1978–79 Celtic F.C. season

His final season, however, was disappointing, with Celtic finishing fifth in the league, missing out on European football qualification, and failing to secure any silverware in the domestic cups.

Billy McNeill returned to Celtic after a promising spell managing Aberdeen F.C., where he finished as runners-up in both the Premier Division and the Scottish Cup.

When the league resumed in March, Celtic's form improved significantly, helped by the return of Captain Danny McGrain, who had been out with a serious long term injury.

In the Scottish Cup, a fifth-round replay loss to Aberdeen allowed Celtic to focus solely on their pursuit of the Premier Division title.

[1] Due to the 1978 FIFA World Cup, Celtic only managed 2 pre-season friendlies plus the Jock Stein Testimonial game against Liverpool two days after the League opener against Morton.