Billy Mcneill: In Praise Of Caesar

By Alex Gordon, Black & White Publishing, £9.99

According to the famed Celtic manager Jock Stein, a great football player is someone who brings out the best in others – an evidently true statement when applied to the likes of players such as Billy Mcneill.

With his entire playing career spent in the green and white of Glasgow Celtic, Billy Mcneill made 790 appearances for the club between 1958 and 1975 and was part of the famous Lisbon Lions who became the first British team to conquer Europe by winning the European Cup in 1967.

A true leader, Mcneill also led Celtic to renowned domestic success during his playing career winning nine League Championships, seven Scottish Cups and six League Cups before going onto manage the club on two separate stints throughout the late 70s and 80s. The footballing career of Billy Mcneill is uniquely celebrated throughout his momentous years as a player and manager, with a diverse range of tributes exemplifying just how much of a passionate, devoted footballing professional Mcneill was.

Sir Alex Ferguson, Gordon Strachan, Brendan Rodgers and former teammate Bobby Lennox are just a handful of names that offer tributes to the former Celtic captain throughout the book.

Yet, despite his illustrious career within Scottish football, what becomes most prevalent throughout the book, and arguably more significant, are his admirable traits as a person. These qualities are recalled with fond and exuberant tributes – stories ranging from training sessions at greyhound tracks to drunken boat expeditions off the coast of Florida are recalled by his closest friends. They all help to illustrate Mcneill’s colourful character. Confidence, poise but also fairness were important qualities he held in abundance; they clearly rubbed off on those around him, who often looked up to the big centrehalf for inspiration and experience.

You gain a sense of just how much he meant to those around him throughout his career, on and off the field. To his adoring Celtic fans, he will be most fondly remembered for lifting the European Cup after a momentous victory over Inter Milan in Lisbon, which Mcneill recalls as “the most stirring and exciting moment of my life.”

An honourable account for an honourable man, this is a must-read for all football fans and a fitting tribute to a player who typified professionalism and passion.

Review by Jamie Wilde.