Billy McNeill RIP

[Sexual Ealing]

Just another bloke who's died.

Really? On the day he died?

[olaftab]

Great player, not so good as a Manager. RIP Billy.

This. RIP.

[Dougs Socks]

Next to Lamberk, possibly the worst manager we have had. However, he is part of the Villa family, so heartfelt condolences. R.I.P.

[VillaBoy_23]

Just another bloke who's died.

Revolting.

RIP Billy

[robbo1874]

Don’t want to comment on his time as a manager at Villa. But his achievements as a player at Celtic certainly deserve the highest credit. A Celtic supporting mate (who is also dead now, tragically) always used to refer to BM as ‘Caesar McNeill.’ I’ve often wondered whether that was a club / supporters nickname, or just what my mate called him.

[Three Spires Villa]

I believe the name ceases came when he held up the European cup and a commentator or journalist said he looks like Ceaser

[brian green]

Unlike some recent Villa managers I can name who masqueraded as "good blokes" Bingo Billy genuinely was one.  My youngest son who must have been no more than 7 at the time wrote him a letter, unaided, of his own volition, wishing him well when he left us.  He received a warm and sincere hand written reply on Glasgow Celtic Football and Athletic Club notepaper.  Suitably framed it now hangs on the wall of my son's dump of a home in SW17.  RIP Bingo.

[MillerBall]

I may well be wrong but at the time of Billy M's appointment at Villa I am sure I read that Doug Ellis and Billy were already friends. Not sure how that would have come about.
Billy may of course have been a technical advisor to Doug when Doug developed the "arse over tit" bicycle kick.Later known as the pre meditated overhead kick.
Certainly when BM  joined Villa we were a total shambles and pretty much in the same state when he left.
A great footballer though, RIP Billy.

[JD]

Don’t want to comment on his time as a manager at Villa. But his achievements as a player at Celtic certainly deserve the highest credit. A Celtic supporting mate (who is also dead now, tragically) always used to refer to BM as ‘Caesar McNeill.’ I’ve often wondered whether that was a club / supporters nickname, or just what my mate called him.

I've seen an article where Alex Ferguson refers to McNeill as Caesar, so I would take it that it was a known nickname in Scotland.

[Damo70]

I knew his nickname was Caesar but I'm pretty sure that wasn't what I was calling him at Selhurst Park on Easter Monday 1987 when we were losing 3-0 to Charlton.

[danno]

Wouldn't the Caesar nickname be largely because Celtic beat Inter Milan in the final?

[JD]

That's probably where it originated danno

[Chico Hamilton III]

His nickname was Cesar not Caesar and it was nowt to do with the Inter game.

[danno]

His nickname was Cesar not Caesar and it was nowt to do with the Inter game.

Fair enough.

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/how-celtic-legend-billy-mcneill-got-his-cesar-nickname-1-4913346

[Chico Hamilton III]

It is only recently he had any competition as the worst Villa manager of all time, and I still think he wins it.

Good player in his day.

His qualities and achievements as a player and a captain made him rather more than a 'good player in his day.'

Yep, I think only 4 British players have won more honours than him - including 9 championships in a row and the European Cup. Puts him in the legendary status for me