Billy McNeill of Scotland
His abilities also brought him into the Scotland squad. His first appearance was certainly one to forget – in 1961, the Scots lost 9-3 to England! In total, he appeared 29 times in Dark Blue and played his final international game in 1972. He scored three times, including in an 8-0 win over Cyprus in 1969, which is Scotland record post-war victory.
17 years between Billy McNeill’s first and last games for Celtic
There were 17 years between Billy McNeill’s first and last games for Celtic. Despite the poor start he had in terms of major trophies (not winning one for seven years), he went on to be a hugely successful figure. In total, he had a very apt 1967 trophy record, namely: 1 European Cup, 9 League titles, 6 League Cups and 7 Scottish Cups.
His final moment in a green-and-white jersey came in May 1975. Celtic met Airdrie in the Scottish Cup Final, hoping to secure more silverware for the season, having already won the Drybrough Cup and League Cup. As ever, McNeill helped drive forward the team, and they claimed a 3-1 win.
Having won the 90th Scottish Cup, Celtic’s on-field leader was carried across the pitch by his teammates, and received the acclaim of the fans. Although it was his final Celtic game – in a career when he was never once substituted – it was not the end of his time in football, or indeed at Celtic.
Clyde and Aberdeen next for Billy McNeill
McNeill’s clear leadership skills meant that becoming a manager was almost inevitable. He initially worked on coaching at Celtic Park but wanted more than this. Fittingly, given that his Celtic debut was against Clyde, this club also provided his first managerial appointment, starting in April 1977.
However, his stint at Shawfield proved to be a very fleeting one. Such was Billy’s reputation, he was wanted at a higher level and less than three months after starting at Clyde he was on the move. His next destination was Pittodrie, and he started there in June 1977.
His time at Aberdeen was productive. The Dons were League runners-up – finishing ahead of Celtic – and also Scottish Cup Finalists. The end of this season also saw the end of Jock Stein’s time at Celtic Park. As such, Billy was once more on the move, coming back to Glasgow to take on the top job.
Celtic manager Billy McNeill
Ten Men Won the League
There could scarcely have been a more dramatic conclusion to his first season as Celtic boss. In 1979, Celtic played Rangers on the final game of the season, needing a win to claim the title. Despite falling behind and having a man sent off, there were huge celebrations as ‘ten men won the League’. Billy McNeill, so successful as a Celtic player, was now off and running as manager too.
As well as the 1979 league title, McNeill the manager led the Bhoys to more championship success in 1981 and 1982. They also claimed the 1980 Scottish Cup, in an infamous win over Rangers, which concluded with a major riot at Hampden. In addition, in 1980, Celtic enjoyed a famous 2-0 win over Real Madrid, although still lost on aggregate.
Despite this success, all was not well with Billy’s relationship with the Celtic board. He believed they were not giving him enough backing to succeed, especially with his goal of Celtic making a European impact. In particular, he was furious when Charlie Nicholas was sold to Arsenal.
