Wife Liz gives her moving account of courage, heartbreak and hope
Struggle of Hoops’ European Cup hero who has lost his voice to cruel illness
A faint glimmer of recognition flickers across the eyes of Billy McNeill when he’s looking at himself in some of Scottish football’s most famous images.
But when he tries to speak about his glory days, no words come out.
Dementia has robbed Celtic’s greatest living figure of his voice.
His family don’t know if the club’s iconic leader can even remember the giant of a footballer he once was.
Liz, his wife of 53 years, said: “It is sad. We don’t know what he can remember because he can’t communicate.
“We don’t know if he can remember what he did. Sometimes you will see something, a smile or a look but then it goes.”
Billy, 76, was diagnosed seven years ago, with no history of dementia in the family.
The family have never publicly spoken about it.
But as the 50th anniversary of his greatest triumph approaches, the McNeills have decided to bring their experiences into the open.
It’s almost half a century since Billy became the first British player to hold aloft the European Cup after Celtic’s triumph over Inter Milan in Lisbon.
It has piqued interest from fans and well wishers in the welfare of the greatest captain the Scottish game has seen.
The family also want to back the Sunday Mail’s campaign on dementia in football.
We are calling for more funding to further research links between the disease and heading a football – something the family wholeheartedly support.
Recalling the journey towards Billy’s diagnosis, Liz said: “It was a bit of a shock, we didn’t really expect it.
“I had noticed that Billy had been getting his words mixed up. He called the car the hoover one day and I asked Mike Jackson, the best man at our wedding, if he had noticed anything?
“He said he had. So we talked to the family and went to see a doctor.”
The family had also noticed that he lost his way on a journey taking his grandchildren to school, a car trip he had done thousands of times.
Initial tests revealed Billy had cognitive impairment and, after a series of further tests and a brain scan, a formal diagnosis of early onset dementia was confirmed.
Liz and Billy were together when doctors delivered the news.
Liz said: “We didn’t talk about it, I didn’t want him to get upset or worried. In the beginning he would say, “What’s wrong with me?’ when he couldn’t do something or remember something.
“I didn’t want to worry him. I’d say, ‘ We all forget things, Billy’.”
Billy’s voice disappeared a year-and-ahalf ago. For a man whose life after the game was travelling the world and speaking about his incredible career, there is no doubt that has had a significant impact.
Liz said: “Not being able to communicate with him is hard. He understands when you speak to him directly but only for a short time. He can’t concentrate. He can’t follow a conversation.”
Another symptom of the condition means that Billy sleeps a lot but is restless when awake and often unable to sit still for any period of time. Liz is unable to leave him alone.
But his close-knit family remain incredibly stoic. Liz said: “If this had happened to him when he was younger then I might feel different but he’s 77 in March and we have to accept it. We take it day by day.
“One of the consultants described dementia as like riding a horse with the reins getting pulled and that’s what it is like.
“It was a gradual thing. But while he is still able to walk and get about, I manage.
“Celtic have been great as have the supporters and some of the old friends and players come and take him out. People like Pat Bonner, Andy Walker, Frank McAvennie and Murdo MacLeod come over.”
Liz feels lucky that Billy still recognises the family and long standing friends.
In fact, he’s been known to push past people to get