Hugh Keevins: There was only one Billy McNeill
There may have been greater players to wear Celtic's jersey, but there has never been, and there never will be, a greater Celtic man than Billy McNeill.
There may have been greater players to wear Celtic's jersey, but there has never been, and there never will be, a greater Celtic man than Billy McNeill.
A one club man as a player, the winner of nine league titles, seven Scottish Cups and six League cups in the process. Not forgetting the European Cup.
A two time manager of the club, winning five titles, three Scottish Cups and a League Cup to add further lustre to a glittering career.
But statistics are dry facts lacking in human emotion.
Big Billy always said there was a fairytale aspect attached to the club he had supported since boyhood and he was the one most entitled to utter that statement because he was the one who wrote most of the fairytales.
The modern day Celtic under Jock Stein's management was announced to the world on the day Billy headed in a corner kick from Charlie Gallagher to complete the scoring in a 3 - 2 win over Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden.
It was the first major trophy Celtic had won since 1957, a lengthy exile from the winners rostrum that must seem like an alien concept to the Celtic supporters of today who are used to a proliferation of prizes.
But the image that is ingrained on the minds of the fans from that generation, and preserved for immortality by photographs of the day for everyone else, is the moment big Billy stood alone inside the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon with the European Cup above his head.
He was only there in that isolated state because a pitch invasion following the 2 - 1 defeat of Inter Milan had made impossible the more conventional presentation of the trophy.
But it was somehow fitting that Caeser, as Billy was known, should stand there resplendent in the early evening sunshine and be lionised as the first Briton ever to hold that trophy aloft.
The captain of the Lisbon Lions was the ultimate leader of men and the best illustration to be found of the person who led by example.
The ball would come over and Billy would head it clear. The ball would come over and Billy would head it in at the other end of the park.
He was a magnificent servant to a club who should be forever grateful that they had his services on an exclusive basis over 822 appearances for Celtic.
This season's Scottish Cup final is on May 25, the most significant date in Celtic's history. It can now only be termed the Billy McNeill final for the fans and if that puts an extra layer of pressure on the players when they face Hearts then they should understand that is how Caeser led his life in the club's jersey.
His first trophy win was the Scottish Cup in 1965. His last trophy win as a Celtic player was the Scottish Cup in 1975. There is only one fitting tribute the current crop of players can pay him.
It is what he would have done.
Who would have chosen to succeed the legend that was Jock Stein as Celtic's manager, the hardest of all acts to follow?
But Billy accepted that onerous task as he had confronted everything else in Celtic's name. He won the league title in his first season, culminating in the match against Rangers in 1979 when ten men won the match only referred to as "The 4 - 2 game" by supporters of a certain vintage.
There were, let it be said, rows with his employers and Billy would feel let down by the club on occasion, but he never lost his love for the institution that was Celtic.
That's why there was rejoicing among the fans when he came back to manage the club in time for Celtic's centenary year in 1988, and, of course, he marked the occasion in a way that Hans Christian Andersen would have been proud of.
Celtic went a goal down to Dundee United, equalised and then scored the winner with literally seconds to go. That cup again. That man in charge.
Big Billy seemed to have this ability to manipulate history to suit his demands, and Celtic have eternal reason to be grateful for that.
The rest of us are just eternally grateful to have known him.
I started in newspapers on January 5, 1970. On January 6, 1970 I was sent to interview Billy McNeill at the front door of Celtic Park. You could do that sort of thing in those days.
The big yin came out, asked my name and gave me the undivided attention he would have given the biggest name in the newspaper game. It was like meeting a long lost relative and the occasion marked the start of a decades long relationship that was entirely my privilege and pleasure.
The last time I saw Billy alive was inside a restaurant at Celtic Park. He came in with his wife, Liz, and one of his great friends, the former player and manager, Benny Rooney.
It was abundantly clear that Billy's illness had taken serious hold of him but the love, care and attention shown to him by Liz was as heart warming to see as it was sad.
The family have now asked that Billy's life be celebrated, that stories be told about him and songs sung in his honour. It will make Celtic Park a special place to be when Kilmarnock visit there on Saturday.
There will be a tumultuous recognition of his greatness and his devotion to one club, while his statue outside the ground will stand forever as testament to his greatness.
This is a sad day but also the catalyst for remembrance of the man for whom the word legend was hopelessly inadequate.
R.I.P. big Billy