax or the horrors of the Rapid Vienna battles. Some domestic events such as 10 men won the League, the Miracle of Love Street and the Centenary Cup Final are given full and separate coverage too.
It is a partisan account, representing forcibly the disappointments and occasional bitter memories of how these two legends felt they were not supported in their desires to maintain Celtic at the levels to which Jock Stein had propelled us in the mid-60s. Desmond White and Jack McGinn are not always fondly recalled in this account but it is a story told with love and affection which triumphs over any traces of anger or regret that remain today. These are Celtic men who can have arguments with temporary Celtic custodians but who could not remain estranged from the Celtic family because of this.
There are tales which are familiar and tales which will surprise. There are telling details provided which add to the prosaic presentation of individual game facts and who scored the goals. There are a lot of familiar themes relevant to the present day. The task that Davie and Billy faced, on our behalf, of competing with the inflated expenditure of the Souness period at Ibrox is relevant to our most recent 15 years.
The balance to be struck between a harmonious board-manager relationship and a warring outlook about teams that always need strengthening, is well depicted. The two managers can look back with more sympathy for the Directors than they felt at the time but both remain adamant that they could have done so much more if purse strings had been loosened.
The handover from Hay to McNeill’s second spell is particularly poignant. Where Davie had been starved of cash to deal with the imminent departures of Johnston, McClair, McInally and McLeod, Billy was given cash, albeit much below the Souness spend levels, as a one-off never-to-be-repeated deal so that we could enjoy a Centenary Year of triumph before we were back to old clothes and porridge. It is made crystal clear that this was an era which was pre-Bosman, pre-EPL wage inflation, and pre-Champions League high finance where Celtic were better placed to maintain a grip on European competitiveness than we managed to do.
If I have one criticism of the book, it is that we learn little of the detail behind the Board’s argument for parsimony at the time. There is a quote on p.353 which says:-
“Yes, Desmond (White) had his critics, but I know he would have been better equipped to assist me when Graeme Souness arrived at Ibrox and was given what appeared to be a blank cheque book,’ said Hay. ‘Desmond was careful with money, as we were all aware, but, importantly, he understood what Celtic were all about.’ No elaboration was required from Hay”
Well, maybe you had to be there to understand why elaboration was unnecessary but I would welcome some elaboration and context. What were Celtic finances like at that time? Did the managers know if we were on sound footing or in financial difficulty? We were to experience a near bankruptcy event in the following decade so it would be nice to hear the argument in favour of prudent finance.
The Board voice does not feature and Billy and Davie have good reason to be disinclined to voice it for them. That caveat aside, we do learn a lot about the part that personality clashes can play in a management team and the dirty tricks employed to make a manager seem unwanted.
This book serves the requirements of two types of reader. For the stats and detail buff who is keen to test your memory and collect facts, you can read every word in order and recall each game whether it was an important or a dull one. If you want to read a good sports story and the scandal behind the facts, you can race through the match and goals descriptions to get to the nuggets where the main events are retold and the background fleshed out. Author, Alex Gordon has done a fine job in ensuring that both types of reader will find satisfaction within these pages.
There are surprises to be found in learning which players might have ended up at Celtic Park. There are telling insights into signing coups and signing disasters. Some good Celtic men were not treated well by this club and some good Celtic men did not treat the club well.
There are Celtic legends like Burns, Provan, McStay, McGrain and McAvennie whose careers are recounted well and there are lesser known names like McGugan, McCarrison, and Halpin who appear. Two of my contemporary school-mates are mentioned, Frank Welsh and Frank Gray.
There are surprising facts which will form good quiz questions. Apart from learning how Billy’s nickname changed from Cesar to Caesar over time, my favourite would be- “Why was Bruce Cleland an important contributor to our Scottish Cup success in the Centenary Year?” I’ll let you find that out for yourself as I have tried to avoid spoilers in this review.
The book takes us up to Billy leaving the manager’s chair for the second time on 22nd May 1991. There is a wee taste of the daunting events facing the Parkhead faithful at the end of this era. The downsizing from Nicholas and McAvennie to Walker and Coyne, then to Cascarino and Hayes foretells the coming horrors of the 90s.
The CQN publishing team behind the book are hinting that this will be the period covered in their next big book. The memories invoked there may not be a pleasant as those covered by this splendid book. I may have to look out my Leonard Cohen box set to cheer me up.
Buy this book! Relive your lost past and feel young again! It was good when it happened and it remains good in having the memories re-awakened. I want to express my appreciation of the efforts of these two legends in nurturing my club and I hope their tales sell and sell and sell some more. For them, it is richly deserved.”
My thanks to Setting Free The Bears. As you can imagine, it’s been an absolute joy working on this book. Hearing the managers’ perspective on events we knew only as fans offers a precious insight into our joys and despairs. We are so fortunate to have these great heroes living in our community; opportunities to have these times set down on record will be rare going forward.
The book’s available here on CQN Books. It’s now in stock and shipping. If you pre-ordered, you’ll be getting a FREE DVD to thank you for your patience. All aspects of these projects cannot be controlled, unfortunately.
529 Comments- Pages:
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embramike
Thanks for that. Looking forward to Thursday night.
Huns in a rage at Scott browns t-shirt,
Nice one broony \o/ that’s why we love you HH
TBB
Absolutely spot on and hits the absolute nail on the head.
.
For those who do not like the way the club is run now, wait till someone else sits where Dermot sits.
I don’t believe that the club is run perfectly just now, far from it, but I have always been more concerned about the structure of how the club is run in itself.
The PLC framework does not work and at some point in the future the club as we know it and want it to be will cease to exist if we continue with the PLC structure AND find ourselves with absolutely the wrong kind of majority shareholder.
On Friday, I was speaking to a very well known and very well respected Celtic supporter who only wants the best for the club.
He said that he had just about stopped going to the games and where he had once been active in and around Celtic he was so annoyed at some of the board decisions that he had effectively taken a step back.
In essence, the club have lost a good man’s voice.
In the midst of our wee chat, I told him that while there were many things wrong with the way the club was run, there were many things about it which were good but, of course, could get better.
He had said that he was on the verge of contacting certain people and maybe certain arms of the club to get involved again but just couldn’t bring himself to do it, so I encouraged him to make the call, go to a couple of meetings, make some suggestions, and maybe…… just maybe….. influence some wee decisions.
None of this would be revolutionary, none of it would change the world in one fell swoop, but it could, maybe would, make a wee difference.
The PLC structure, if we cow tow to it, means that the decisions and influences and strategies, will always be made by men in grey suits ( currently three of them are accountants ) and as TBB says there will always be the eye on the bottom line, the shareholders rights in terms of profit, the figures and ratios comparing year on year.
Of course that is important, but for a club like Celtic ( Is there a club like Celtic as we want to see it in our hearts? ) it can never be and should never be, the be all and end all.
So — we, the ordinary Joe’s, the ordinary Jim’s, must try and influence the direction of the club as much as we can.
I have said repeatedly I would like to change the PLC structure in favour of another scheme, another model,that will be much more representative of the ordinary fan whilst still ensuring a system of proper corporate Governance, fiscal compliance, regulated management and all the tools and buzzwords you would want when talking about a modern business.
Profit is not a dirty word, but it far from being the only word in the English language.
Similarly, revolution is one step beyond evolution – the latter being a more gentle and slower version of the former.
If you are one of those who occasionally get the chance to speak to those who work at Celtic Park, for Celtic PLC including those who may have a bit of influence — never miss the chance to suggest that things could be done differently, that Celtic is not all about the PLC type structure and the share value each morning.
More than a few people have told me over the years that you can’t change the world – and of course that is true – but you can but try — bit by bit, conversation by conversation and maybe pint by pint even.
The PLC does not work and it won’t work – of that you can be certain.
There is no point in changing the people without changing the kinda structure they work under, and if you change the work structure then the same people may well work in a different way.
All you have to do is dream…. and maybe plan a little.
EDB
I’ll be there but can’t say I’m looking forward to it. It will be nervy as they are a good team.
Without SuperG, I’m not sure where the goals will come from whereas they have guys who can score freely and we have a tendency to lose scrappy goals.
Looks like a tense night ahead and just hope a big crowd can lift the guys, scare them and we get on top early.
Europe with Celtic – what’s not to like
HH
Hail!Hail,! This blog is a happier place this last few days, nobody having a pop at the players for jetting to London for a Xmas party prior to our EL showdown? Maybe I missed that…
Anyway , in my new job I will be in Inverness Wednesday and maybe Thursday night….I have not been up there for about 8 years and am looking forward to it, I do like the town.
Anyone point me in direction of decent football pub, Celtic minded with decent beer and decent smoking area? Don’t ask for much do I ??
Cheers
hun skelper
16:03 on 23 November, 2014
Huns in a rage at Scott browns t-shirt,
Nice one broony \o/ that’s why we love you HH
—–
I’m sure if was not more than coincidental.
WardrobeMalfunctionCSC
HH jamesgang
All you have to do is dream…. and maybe plan a little.
BRTH, a favourite quote of mine…..” A vision without a plan is just a dream. A plan without a dream is just drudgery, but a vision with a plan can change the world”
Lot of sense in that in my limited experience.
TBB
Aye, you touch on something that should really be a matter of debate now and not wait for future events to make it too late and that is what legacy is Desmond Desmond going to leave behind?
Since even DD cannot take it with him when he goes and since he does have an emotional attachment to Celtic and since he is as mortal is the next man, I think the issue of what shape best protects Celtic and it’s values, whilst still allowing it to prosper is one that should be on an AGM agenda in order to get the legacy ball rolling.
Finding a construct that works would be an incredible challenge as it would require all members of the Celtic family to set aside what they want in order to see what construct would indeed be best for Celtic’s future, but that does not mean it should not be attempted or cannot be done.
It is an important issue that should not be left to circumstances so unalterable that it would be too late to change the consequences should they be undesirable.
PeteTheBeat
15:04 on
23 November, 2014
Saw a few remarks in a Jambos site about our game with them.
There were a few mentions as you would expect of ‘beating that mob’.
However, the consensus seemed to be that it would be a good education for their young players as at least Celtic try to play some football in comparison to you know who.
As much as I detest them,plaudits to the Hearts fans yesterday for their constant reminders to their opponents that they were not the same team.Also when the hun hordes were singing “Super Ally”to the best thing ever to happen to Celtic,they hooted in sheer derision..Plaudits until next week,when my dislike(too reserved a word)will be re-newed.
jamesgang
16:10 on
23 November, 2014
hun skelper
16:03 on 23 November, 2014
Huns in a rage at Scott browns t-shirt,
Nice one broony \o/ that’s why we love you HH
—–
I’m sure if was not more than coincidental.
WardrobeMalfunctionCSC
HH jamesgang
—————————————————————————————————————–
Sorry if I’m not in on this secret but SB’s top has been photo-shopped. For any lurking zombies, this may or may not be true.
BRTH
Yup. :)
He wisnae even a real FFin’ Hun:
“With the revelation that Whyte was a Motherwell supporter (why didn’t this surface during the takeover?) it appears that the story of our demise goes along the lines of:-
An Ayr United fan sold Rangers to a supporter of a rival club a (Motherwell fan), who simply walked into our club and deliberately ran it into the ground and left it battered on the sporting street.
Meanwhile the owners and fans from all the other Scottish clubs ran onto the pavement to stick their own rhetorical boot into us as we lay bleeding.
Whilst the collective Scottish press poured out page after page about how Rangers deserved it and should be punished more and how our supporters should grovel and apologise to the rest of Scottish football.
As all this was happening those who police the game held kangaroo court after kangaroo court where they gave justice to the situation by punishing the victim with illegal punishments demanded by our rivals especially our biggest rival The [‘Tic].”
——
“At the time it was widely reported that he was a [Hun].
A lifelong fan who now had the keys to his beloved Ibrox.
There was even posters on here who claimed to have known him and who went out of their way to assure us he was indeed one of us.
Dyed in the wool Bear who was a safe pair of hands.
Yet not one [chap] in the press bothered to find out or investigate this simple fact!
Exactly how difficult is it to find out what team someone supports, I mean ffsake?”
——
“I remember those posters, there was also others who told us Duff and Phelps were reputable and on no way would **** us over others did the same Lloyds.
If only we could find out who they were because quite clearly some were part of the sting.”
——
“Yes admin must have some insight into who held the accounts for those posters.
These were deliberate lies placed on here and no doubt on other Rangers message boards that gave strength to the entire fraud.
Whether there is enough for a criminal act as accomplices I wouldn’t be too sure, but unless it was the main culprits posting then there probably was money changing hands to those posters to put this in here and other places. There might enough to nick the b*ggers anyway.
The only defence is to say that you placed this information in public with sincere belief that it was true, or that those who asked you to post it said it was true.”
Agent Monaghan.
As ever, a great read.
Nice to see also the swear word, with an asterisk in it, a few people use that word on here and don’t seem to realise they are swearing.
Zico
thoughts and prayers to you and yours hh
Monaghan
The inability of the average Hun to have any grasp of reality is quite breathtaking
How they can continue with this we are the victims charade is beyond me
The lengths that the Scottish footballing establishment went to accommodate them in their current identity doesn’t suggest they are victims in any way
Lewis Hamilton has finally overtaken philvisreturns for the number of podium finishes.
PFayr
How many will be in the BV on the day? Probably going to be in there before the game on Thursday if Oldtim is lurking.
bournesouprecipe
16:40 on 23 November, 2014
Lewis Hamilton has finally overtaken philvisreturns for the number of podium finishes.
******
Class.
Programme on SS1 later ” the clubbthat vanished” -about the rise and fallmto liquidation by gretna fc. Wonder if they will do a part 2 about you know who – no me neither.
off to the daughter’s for tea
thomthethim for oscar ok
16:43 on 23 November, 2014
bournesouprecipe
16:40 on 23 November, 2014
Lewis Hamilton has finally overtaken philvisreturns for the number of podium finishes.
******
Class.
>>>>>>>>>>>
BSR owes me a friggin bacardi and coke, spluttered it over my ipad when I read that. :-)
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Jimmynotpaul
16:37 on
23 November, 2014
You need plenty of asterisks when quoting them!
——
….PFayr supports WeeOscar
16:38 on
23 November, 2014
I suppose being born Huns might make them victims of fate!
Whyte was outed as a shyster long before he ” purchased ” the Deady Bears .
The Hun hordes should wonder how and why Minty came up with him .
All the churnalists had to do was Google the mans name.
What I want to know is who are the 2 refs gonna be in the SPL playoff between St. Mirren and rangers ??
The Daily Sevco’s account of the Sevco game is comedy bronze, topped with………… the number of ‘Super Ally chants’ just about managed to drown out the number ‘Ally Ally GTF’s’
BritishPressAwards CSC
Spurs are a bunch of tattooed, coiffuered poseurs. Must be time for a change of manager soon.
Salzburg 2 up.Soriano ..
No mugs – pass and move with pace and intelligence.
Minty knew they were unsellable
I’m sure whyte was mintys idea
I’m sure minty sold the ticketus idea to whyte
I’m sure whyte has recorded everything
I’m sure minty gave a heads up to the SFA about everything
bournesouprecipe
16:49 on
23 November, 2014
Exact same drivel from yesterday’s Evening Times:
“The club’s record goalscorer [with 0 goals] was subjected to cries of “Ally, Ally, get to f***” by a significant section of the away support when he took off Lewis Macleod for Kris Boyd in the 80th minute, although they were soon drowned out by chants of “Super Ally” from other Rangers fans.”
Even the Huns were saying the “Super Ally” stuff was coming from the Diets.
Weefra
oops baccardi is bad for all Apple devices ;-)
Monaghan
They’re doing the same job as they did in the demise of Rangers, lets hope they keep it up.
With the January transfer window opening in a matter of weeks, it will be a major opportunity for Ronny to shape his own team.
Already targets will have been identified (surely) and I hope the business will be done early enough to include them in our January training camp abroad.
On player retention, if I were Guidette and considering signing on permanently, I would certainly wait to see if we have European football in the new year to help make up my mind. He’s missed that opportunity unfortunately and it would be an important carrot to dangle.
Also the timing of the League Cup semi v Sevco. If its likely the Sunday, that’s 1st February, outside the transfer window. So anyone moving on would miss the opportunity (listening VvD?).
The May /June /July schedule will be busy so our transfer business for the CL qualifiers will have to take place in January.
With the Scottish Cup Final (hopefully involving us) scheduled on 30th May, EC Qualifiers, including Scotland v Ireland in Dublin scheduled weekend of 13th June and our first CL qualifier again around 17th July, there are again problems with a close season break, so the January training camp and transfer window are doubly important.
I’m sure the Football Dept have got the calendar well marked with these important dates.Fingers crossed.
HH
Re Thursday…rumours of Grey Brigade meeting for early lunch before the BV. Anyone heard or up for it?
On another note…Spivco could n should have had 4/5 players off yesterday…Linesman n ref pooped their pants…
Kikinthenakas
Good result from Salzburg today.Upped their game a bit today,but still nothing to be scared of.Soriano,and Kevin Kampl,still their biggest threat.We must keep Soriano away from the danger areas,he shoots on site.Forrest can cause them problems.
Still,50/50 game.
Think they are the blue eyed boys in Austrian football.They seem to be on TV most weeks.
Are there any circumstances where a Celtic support would sing en mass for any Celtic employee to “get to f***” far less our club manager.
Ghents
Please ….no disturbing of the enemy as they continue to make a pigs erchie if it
Let the MSM support ole Coisty…the longer he’s in situ the better
What’s not to like
Weefra
Sorry I didn’t catch up with you yesterday, my son kept us late. A a good post match swally with a bunch of great CQN bhoys n ghirls though. :)
Margaret McGill
16:49 on
23 November, 2014
What I want to know is who are the 2 refs gonna be in the SPL playoff between St. Mirren and rangers ??
Spare a thought for “Wee Chico”.What a guddle he is going to be in.
Aye right.
BSR
Fortunately the ipad survived, or I would have been after ye. :-)) had to change the ole trackie bottoms though. Now mrsweefra is after ye, she just done a washing. Haha
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Graz score. Game on !