DADDY’S DOUBLE
McGhee: He was the father of ’88 triumph
MARK McGHEE insists the bond created by Billy McNeill’s double-winning Centenary squad will never be broken.
The former Hoops striker is grief-stricken at the loss of his manager who guided the club to one of the most revered chapters in their history with a league and Scottish Cup success in 1988.
It was McNeill’s second stint in charge after arriving a year earlier and McGhee admits nobody other than Cesar could have led the side to glory during that landmark campaign.
He said: “It was devastating to hear the sad news about Billy. You think about a great man and someone who has had better men than me paying tribute to his memory.
“Alex Ferguson has spoken about Billy and he talks of what kind of man he was, not about football, but about the principles he had and the integrity he showed in his actions as a human being.
“A giant of Scottish football but more importantly, a truly great man. I don’t even feel that comfortable talking about Billy as it’s still all just sinking in. What he managed to achieve was to become so much more than a manager to his players, it was something far more personal. The bond became more father and son and that bond endures to this day. “He could transcend football, it was never all about what he or the team could achieve, the relationship was far more personal. He meant so much more to the players than a manager and the club as a whole. “The Centenary team enjoyed a magical season but I don’t believe anyone other than Billy would have managed to lead us to the Double.
“Nobody could have carried it off the way he did, he led us as he would a family and that’s why that bond will never be broken.
“It’s why players hold him in the highest regard and this loss is felt far more than the feeling of losing a boss.”
McGhee played a major role in the Centenary season. One highlight is scoring against Hearts as a sub in the Scottish Cup semi-final with Celtic a goal down before setting up the winner for Andy Walker.
As Scottish football mourned the passing of a legend the former Scotland striker believes McNeill’s legacy will be as the standard bearer for everyone associated with Celtic as a club.
He said: “Billy was everything a Celtic man should aspire to be. The principles he lived by and the way he conducted himself and treated everyone.
“Not many achieve what he did, he created a family bond within a club by being a good man.
“It’s a sad day for everyone associated with Celtic and he will be remembered as a giant and someone who had a personal touch. His will be a legacy of the way we should all aspire to live.”