DVD – Cesar – The Billy McNeill Story

Celtic’s greatest ever captain gets the long overdue DVD treatment and an excellent production it is. It’s a simple straightforward 90 mins of interviews and archive footage that flashes by bringing back lots of great memories and some painful ones. Billy made over 800 appearances for the hoops, the majority of which was as part of the 9 in a row team, he was the manger when 10 men won the league in 79 and also in our centenary season.

Oh and he was the first British player to life aloft the Big Cup but I think you knew that.

Billy reminisces about his career and there are interviews with all of the living Lions and players from throughout his career as player and manager including Andy Lynch, Andy Walker and Frank McAvennie. Even John Greig makes an appearance.

There is some great footage from across the years including Billy fighting his way through the fans in Lisbon to get the trophy. Footage I’d never seen before. Apart from match footage there are a few reels of players playing golf and Seamill training sessions. They've really searched the archives for this one.

It shows the coincidental nature of football as McNeill was considering his options after offers from down south before Stein arrived back at the club in 65 and they proceeded to win the Cup against Dunfermline and, as they say, the rest is history. Billy was also the first Celt to get a testimonial when they played Liverpool in 1974 and a ticket cost the princely sum of 40p.

Some areas of Billy’s career are either glossed over or given little time. His time managing in England only gets a few mins and the Mo Johnson fiasco isn't mentioned at all although there is video footage of Mo entering the huns press conference as the voiceover talks about the Souness spending spree. It would have been interesting to hear Billy’s side of that particular situation. It is a small complaint though as overall this is a feel good release celebrating one of our greatest ever players and I think it perfectly catches the affection and high regard he is held in by fans and players alike.

Overall a simple but effective production telling the story of a legend who will forever be remembered and the likes of which we will never see again.