Billy McNeill

B B

Blue Streak

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 Jun 2008
Messages
2,458
How do City fans really remember him? I know he was a Celtic great but I mean as our manager? Obviously he returned us back to the topflight after we went down in 83, but do City fans remember this or think more of the way he left to go to Villa.

Obviously both ourselves and Villa went down in the end. I was only 12 so never really had a proper grasp of the whole situation? was he promised bundles of cash by Deadly Doug or was there something else in it?

Looking in the Rothmans Villa were getting some quite shocking crowds during this period. I know the game was blighted by hooligans and we were doing well with an average of about 20,000 but they had gates (for certain games) of 12,13k.
 
Blue Lloyd said:
How do City fans really remember him? I know he was a Celtic great but I mean as our manager? Obviously he returned us back to the topflight after we went down in 83, but do City fans remember this or think more of the way he left to go to Villa.

Obviously both ourselves and Villa went down in the end. I was only 12 so never really had a proper grasp of the whole situation? was he promised bundles of cash by Deadly Doug or was there something else in it?

Looking in the Rothmans Villa were getting some quite shocking crowds during this period. I know the game was blighted by hooligans and we were doing well with an average of about 20,000 but they had gates (for certain games) of 12,13k.
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For me, too many people focus on his exit rather than the work he had done in the previous 3 years. Remember he took over a team that had just been relegated and had lost players like Teuart & Corrigan. He was left to rebuild a side with freebies and cheap replacements, yet his ultimate task set by Swales and the board was to win promotion!!

He won promotion at the 2nd attempt, stabalised them in the top flight (the old First Division), took the team to Wembley in '86 (Full Members Cup Final) in a game that was played on a Sunday, having already played on the Saturday (against the Rags?) and oversaw the youth players like Lake, Moulden, White, Brightwell etc that won the Youth Cup. These guys went on to form the back bone of the team in the late 80's and early 90's.

McNeill admitted in his autobiography that he had made a mistake leaving Maine Road, and felt that he had taken MCFC as far as he could with the resources available to him. Deadly Doug promised him the earth and he was well and truely shafted. He was bagged at the end of the season with both Villa and City relegated. Was there on the last day of the 2002/03 season for the farewell to Maine Road and am pleased his contribution was recognised.
 
Lazerboyblue said:
Blue Lloyd said:
How do City fans really remember him? I know he was a Celtic great but I mean as our manager? Obviously he returned us back to the topflight after we went down in 83, but do City fans remember this or think more of the way he left to go to Villa.

Obviously both ourselves and Villa went down in the end. I was only 12 so never really had a proper grasp of the whole situation? was he promised bundles of cash by Deadly Doug or was there something else in it?

Looking in the Rothmans Villa were getting some quite shocking crowds during this period. I know the game was blighted by hooligans and we were doing well with an average of about 20,000 but they had gates (for certain games) of 12,13k.
Click to expand...

For me, too many people focus on his exit rather than the work he had done in the previous 3 years. Remember he took over a team that had just been relegated and had lost players like Teuart & Corrigan. He was left to rebuild a side with freebies and cheap replacements, yet his ultimate task set by Swales and the board was to win promotion!!

He won promotion at the 2nd attempt, stabalised them in the top flight (the old First Division), took the team to Wembley in '86 (Full Members Cup Final) in a game that was played on a Sunday, having already played on the Saturday (against the Rags?) and oversaw the youth players like Lake, Moulden, White, Brightwell etc that won the Youth Cup. These guys went on to form the back bone of the team in the late 80's and early 90's.

McNeill admitted in his autobiography that he had made a mistake leaving Maine Road, and felt that he had taken MCFC as far as he could with the resources available to him. Deadly Doug promised him the earth and he was well and truely shafted. He was bagged at the end of the season with both Villa and City relegated. Was there on the last day of the 2002/03 season for the farewell to Maine Road and am pleased his contribution was recognised.
Click to expand...

Agreed, shafted by both Swales and Ellis with regard to promised funds to buy players. He did well to get us promoted on a shoestring and even better to keep us up in that first season back by wheeling and dealing for some cheap buys.
 
He worked miracles with the resources allowed. Who can forget the parade of assorted Scottish rejects he had in the team? The silky Brazilian skills of Gordon Dalziel? The colossus that was Duncan Davidson?
Then there was Ian Davies, the full back, contender for the worst player I have ever seen in a blue shirt.

Though McNeill was heavily slagged off at the time, he probably over-achieved by twenty league places, given what was available to him.

To think that some people are worried about next season cos we might have to manage with Adebayor up front and Barry in midfield!
 
BrianW said:
He worked miracles with the resources allowed. Who can forget the parade of assorted Scottish rejects he had in the team? The silky Brazilian skills of Gordon Dalziel? The colossus that was Duncan Davidson?
Then there was Ian Davies, the full back, contender for the worst player I have ever seen in a blue shirt.

Though McNeill was heavily slagged off at the time, he probably over-achieved by twenty league places, given what was available to him.

To think that some people are worried about next season cos we might have to manage with Adebayor up front and Barry in midfield!
Click to expand...

Jim Melrose or Ade????
 
Sheikh Rattle n Roll said:
Jim Tolmie and Derek Parlane were excellent buys.... I think someone posted that Jim Tolmie was now a Taxi Driver back in Scotland.
Click to expand...

Interview in the City mag the other year. Tolmie admitted he looks at this site quite often (and was delighted to see a couple of users named after him).
 
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