The Wrinkly Ninja Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 The man is an absolute giant, Dementia, on the other hand, is a dick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weebroon98 Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Met him in estonia years ago when i was at a scotland game, as people have said you couldn't have met a nicer man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just joe Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Truly awful disease Very sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridge of Djoum Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Very sad, obviously a Celtic great. A terrible disease (dementia, that is, not being a Celtic great). Is it really that difficult to keep your tribute act sympathies out of this? One of the iconic images of football. Billy lifting the European Cup, surrounded by a bunch of rag-tag but very talented boys from Glasgow. My father is going through the same illness, horrendous thing. I wish Billy Mcneill and his family all the very best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephane Grappelli Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Very sad, and rather worrying, that some people can't just pay tribute to a true great without having to have a wee dig at Celtic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDonald Jardine Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Very sad. He always seemed decent. As well as a great player he was a decent manager too. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkishcap Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Experienced this in my family as well as Alzheimer's, hellish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibrahim Tall Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 As an aside, how did McNeill only win 29 caps for Scotland? Was there far less games at the time? Was long before I was born so I've no idea, just seems odd that the captain for over a decade of what at the time was one the best sides in the World has about the same number of caps as Grant Hanley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deevers Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 A horrible affiliation. I wish him well. Always came over as a gentleman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Boy Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 As an aside, how did McNeill only win 29 caps for Scotland? Was there far less games at the time? Was long before I was born so I've no idea, just seems odd that the captain for over a decade of what at the time was one the best sides in the World has about the same number of caps as Grant Hanley. Someone more knowledgeable than I can confirm this, but, I think they never used to be presented for friendlies, and I think you only physically get one for a tournament. Or something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corryjambo Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Someone more knowledgeable than I can confirm this, but, I think they never used to be presented for friendlies, and I think you only physically get one for a tournament. Or something like that. I think that you were only given one cap per season, embroidered with the names of the teams you played against, however if you played in 3 games it did count as 3 caps in your record. With regards to dementia, there were 2 members of my golf club who were professional footballers in the old Scottish first division and both of them were diagnosed with dementia at a fairly young age. Anyone of my age will remember the old leather ball that was brick hard at the best of times, but when it got wet it was like a cannonball and it honestly would come as no surprise to me if there was a link between the two, especially for centre halves and centre forwards who headed the ball countless times in the game when at that time both teams had two wingers constantly crossing the ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mca Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 As an aside, how did McNeill only win 29 caps for Scotland? Was there far less games at the time? Was long before I was born so I've no idea, just seems odd that the captain for over a decade of what at the time was one the best sides in the World has about the same number of caps as Grant Hanley. Fewer games and more competition for starting place. You have European cup winners from the 60s, 70s, 80s, with sub 20-30caps... I'm thinking of the likes of Alan Evans and Alan Hansen. John McGovern captained Notts forest to two consecutive European cup victories... not one Scotland cap..... can you imagine that now? Regular starter In second tier of the English football with a Scottish granny and you are almost certainly in double figure caps for Scotland. It's sad what a joke we have become. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malinga the Swinga Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Dementia, like cancer, doesn't give a toss about religion, colour or creed. It transcends sporting rivalry and I can only offer sympathies to those who suffer from it. Saw McNeill play many times v Hearts and he seemed a fair enough player who was respected wherever he went. A good reminder that players like him, and indeed our own elder relatives and friends, should be celebrated whilst they are still with us and we shouldn't wait until death to remember the great things that he and others achieved. I very much doubt we will see Scottish players achieve as much for a very very long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwidoug Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 I remember asking a Celtic supporter of my vintage who he considered to be the greatest Celtic player in Stein's era. Big Billy he said, head and shoulders above the rest. He proceeded to tell me about games where Celtic fell apart when BM was missing. I expect a lot of Celtic supporters would share that view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musemic Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Sad to hear this. As a player and a leader he was a true giant of the game in Scotland when I was growing up. Always seemed very odd to me that, as captain of the first British team to win the European Cup, he's never got a knighthood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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