Billy McNeill
Encyclopedia
William "Billy" McNeill MBE
(born 2 March 1940) is a former Scottish football
er and manager. He is best known for captaining Celtic
to the European Cup
triumph in 1967 and he later went on to manage the club. He is now the official Club Ambassador at Celtic.
by the club's fans in 2002. He was signed by Celtic from nearby junior team, Blantyre Victoria
, in 1957 as a defender. As captain he won nine Scottish League Championships
, seven Scottish Cup
s, and six Scottish League Cup
s. He also led the team to victory in the European Cup
in 1967, as part of the "Lisbon Lions
", and was the first British footballer to hold aloft the European Cup. He retired as a player in 1975 after 790 appearances for Celtic, in which he played every minute, never having been substituted. He won 29 caps for Scotland
. McNeill also represented the Scottish League XI
.
in April 1977 before moving to Aberdeen
in June. However, in 1978 he returned to manage Celtic. His five years in charge saw Celtic win three League Championships, one Scottish Cup and one League cup.
On 30 June 1983 he moved to England to manage Manchester City
. He secured promotion for City after two seasons in charge, and oversaw survival in their first season back. Two years before being appointed by City, he had been strongly linked with the manager's job at their cross city
rivals
Manchester United
, but the job had gone to Ron Atkinson
instead.
In 1986–87
, he became one of the few managers to manage two relegated teams in the same season. He started the season as manager of Manchester City but quit in September 1986 to take charge of fellow strugglers Aston Villa
. When Villa were relegated after finishing bottom of the First Division in May 1987, he stood down to make way for Graham Taylor
and returned to Celtic.
In his first season Celtic won the double of the League Championship and Scottish Cup in the clubs' centenary year. 1987–88
, was renowned for late goals for Celtic and in both the semi final and final, Celtic scored late goals to emerge victorious 2–1 in both games. He won the Scottish Cup the following season, but quit in 1991 after four years as manager. McNeill's second spell as manager was blighted by the reluctance of the Board to spend money in the transfer market.
McNeill had a brief spell as director of football
at Hibs
in 1998, where he unsuccessfully attempted to arrest a decline in fortunes at the club. He briefly took caretaker charge of the team after Jim Duffy was sacked, even though McNeill had been out of football since leaving Celtic in 1991 and was recovering from heart surgery. He left Hibs at the end of the 1997–98 season.
Celtic's Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: "Billy McNeill has served Celtic Football Club and Scottish football in general with distinction over many years. He is a man of immense stature and someone who, as a player and manager was the complete professional. Billy was a born leader on and off the field. To captain Celtic and become the first British Club to win the European Cup, the biggest prize in Club football, is a massive achievement and Billy and the other Lisbon Lions will forever be among the most important figures in Celtic's illustrious history. Billy is fully deserving of the tremendous honour which has been bestowed on him. Everyone at the Club congratulates him on receiving the Honorary Degree from the University of Glasgow."
|1957–58||rowspan="18"|Celtic
||rowspan="18"|Division One
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|1958–59||17||0||0||0||6||0||0||0||23||0
|-
|1959–60||19||0||7||0||6||0||0||0||32||0
|-
|1960–61||31||1||8||0||4||0||0||0||43||1
|-
|1961–62||29||1||6||0||6||0||0||0||41||1
|-
|1962–63||28||1||7||0||6||0||1||0||42||1
|-
|1963–64||28||0||4||0||6||0||8||0||46||0
|-
|1964–65||22||0||6||1||6||0||2||0||36||1
|-
|1965–66||25||0||7||0||10||0||7||1||49||1
|-
|1966–67||33||0||6||0||10||2||9||1||58||3
|-
|1967–68||34||5||1||0||10||0||2||0||50*||6†
|-
|1968–69||34||3||7||3||9||0||6||0||56||6
|-
|1969–70||31||5||5||0||10||2||9||0||55||7
|-
|1970–71||31||1||8||1||10||0||5||1||54||3
|-
|1971–72||34||3||6||1||8||0||7||0||55||4
|-
|1972–73||30||1||7||1||10||0||4||0||51||2
|-
|1973–74||30||0||5||0||11||0||7||0||53||0
|-
|1974–75||30||1||4||0||9||0||2||0||45||1
486||22||94||7||137||4||69||3||789*||37†
486||22||94||7||137||4||69||3||789*||37†
|}
* Includes 3 Appearances in the World Club Championship
† Includes 1 Goal in the World Club Championship
NB these Totals do not include Glasgow Cup
appearances, which at the time was a Senior Trophy
Individual:
Manager:
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 2 March 1940) is a former Scottish football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er and manager. He is best known for captaining Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
to the European Cup
European Cup 1966-67
The 1966–67 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Celtic for the first time in the final against Internazionale, who eliminated defending champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals...
triumph in 1967 and he later went on to manage the club. He is now the official Club Ambassador at Celtic.
Playing career
McNeill, nicknamed Cesar, was voted the greatest ever captain of CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
by the club's fans in 2002. He was signed by Celtic from nearby junior team, Blantyre Victoria
Blantyre Victoria F.C.
Blantyre Victoria Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Blantyre, South Lanarkshire. Nicknamed the Vics, they were formed in 1890 and play at Castle Park where their record attendance is 6,000...
, in 1957 as a defender. As captain he won nine Scottish League Championships
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
, seven Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
s, and six Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
s. He also led the team to victory in the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in 1967, as part of the "Lisbon Lions
Lisbon Lions
The Lisbon Lions is the nickname given to the Celtic team that won the European Cup at the Estádio Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal on 25 May 1967, defeating Internazionale 2–1. All the members of this team were born within 30 miles of Glasgow, Scotland. Celtic's style was the antithesis of the...
", and was the first British footballer to hold aloft the European Cup. He retired as a player in 1975 after 790 appearances for Celtic, in which he played every minute, never having been substituted. He won 29 caps for Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. McNeill also represented the Scottish League XI
Scottish League XI
The Scottish League XI is a representative side of the Scottish Football League. The team regularly played against the Football League and other national league select teams between 1892 and 1980. For a long period the annual fixture between the English and Scottish leagues was only second in...
.
Management career
He began his management career at ClydeClyde F.C.
Clyde Football Club are a Scottish professional football team currently playing in the Third Division of the Scottish Football League. Although based for the last fifteen years in the new town of Cumbernauld, they are traditionally associated with an area that covers Rutherglen in South...
in April 1977 before moving to Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
in June. However, in 1978 he returned to manage Celtic. His five years in charge saw Celtic win three League Championships, one Scottish Cup and one League cup.
On 30 June 1983 he moved to England to manage Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. He secured promotion for City after two seasons in charge, and oversaw survival in their first season back. Two years before being appointed by City, he had been strongly linked with the manager's job at their cross city
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
rivals
Manchester derby
The Manchester derby is the name given to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United. The local derby centres on the City of Manchester and Greater Manchester with approximately four miles separating the clubs with City based in east Manchester at the City of Manchester Stadium...
Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, but the job had gone to Ron Atkinson
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
instead.
In 1986–87
1986-87 in English football
The 1986–87 season was the 107th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off...
, he became one of the few managers to manage two relegated teams in the same season. He started the season as manager of Manchester City but quit in September 1986 to take charge of fellow strugglers Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. When Villa were relegated after finishing bottom of the First Division in May 1987, he stood down to make way for Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor (football manager)
Graham Taylor OBE is a football pundit, ex-football manager, and a former player. He is best known as the manager of the England national football team, as well as being manager of Watford, a club he took from the Fourth Division to the First in the space of five years, then from bottom of the...
and returned to Celtic.
In his first season Celtic won the double of the League Championship and Scottish Cup in the clubs' centenary year. 1987–88
1987-88 in English football
The 1987–88 season was the 120th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season....
, was renowned for late goals for Celtic and in both the semi final and final, Celtic scored late goals to emerge victorious 2–1 in both games. He won the Scottish Cup the following season, but quit in 1991 after four years as manager. McNeill's second spell as manager was blighted by the reluctance of the Board to spend money in the transfer market.
McNeill had a brief spell as director of football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
at Hibs
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
in 1998, where he unsuccessfully attempted to arrest a decline in fortunes at the club. He briefly took caretaker charge of the team after Jim Duffy was sacked, even though McNeill had been out of football since leaving Celtic in 1991 and was recovering from heart surgery. He left Hibs at the end of the 1997–98 season.
Political career
McNeill unsuccessfully stood as a candidate for the Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party in the 2003 Scottish Parliament election.Awards
In 2008, he was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow in recognition of his outstanding achievement in football and for his distinguished role as an ambassador for the national sport.Celtic's Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: "Billy McNeill has served Celtic Football Club and Scottish football in general with distinction over many years. He is a man of immense stature and someone who, as a player and manager was the complete professional. Billy was a born leader on and off the field. To captain Celtic and become the first British Club to win the European Cup, the biggest prize in Club football, is a massive achievement and Billy and the other Lisbon Lions will forever be among the most important figures in Celtic's illustrious history. Billy is fully deserving of the tremendous honour which has been bestowed on him. Everyone at the Club congratulates him on receiving the Honorary Degree from the University of Glasgow."
Career statistics
|-|1957–58||rowspan="18"|Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
||rowspan="18"|Division One
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|1958–59||17||0||0||0||6||0||0||0||23||0
|-
|1959–60||19||0||7||0||6||0||0||0||32||0
|-
|1960–61||31||1||8||0||4||0||0||0||43||1
|-
|1961–62||29||1||6||0||6||0||0||0||41||1
|-
|1962–63||28||1||7||0||6||0||1||0||42||1
|-
|1963–64||28||0||4||0||6||0||8||0||46||0
|-
|1964–65||22||0||6||1||6||0||2||0||36||1
|-
|1965–66||25||0||7||0||10||0||7||1||49||1
|-
|1966–67||33||0||6||0||10||2||9||1||58||3
|-
|1967–68||34||5||1||0||10||0||2||0||50*||6†
|-
|1968–69||34||3||7||3||9||0||6||0||56||6
|-
|1969–70||31||5||5||0||10||2||9||0||55||7
|-
|1970–71||31||1||8||1||10||0||5||1||54||3
|-
|1971–72||34||3||6||1||8||0||7||0||55||4
|-
|1972–73||30||1||7||1||10||0||4||0||51||2
|-
|1973–74||30||0||5||0||11||0||7||0||53||0
|-
|1974–75||30||1||4||0||9||0||2||0||45||1
486||22||94||7||137||4||69||3||789*||37†
486||22||94||7||137||4||69||3||789*||37†
|}
† Includes 1 Goal in the World Club Championship
NB these Totals do not include Glasgow Cup
Glasgow Cup
The Glasgow Cup is a knockout football tournament open to teams from Glasgow. It was competed for annually by senior Glasgow clubs from 1887 until 1988. It is now competed for between the youth teams of Rangers, Celtic, Clyde, Partick Thistle and Queen's Park.It is dominated by the Old Firm of...
appearances, which at the time was a Senior Trophy
Honours
Player:- Scottish League ChampionsScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(9): 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 - Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
(7): 1965, 1967, 1969, 1966, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975 - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
(6): 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975 - European Cup : 1967
Individual:
- Scottish Footballer of the YearScottish Football Writers' AssociationThe Scottish Football Writers' Association is an association of Scottish football journalists and correspondents writing for newspapers and agencies, founded in 1965...
(1): 1965
Manager:
- Scottish League ChampionsScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(4): 1979, 1981, 1982, 1988 - Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
(3): 1980, 1988, 1989 - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
(1): 1983