Celtic legend tribute: Bronze statue of Billy McNeill set to be unveiled in his home town of Bellshill next May

Billy McNeill (left) and fellow Lisbon Lion Jim Craig were reunited with the European Cup at 2012 testimonial match. (Pic by Robert Perry)

The Statue for Cesar campaign has already seen numerous fundraising initiatives by the Billy McNeill Commemoration Committee, a £15,000 donation from an anonymous local businessman and numerous pledges from around the world backing the tribute to the 1967 European Cup winning skipper.

“We have had a brilliant response from people nationwide not just Bellshill and surrounding areas,” committee chairman Eddie Lynas told the Times and Speaker.

“It’s no surprise we have raised £61,000 already because Billy McNeill (who died aged 79 on April 22 last year) was arguably the greatest Celtic player ever.

“At the moment we can’t have any more fundraising functions because of the pandemic. Bellshill Golf Club gave us the go ahead to have a golf day in honour of Billy which was due on July 26.

“It was a four-man Texas Scramble with £100 entry fee and we actually got 40 teams entered. Unfortunately it can’t go ahead in July but they’ve told us later on in the year if everything’s fine we can go ahead with it then.

“So we are very, very hopeful we will raise our £70,000 target no problem without asking Celtic for anything.”

The statue – depicting McNeill walking onto the pitch in Lisbon before winning the European final 2-1 over Inter Milan 53 years ago – is to be erected on grassland near Bellshill Cross.

A £4500 deposit has already been paid to sculptor John McKenna, who did the existing McNeill statue at Celtic Park.

The McNeill project for Bellshill was also boosted by £15,000 from North Lanarkshire Council to pay for clearing the statue site.

Next month, the committee is hosting a global tombola live on Facebook. Up for grabs is a giant volume called The Official Celtic Opus, weighing 40kg, half a metre square and costing £1967.

The committee is supported wholeheartedly by McNeill’s widow Liz, who has agreed to be its patron when it gets charity status to give future donations to local youth footballers and clubs.