The La Liga club and Celtic have shared a unique philosophy dating back to 2011, and recognition of Billy McNeill with their “One Club Man” award
Rangers will face Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League quarter-finals next month after holding their nerve to beat Fenerbahce in a last-16 penalty shootout on Thursday night.
But Light Blues supporters might not be aware of the Spanish outfit’s special connection to their Glasgow rivals Celtic, which began back in March 2011 when Neil Lennon took his side to the Basque country for a friendly match supporting football of Bizkaia.
Lennon pointed out at the time that both clubs share many similarities – philosophy, tradition and history. 32,000 supporters attended the game including several hundred spirited Celtic fans and gathered at the stands of the Cathedral. Flowers were offered to the bust of Pichichi, the tradition for any team visiting the Cathedral for the first time.
The La Liga side, who will host the Europa League Final at the Estadio de San Mamés on May 21st, have formed a friendship over the last decade that goes far beyond football. That connection was strengthened further in 2019 when Athletic Bilbao presented their “One Club Man” award to Hoops legend Billy McNeill – captain of the iconic ‘Lisbon Lions’ team who won the 1967 European Cup.
Just days after the award was announced, McNeill, who passed away in April 2019 at the age of 79, was prevented from collecting the trophy from an Athletic Bilbao delegation led by José Ángel Iribar, who travelled to Glasgow to hand over the accolade to Martin McNeill, Billy’s youngest son.
In addition, at half-time of the match between Athletic Bilbao and Celta Vigo the following month, McNeill’s daughter Susan and former Hoops teammate John Clark collected the award again at San Mames, ensuring ‘Cesar’ received a posthumous ovation from the more than 42,000 spectators that were gathered at the Cathedral.
In recent years, James Forrest’ testimonial took place at Parkhead against Bilbao, marking another significant step in the close bond forged between the two clubs. The Scotland international had remained loyal to his boyhood club for over 15 years – a career that has drawn many parallels with Bilbao greats such as Oscar De Marcos and Iker Munain.
Are there any Celtic supporters groups in Bilbao?
Yes, the main Celtic supporters club in the Spanish city is called the Bilbao Bhoys CSC. Every weekend, a large group of Celtic fans will gather in Bilbao’s Plaza Nueva to watch the Hoops’ matches together.
Founded by Fiona and Tony, the pair explained how the group was formed. Tony said: “We started the Bilbao Bhoys CSC in 2019 in the Wicklow Bar just before the pandemic. From there, after that lull, we decided then to look for a new venue and it’s good we’ve been able to come here (the Plaza Nueva).
“It’s a more central location, so it’s a lot easier for people to visit. The Plaza Nueva is iconic in Bilbao, people know it and it’s easy to get to. We wanted to integrate a bit more with the people of the Basque community and make ourselves open to anyone who wants to come along because it’s a big part of the ethos of the football club – anyone is welcome.
“The majority of them are Celtic fans. We have locals who come along to watch the games. I actually met some Basque friends through setting up this. Normally we celebrate because Celtic tend to win a lot! The bar have been very accommodating and we chose Bar Negresco because it was just the perfect mix of pinchos and Basque beer.
Fiona added: “We welcome everyone with open arms. For me, it quite historic. I’ve been here for six years and Tony for a similar time and we’re quite integrated into the Basque community. And it’s something that maybe happens once in your lifetime. We obviously love this culture because we’ve chosen to live here.
“We love that we get a chance to show Celtic what the Basque country is all about and also for Basque people to know more about Celtic, so that when they see the flag outside here on a matchday, they might have an idea of what it’s about. To be able to have that opportunity to see the two clubs that you’re supporting playing together, I think it’s something really special.
