Billy McNeill’s ten greatest Celtic moments

On Saturday a statue of Billy McNeill will be unveiled at the bottom of the Celtic Way.

Greeting fans coming along London Road the statue will cement the place that McNeill has played for Celtic- bringing trophies and glory during three stints as a player and manager.

At the top of the roll of honour stands Lisbon, an incredible achievement with the club captain the most significant part of the story after Jock Stein.

It took McNeill seven years to get his hands on his first winners medal after making his debut- 24 months after lifting the Scottish Cup by beating Dunfermline he had picked up two league titles, two Scottish Cups, three League Cups and the greatest prize in the game- the European Cup.

For those that suffered through the start of the sixties images of McNeill holding trophies aloft opened up a new era in Celtic’s history as new chapters were written with the captain from Bellshill at the heart of the successes.

In no particular order, other than Lisbon at the top of the tree, Video Celts lists the ten most significant moments in Billy McNeill’s Celtic career.

1. The 1967 European Cup. Time will never dim the memories of football’s greatest ever victory. Two years after arriving at a trophy-less, rundown and dispirited club Jock Stein shaped up a team consisting entirely of locals to end the Latin domination of the European Cup. That win opened the door for Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Ajax to take the greatest trophy in the game.

2. The 1988 Scottish Cup Final. McNeill had returned to Celtic in May 1987 to inherited a squad that was about to lose four key players including three strikers. With the backing of Tommy Burns, Peter Grant, Roy Aitken and Paul McStay a new look side was carved out with the season ending at Hampden when a double from Frank McAvennie clinched the Scottish Cup to go alongside the league trophy won in front of over 60,000 fans at home to Dundee.

3. Celtic 2-0 Vojvodina 1967. Having lost 1-0 in the first leg in Yugoslavia it looked like Celtic were heading to Brussels for a play off with the scoreline reversed at Celtic Park. In the closing minutes McNeill rose to head home a Charlie Gallagher corner taking Celtic into a semi-final with Dukla Prague and onto Lisbon.

4. Celtic 4-2 Rangers 1979. In his first season as manager Celtic put together a late run of wins to take the destiny of the title to the final match of the season- at home to Rangers (IL). Despite a red card for John Doyle McNeill’s side refused to accept defeat, scoring four in the second half in a win that many compared to the drama of Lisbon.

5. Benfica 3-0 Celtic 1969. Even in defeat McNeill was a winner. A 3-0 win at home to Benfica was turned around in Lisbon’s Stadium of Light as Benfica turned on the style. In the referee’s room after the match both managers and captains were called to toss a coin- McNeill called it correctly-heads- and Celtic continued in Europe in the strangest of circumstances.

6. Celtic 3-2 Dunfermline 1965. The beginning. After seven trophless years Celtic were back at Hampden under Jock Stein, many of the Celtic support had never seen the club win a trophy. With the scores level at 2-2, Bertie Auld scoring twice, McNeill headed home a Charlie Gallagher corner and a new era of success was underway.

7. Celtic 2-1 Leeds United 1970. After shocking England by winning 1-0 in the first leg an official crowd of 135,000 was drawn to Hampden for the return leg of the European Cup semi-final. Despite Billy Bremner opening the scoring Celtic stormed back with goals from John Hughes and Bobby Murdoch confirming Stein’s side as the best of British.

8. Celtic 1-0 Rangers (IL)1989. Celtic’s defence of the title had crumbled leaving the Scottish Cup as the only chance of lifting a trophy. The Ibrox side were anticipating a treble but Joe Miller’s first half goal on a glorious spring afternoon retained the cup and provided manager McNeill with his last trophy as manager.

9. Celtic 3-1 Airdrie (IL) 1975. In the lead up to the match it was rumoured that McNeill may be about to announce his retirement after the Scottish Cup Final. Ten years on from lifting his first trophy in the win over Dunfermline the club’s greatest captain was again doing the honours, signing off with a Scottish Cup triumph as an era closed on Scottish football’s most successful playing career.

10. Celtic 4-0 Rangers (IL) 1969. Earlier in the month Celtic had won the League Cup and retained the title for a fourth time- Hampden awaited and a possible treble. At Ibrox no expense was spared to stop Stein’s side but after McNeill powered in a header in the opening minutes the game turned into a procession with Celtic scoring three more goals.

Feel free to add your own memories of Billy’s greatest moments.