Just another bloke who's died.
Really? On the day he died?
Next to Lamberk, possibly the worst manager we have had. However, he is part of the Villa family, so heartfelt condolences. R.I.P.
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 believe the name ceases came when he held up the European cup and a commentator or journalist said he looks like Ceaser
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.
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.
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.
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.
Wouldn't the Caesar nickname be largely because Celtic beat Inter Milan in the final?
That's probably where it originated danno
His nickname was Cesar not Caesar and it was nowt to do with the Inter game.
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