Jock Stein was one of the most successful football managers ever produced in
Scotland, he achieved it with local talent and not with a large cheque book.
He started out as a player with lowly Albion Rovers in Coatbridge and
continued to work as a miner during the week, while playing as centre-half
on Saturday. He was signed up by Celtic in 1951as a reserve but injuries
incurred by first team players resulted in him being elevated to the first
team.
His own football playing days were ended by an ankle injury but he went on
to exert considerable influence at Celtic in the late 50s as a coach and
scout.
Jock Stein, the legend of Celtic Foootball Club, was Celtic's most
successful manager ever, boasting a European Cup and Nine league titles in a
row among a staggering total of twenty-five competitive trophies in just 13
seasons. Celtic's stirring victory over Inter Milan in the 1967 European Cup
Final was a rare achievement in world football as they had won every
competition they entered that season. It was also a triumph for attacking
football over an ultra-defensive Italian style that at the time was
threatening to suffocate the game on the Continent. Jock Stein, a former
Celtic captain had worked wonders in the first two years since he had taken
charge at Celtic Park. First he had transformed the ailing club into the
best in Scotland, at a time when Scottish teams were regularly competing at
the highest level in Europe. Then he turned Celtic into the 'Kings of
Europe', and continued to deliver unprecedented success to the famous old
club during the 1970's. Jock Stein is legend and will always hold a special
place in the hearts of all of Celtic fans.
Under Stein, the Celts dominated Scottish football, winning nine consecutive
League Championships. They also won the Scottish Cup seven times, but
perhaps their biggest achievement was winning the European Cup in May 1967.
Goals by Tommy Gemmell and Stevie Chalmers took them to a 2-1 victory over
Inter Milan and Celtic became the first Non-Latin side to win the European
Cup. No other Scottish side have even reached the final.
In July 1975 Stein was almost killed in a car crash. He returned to Celtic a
year later, a notably quieter, more subdued man, and many believe he never
fully recovered mentally or physically from the accident.
However, the old magic continued to shine when he returned after a year-long
convalescence and he enjoyed one last season of success as Celtic took the
first ever Premier flag and the Scottish Cup.
In 1977-78, injuries to Conn and Stanton and the transfer of Dalglish to
Liverpool, put paid to hopes of bringing the European Cup back to Celtic
Park and Stein bowed out amid rumours that his relationship with the Celtic
directors had seriously declined.
After a short time with Leeds United, he took over the job as Scotland
manager. On September 10th 1985, Scotland played a World Cup qualifying
match in Cardiff, against Wales. Scotland got a late equaliser to make it
1-1 to give them the one point they needed to reach the finals. As the final
whistle sounded, and Scotland celebrated their place in the World Cup
finals, Stein sadly collapsed and died.