Billy McNeill in English football
By the summer of 1983, McNeill’s time with Celtic again ended. But like before, it would not be a final farewell. This time, he went south and in June 1983 was appointed as Manchester City manager.
The first Man City boss to win a major trophy was another former Celt, Tom Maley in 1904. The Manchester team hoped McNeill would also be successful, and he certainly was. He led the Citizens back into England’s top league, winning promotion in 1985, and then kept them in the First Division.
In 1986, he was again on the move. In September, he quit Maine Road to move to Aston Villa. This proved to be a poor decision. His Villa side finished bottom and were relegated, although so were Manchester City too, so perhaps it would not have mattered either way. This ended his time in English football.
Back to Celtic for the Centenary Season and more glory
By the summer of 1987, Celtic were facing a major challenge. Rangers had appointed Graeme Souness as boss and were spending big sums to secure top spot in Scotland. This season marked Celtic’s centenary and so Cesar returned to Celtic Park to try and stop this financial juggernaut.
What happened next is another famous chapter in the Celts’ history. Under McNeill’s leadership, the Bhoys put on amazing performance to claim not just the League but also a Scottish Cup double, doing so 100 years after a Celtic side had first ran onto the pitch.
The following year, the Bhoys followed this up with another Scottish Cup win, thanks to a Joe Miller goal that gave them victory over Rangers. But despite all of this, it was clear that Celtic were a side in decline. The club could not compete with Ibrox riches, and soon began to struggle.
In 1991, amidst great acrimony, Billy McNeill left Celtic. Fan opinion was divided, with some believing that his managerial style no longer suited the modern game. However, he did have one more footballing job, working for Hibs for a season in the late-1990s.
Outwith sport, McNeill was involved in different activities. This included owning his own pub in the Queen’s Park area. In addition, he played a role in politics, standing as a candidate for the Scottish Senior Citizens’ Unity Party in the 2003 Scottish Parliament elections.
Whilst he would not return to Celtic Park as player or manager, there was still a major connection between Billy and Celtic. In 2002, the club’s fans voted him as Celtic’s greatest ever captain, and part of the Bhoys’ best ever XI.
He was appointed as a club ambassador and in 2015, a statue of him was unveiled at Celtic Park. Fittingly – and obviously – this sees him in his most famous pose, holding aloft the European Cup in 1967.
But away from the happiness of Celtic Park, Billy found that old age brought its own problems. He was diagnosed with dementia and died in April 2019. As would be expected, his funeral was a Celtic affair, with club figures and thousands of fans coming out to bid him farewell.
Celtic Football Club were formed in 1887 and played their first game in 1888. In the intervening time, numerous people have pulled on a Celtic jersey. Whilst many are celebrated, a limited few stand out as true and genuine legends of the club.
There is no doubt that Billy McNeill is not simply one of that group, he has a claim to be at the very top when it comes to considering the greatest ever Celts. A hugely successful player and captain, the leader who helped the club achieve their greatest day, and a victorious manager too.
So, all hail Cesar – Celtic’s greatest ever captain!
Matthew Marr
If you want to learn more about Celtic history, follow Hail Hail History on Twitter/X. You can also take part in a FREE Celtic history walking tour. Visit celticwalkingtours.wordpress.com for more information.
Matthew’s debut Celtic book titled ‘The Bould Bhoys – Glory to their name’ was published by Celtic Star Books last year and is available to order HERE. This brilliant book is also available on Amazon Kindle for just £3.49 and includes all photo sections that appear in the hardback edition.
