A memorial to Celtic captain Billy McNeill will be unveiled in the town of his birth this weekend.
Members of the Billy McNeill Commemoration Committee, along with his widow Liz, will officially unveil a £70,000 statue at Bellshill cross at 1.30pm on Saturday, before then heading to nearby Cesar's bar to celebrate the achievement and remember the life of the Lisbon Lion.
The Committee have worked tirelessly over the last three years, since the Celtic legend's passing on Easter Monday 2019, to create a lasting memorial for the late great McNeill, with members of the public, Celtic fans and supporters clubs and organisations across the country donating to a fund to enable the erection of such an effigy.
Liz McNeill – who wed the legendary football player at Bellshill’s Sacred Heart RC Church in 1963 – has backed the proposal over the last three years and sent a message of support to the Bellshill and Mossend Billy McNeill Commemoration Committee at one of their public meetings held in 2019.
A spokesman for the committee told the Lanarkshire Live: “We have worked vigorously and tirelessly to make tomorrow the fantastic event it will be.
"A lot of time and effort has gone into this and valuable family time also, we would like to thank our families for their patience and understanding during this period.
"This is the perfect ending for us.
"Tomorrow though isn't about us, it's about you, the community of Bellshill and Mossend, the whole of Scotland, the UK, Ireland, Europe, Africa, America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the world over who have made donations to the project.
"This is for you.
"When Liz McNeill and family unleash the veil of Billy tomorrow a roar that can be heard in Lisbon will ensue.
"The boy from Abbotsford Place, barely 150 yards from the statue site and went on to be one of the most respected gentlemen in world football, will finally get the recognition that he has so earned and deserved in his boyhood town of Bellshill and Mossend.
"We hope Liz and family are pleased and proud and we look forward to spending the day with them. A warm welcome is extended to all."
Former leader of North Lanarkshire Council Jim McCabe has also backed the Committee over the years and shared his experience as one of the key figures behind the erection of a statue to Jimmy Johnstone, a fellow Lisbon Lion, in nearby Viewpark.
The towering captain and two-time Celtic manager died in April 2019 aged 79, following a lengthy battle with dementia.
Known as Cesar, he was a promising defender for Lanarkshire junior side Blantyre Vics before leaving for Celtic in 1957.
Ten years later he would become the first British man to lift the European Cup following Celtic’s 2-1 win over Inter Milan in 1967, with the team later dubbed the Lisbon Lions.
As a player, McNeill led Celtic to nine successive Scottish titles, seven Scottish Cups and six League Cups. He played 822 games over 18 seasons, before retiring as a player in 1975.
During that time he won 29 caps for Scotland and played nine times for the Scottish League XI.
In two stints as a manager, he guided Celtic to four league triumphs, three Scottish Cups and one League Cup. McNeill was manager at Celtic from 1978-1983 and 1987-1991.
He also managed Clyde, Aberdeen, Manchester City and Aston Villa.
McNeill was awarded an MBE in November 1974, was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Scottish Football Hall of Fame two years later.
In December 2015 Celtic unveiled a bronze statue of McNeill holding aloft the European Cup.
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