Bill Munro - Bankies past and present pay tribute to legend

Bill Munro was recognised alongside his former striker Frank McDougall on Friday night when Holm Park fell silent to remember both player and gaffer after they sadly passed away last week.

Bill was highly regarded inside and outside the madcap world which is Scottish football and will long be remembered as the man who brought top-flight football to the Bankies.

From his days chasing Sir Alex Ferguson down a touchline to prevent the legendary manager from accosting a referee to guiding Davie Cooper and managing abroad, Bill had a memorable career.

Described as a “quiet, unassuming” man, he harked back to an era of sheepskin jackets and discipline but was widely regarded as the man who inspired a whole generation to take up following the Bankies thanks to the fun, attractive style of football he played.

Born in 1934 in Glasgow, Bill played for Kilmarnock, Barrow and East Stirlingshire before moving to Clydebank as a player in 1965.

Bill made seven appearances in the white and red of the Bankies, scoring once in the combined reserve league in season 1965-66.

However, a serious knee injury forced him to turn his attention to coaching, with Clydebank offering him a backroom role in 1967.

Working under Jack Steedman, he replaced his mentor as manager in 1975, kicking off a six-year adventure as the main man in the dugout with the club.

He took the Bankies to the promised land of the top division in Scotland two seasons later, managing the club for six campaigns before leaving in 1981.

He later took charge of Airdrie and also worked in women’s football.

Bill also found himself managing in Cyprus for two years, at Evagoras Paphos, before coaching beside manager Jock Stein at a four-nation tournament with Scotland’s semi-pro team in 1980, a team comprised of part-time players from the Scottish First Division at the time.

During that time, Bill selected Ally McCoist (then a teenager at St Johnstone) but he didn’t give him a game.

Here, Bankies send their heartfelt tributes to a man widely considered the greatest ever Clydebank manager.

Clydebank FC

“Clydebank FC were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of the club's greatest ever manager, Bill Munro, last week.

“Bill oversaw the latter half of the 1970s, taking the club from the old Division Two to the Premier League in successive seasons with the on-field talent of Jimmy Caskie, Jim Fallon, Davie Cooper and many many others.

“Magical memories were made for a generation of supporters with winning the Division Two title, two Stirlingshire Cups, taking Rangers to four games and our only victory over Celtic to date.

“With the goalscoring prowess of Blair Millar and Frank McDougall, who also sadly passed away last week, Bill almost returned the club to the top flight at the first attempt but it wasn’t to be.

“Inducted into our Hall of Fame in 2011, Bill remained a close friend of the club and many of our fans and our thoughts are with his family and friends and of course those of Frank McDougall.”

Bill Abraham (Clydebank FC Commercial Director)

“Bill was my first Bankies manager.

“I started watching regularly from around 1975 and it was such an exciting time for a wee boy.

“Along with the Steedmans, he put together a wonderful side - Cooper, Larnach, McCallan, Fallon, Gallacher.

“Big crowds and majestic football. It stuck with me for life.

“Bill was as synonymous with that team and period as anyone else and he was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2011. Thanks for the memories, Bill."

Tom Brogan (Interviewed Bill for a book on the history of Clydebank FC)

“When I met him a few years ago, his memory had faded a bit, but there were still things that put a smile on his face.

“When I mentioned names of players, like Davie Cooper, his face lit up, because he guided Davie Cooper’s early career.

“He ended up regretting going to Airdrie. He told me being at Clydebank was the pinnacle of his career.

“He enjoyed jousting with St Mirren for the First Division title that season.

“He and Alex Ferguson had this friendly rivalry at the time.

“When I was doing the book, I wrote to Alex Ferguson to ask him of any memories of Bill, and he wrote back to me to tell me of his great respect for him.

“He recalled an incident, when Clydebank vs St Mirren, there was an offside call, and Alex Ferguson was going nuts, and he actually chased the linesman down the line, and Bill has grabbed his raincoat and pulled him back, and said to Ferguson, ‘cool it.’

“And Sir Alex had said to me, he would have been in a lot of bother if it hadn’t been for Bill’s cool head.

“I showed Bill that letter and he was double chuffed that Alex Ferguson had said that about him all those years later.”

Gordon Robertson (Former Clydebank manager)

“I think for anybody who grew up supporting the Bankies in the seventies, the memory of Bill Munro can only be a positive one that will put a smile on their face with just the mere mention of his name.

“It was a glorious period in the history of Clydebank Football Club, successive promotions.

“He was a charismatic manager in the kind of old school style, the sheepskin jacket and all that.

“He was the manager of a team that played with joy and I remember very fondly, at its peak, turned on the style with players like Davie Cooper, Mike Larnach and Joe McCallum.

“Bill Munro is etched in the history of Clydebank Football Club like no other manager, he was that significant a figure.

“Again, folk who grew up watching the team at that time, became supporters because of how great that team was.

“That was his legacy.”

Blair Millar (Former Clydebank player, who scored 79 of 101 goals under Bill, and who Bill took to Airdrie)

“They say nice people don’t make good football managers, but Bill Munro was an exception.

“He was a genuinely mild-mannered person with a warm personality and a great sense of humour.

“He always spent time working on the positive side of a players game, building up your confidence rather than knocking you down.

“He would always say to me “do what you’re good at, that’s all I can ask”.

“I can’t thank him enough for believing in me and giving me the chance to play football at that level.

“I would like to think I repaid his faith in me by being the top scorer during his managerial career with the Bankies.

“R.I.P. Boss.”

Jimmy Caskie (Bill gave him his chance)

“If I’m honest, a lot of us wouldn’t have got to where we did if it wasn’t for Bill.

“Bill put so much work into us at that time.

“From that point of view, he was very very instrumental in helping all of us along the road of senior football.

“You can’t argue at all with his record.

“Two promotions in two seasons, from Second Division, winning the championship, going up into the First Division and finishing second to Fergie’s St Mirren.

“When you look at people like the Davie Coopers, the Gerry O’Briens, who went on to bigger things, all of that, the bulk of that, Bill was very instrumental in that as well.

“I don’t think you can look at anybody else who has been in, and has done anything like Bill, and he probably is the best manager Clydebank has ever had based on his record.”

Billy McGhie (Bill Munro was his first football manager)

"Bill was Bankies manager during my early years at the club.

"As a young player coming through the ranks, I found him very supportive.

"His manner might not have been aggressive and confrontational like some other managers of that era but it was soon very obvious to me that he commanded the respect of all the players at the club, both the young ones and the experienced guys.

"He was a really decent guy with a good sense of humour, but players knew he meant business when certain issues had to be addressed.

"He had a  presence about him. I was extremely sad to hear of his passing."

Frank McDougall (Speaking to Tom Brogan about Bill in 2017)

“Bill Munro was a great man. A great man. Unbelievable. A fantastic manager.

“Never got the recognition he deserved. Probably the best manager I’ve played under, apart from, obviously Sir Alex [Ferguson].

“He never shouted at all. He didn’t know how to shout. He just told you, ‘Go out and enjoy yourself.’ “Which I think that’s the way the game should be played now. Just go out and do what you’re good at. Work hard and score goals, or if you’re a defender, go out and defend well for 95 minutes.

“There were no As and Bs about him. I just think he was one of the best.

“Obviously, Sir Alex was the greatest. Although I probably owe him about a hundred grand in fines.”