Billy McNeill funeral: Service to be broadcast live at Celtic Park

Jozo Simunovic presents his No.5 shirt to Billy McNeill's widow Liz. Picture: SNS Group

The funeral of legendary Celtic captain Billy McNeill will be screened live at Celtic Park for fans unable to attend the service, his family has confirmed.

McNeill, affectionately dubbed Cesar, died last month at the age of 79. He had been diagnosed with dementia in 2017.

His family issued a statement on Celtic’s club website, thanking fans for the “kind messages”, adding: “They have cheered us up tremendously at this difficult time. The love and affection shown towards our father is nothing short of amazing and is something we will never forget.”

McNeill’s relatives praised the nature of the celebration of their father’s life before Celtic’s 1-0 win over Kilmarnock, in which Hoops defender Jozo Simunovic, wearing the No.5 shirt, scored in the 67th minute.

“The displays and tributes played before last Saturday’s match reiterated what a special club Celtic is and how big a part of our father’s life it was. Then for our No.5 to score the winning goal was truly magical,” they said.

“We would also like to thank all the clubs who marked his passing with a minute’s applause. We really appreciate all the respect shown towards our father.

“Our father always made time for the fans and knew how important they are so we would like to send an open invite to help us pay our respects to him.

“His body will be taken into St Aloysius Church on Thursday evening at 6:30pm with the church staying open for a short while after the service.

“For those wishing to attend the funeral there will be limited spaces at the church so please arrive early. For those unable to attend the church, the service will also be broadcast live at Celtic Park, where the funeral cortège will also arrive approximately at 1:30pm.”