Billy McNeill facts for kids
McNeill as Celtic manager, September 1982
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William McNeill | ||
| Date of birth | 2 March 1940 | ||
| Place of birth | Bellshill, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 22 April 2019 (aged 79) | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1957 | Blantyre Victoria | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1957–1975 | Celtic | 486 | (22) |
| National team | |||
| 1961–1972 | Scotland | 29 | (3) |
| 1961–1967 | Scottish League XI | 9 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1977 | Clyde | ||
| 1977–1978 | Aberdeen | ||
| 1978–1983 | Celtic | ||
| 1983–1986 | Manchester City | ||
| 1986–1987 | Aston Villa | ||
| 1987–1991 | Celtic | ||
| 1998 | Hibernian (caretaker) | ||
|
|||
.jpg)
William "Billy" McNeill (2 March 1940 – 22 April 2019) was a famous Scottish football player and manager. He was known for being a strong defender. Billy McNeill is especially famous for his time at Celtic, where he was a player and later a manager. He was the first British captain to win the European Cup.
Contents
Billy McNeill's Football Journey
Playing for Celtic
Billy McNeill was born in Bellshill, Scotland. He started playing football for a local club called Blantyre Victoria. In 1957, he joined Celtic, a big club in Scotland.
Billy spent his entire playing career, 18 seasons, at Celtic. He became the team's captain. Under his leadership, Celtic had amazing success in the 1960s and 1970s. They won many important trophies.
Winning the European Cup
One of Billy's biggest achievements was leading Celtic to win the European Cup in the 1966–67 season. This was a huge deal! They beat Inter Milan in the final. This made Celtic the first team from the UK to ever win this top European competition. It's still the only time a Scottish team has won it.
Celtic reached the European Cup final again in 1970. But this time, Billy's team lost to Feyenoord. Billy McNeill played more games for Celtic than any other player. He played a total of 822 matches for the club. He stopped playing football in 1975.
Playing for Scotland
Billy also played for the Scottish national team. He played 29 games for his country between 1961 and 1972. During these games, he scored three goals.
Becoming a Manager
After retiring as a player, Billy McNeill became a football manager. He first managed Clyde for a short time. Then he moved to Aberdeen, where his team finished second in the league and the Scottish Cup.
Managing Celtic
In 1978, Billy returned to Celtic, this time as their manager. He managed Celtic from 1978 to 1983. During this time, he led them to win three league titles, one Scottish Cup, and one Scottish League Cup.
After his first time managing Celtic, Billy went on to manage two English teams. He managed Manchester City from 1983 to 1986. Then he managed Aston Villa from 1986 to 1987.
Second Time at Celtic
Billy McNeill came back to manage Celtic again in 1987. In his first season back, Celtic won both the league and the Scottish Cup. The next year, 1988–89, they won another Scottish Cup. However, the team didn't win any trophies in the following two seasons. Because of this, Billy left Celtic in May 1991. He didn't become a full-time manager again, but he was a temporary manager for Hibernian for a short period in 1998.
Personal Life
Billy McNeill was given an award called the MBE in 1974. This award recognizes his great achievements. He also wrote three books about his life in football.
In 2017, Billy's family shared that he had been living with dementia for many years. Billy McNeill passed away on 22 April 2019, when he was 79 years old.
Honours and Achievements
Billy McNeill won many awards and trophies during his career as both a player and a manager.
As a Player
- Celtic
- Scottish Football League: 9 times (1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74)
- Scottish Cup: 7 times (1964–65, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1974–75)
- Scottish League Cup: 6 times (1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1974–75)
- European Cup: 1 time (1966–67)
As a Manager
- Celtic
- Scottish Football League: 4 times (1978–79, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1987–88)
- Scottish Cup: 3 times (1979–80, 1987–88, 1988–89)
- Scottish League Cup: 1 time (1982–83)
- Manchester City
- Football League Second Division: promoted in 1984–85
See also
In Spanish: Billy McNeill para niños
