THE FUNERAL of Billy McNeill will take place on Friday 3 May at St Aloysius Church, Rose Street, Garnethill, Glasgow, G3 6RE. The Funeral Mass will commence at 11.30am.
(There is limited parking around the area. There is a pay car park in Cambridge Street although we would advise those wishing to attend to use the Underground, alighting at Cowcaddens).
After the church service the cortège will proceed to Celtic Park where fans will have gathered, arriving approx 1.30pm.
After leaving the stadium, the funeral will continue via Shawfield Bridge towards Polmadie Road where it will join the motorway en route to a private family interment.
The wonderful photograph at the top was taken by @yossarian67
#BillyMcNeill #billymcneillstatue #RIPBillyMcNeill pic.twitter.com/xJ16Tm0yJv
— half Tam half biscuit (@yossarian67) April 25, 2019
Yesterday on the official Celtic site the McNeill Family asked for applause and not silence at the game against Kilmarnock on Saturday, which is going to be one of the most emotional matches ever held at Celtic Park.
At 11am on Saturday morning , before going into the stadium to prepare for the match against Kilmarnock, the players will lay a wreath at Cesar’s statute at the start of the Celtic Way.
The club have stated that members of Billy’s family have been invited to the game on Saturday.
Before kick-off there will be special video tributes to Cesar within the stadium and the team will wear a special black armband in memory of Billy, bearing the Number 5 to recognise Billy’s iconic number that he always wore with pride.
And Celtic have also stated that at the request of the McNeill family, there will be a minute’s applause prior to the 12.30pm kick-off on Saturday. The McNeill Family said: “We do not believe football stadiums were ever built to be to be silent. Our father would not have wanted that. They should be places of noise, passion and enjoyment.
“Football was his life and Celtic Park was a very large part of that. So please celebrate his life with a moment of cheers, songs and applause because that would make him feel at home again.”
Billy will also be honoured and celebrated further at Celtic’s last fixture of the season, the Scottish Cup final against Hearts, which takes place at Hampden on the poignant date of Saturday, 25 May.
And as The Celtic Star suggested yesterday morning, the Celtic first team will wear Billy’s famous Number 5 on the Celtic shorts on 25 May at the Scottish Cup Final in tribute to a legend who gave so much to Celtic and to Scottish football.
The Celtic Star also suggested that the support look to re-create the 67 themed display from an evening match at Firhill in May 2017 to honour Cesar on 25 May.
And finally we put forward the idea that we should re-name the North Stand as The Hail Cesar Stand.
Mike Maher paid his own tribute to Cesar on The Celtic Star this morning – it’s well worth reading. See HERE.
