Cesar Billy McNeill - Rest In Peace Cesar.

That's a nice gesture,from real football fans.

 

THE most enduring of the friendships that Billy McNeill made in football was his bond with Mike Jackson. That friendship went on for over 60 years and went far beyond being just team-mates, and the former Celt was distraught at the plight and the passing of his best pal.

Mike said: “I was up to see him every other day, but it was a blessing that * took him. As much as I’d love him to be here with me, it’s a relief for him.

“He was such a lovely, big, principled man. I was the best man when he and Liz got married. I first met him in 1957 and we all trained together at night, three nights a week at Celtic Park.

“Everything came from there and since 1957, we’ve been best pals. My kids and their children are like brothers and sisters – just one great big family. As friends we were in each other’s pockets all of the time and the friendship has continued right down to our children and I’ll miss him awfully – it was so sad.”

Mike also revealed that Celtic’s greatest ever on-field motivator wasn’t just a captain on the pitch, but off-field as well.

He said: “He was a born leader, even back in the early days arranging holidays. The first time a crowd of us went away on holiday, it was to the Channel Islands. There was the likes of John Divers and Jim Conway there at the time, and Billy organised all of that.

“We were saying, ‘Where will we go?’ Billy said, ‘We’ve never been to the Channel Islands, let’s go there,’ and a year later he was saying, ‘We’ll go to Spain.’ Billy organised everything for those trips.

“That’s why we called him Cesar, as he was the captain and he ran the ship, and made sure everybody was alright. We’d have been lost without him. In fact, we wouldn’t have gone anywhere.”

He added: “I was honoured to be the best man at his wedding and that friendship had gone right down to our children, who, like us, have lived out of each other’s pockets.

“I lost my wife 18 years ago and I was never out of the McNeill house as it was a second home to me. He was such a nice man and it was a pleasure and an honour to have known him.”

The Celtic team line-up from the picture above:
Back row: Dunky MacKay, Neilly Mochan, Frank Haffey, Eric Smith, Billy McNeill
Front row: Matt McVittie, Jim Conway, Bertie Peacock, Mike Jackson, Sammy Wilson, Bertie Auld

(Derry City v Celtic, May 17, 1958)

 

Nice from Belenenses. Playing this season in the Estádio Nacional after a club split.
Commemorative Plaque in the background.

 

CELTIC meet Kilmarnock at Celtic Park this Saturday, April 26, and the match will form a special celebration of the club's greatest ever captain, Billy McNeill, one of world football’s great icons, who sadly passed away on Monday, April 22 at the age of 79.

Prior to the kick-off, at 11am, the Celtic first-team will lay a wreath on the Celtic Way in honour of the Hoops legend, a footballing giant who devoted his life to his beloved Celtic.

Members of Billy’s family have been invited to the match and before kick-off there will also be special video tributes within the stadium to the great man, for supporters to enjoy and remember Cesar.

The Celtic first team will wear a special black armband in memory of Billy on Saturday, bearing the Number 5 to recognise Billy’s iconic number that he always wore with pride.

At the request of the McNeill family, a minute’s applause will then take place just prior to the 12.30pm kick-off. 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, May 25. All the Celtic first team will wear Billy’s famous Number 5 on the Celtic shorts in tribute to a man who gave so much to Celtic and to Scottish football.

 

The only thing he said he would change is that he wished the bhoys could have been up there with him when he lifted it!!

Says it all really!! What a man!!

 

very nice .

 

Absolutely.

 

Wee bit on TalkSport yesterday

 

Jeez might let Charlie Nick off the hook for a while after that wee interview, very touching.

 

He's just no the sharpest tool in the box is our Charlie!! * adored the guy as a player but by * he's spouted some utter * over the years in that cesspit studio!!

 

It's good that John Greig paid tribute to Cesar. Pity can't say the same about their scum fans who are laughing their heads off.
*, the lot of them.

 

All of them.


I’ve seen plenty rangers fans saying with good comments.

 

Was talking about Sevcomedia site. Couldnt see one decent comment

 

Stop hunting looking for negative stuff.

 

I just watched last nights 'Lisbon Lions' programme...boy does that no well you up inside.

Also re- John Greig...maybe we should all show some respect to the man himself on here...I thought he spoke and acted with the utmost sincerity today.

 

I wasnt. Was hoping they were going to agree with John Greig's sentiments.