Stein: John (Jock)

1978-1978 (Manager Details) (Manager Details)

Jock Stein was born at Burnbank in Lanarkshire on 10th October 1922. He attended Greenfield School in Hamilton and after working for a short time in a carpet factory followed many other locals down the pits as a miner. He joined Blantyre Victoria Junior Football club and turned professional with Albion Rovers in 1942 but still worked as a miner apart from Saturdays. He was soon recognised as a rugged, no-nonsense Centre-half and made over two hundred appearances for the Coatbridge team but also had a loan period with Dundee United in 1943. He was part of the team when Rovers won promotion to the Scottish First Division in 1948. Stein joined Welsh Non-League club Llanelli in 1950 and became a full time professional for the first time in his life, being paid £12 per week. He had left his wife and children behind in Scotland and on the recommendation of Reserve team coach Jimmy Gribbens Celtic paid £1,200 to bring him back to Scotland. Originally signed for the Reserve team, injuries to first team players saw him given a chance in the top flight. He was appointed vice-captain in 1952 and when captain Sean Fallon broke his arm the full captaincy was passed to Stein. He was club captain until his Celtic playing career ended due to injury in 1956. In 1953 he captained Celtic to Coronation Cup success when they unexpectedly beat Arsenal 1-0, Manchester United 2-1 and Hibernian 1-0 to become unofficial champions of Britain and in 1954, he captained Celtic to their first League championship since 1938 and their first League and Scottish Cup double since 1914. During Scotland's performances in the 1954 World Cup Finals, Jock Stein learned from the shambles of Scotland’s preparations and also about the continentals' tactics. In 1956, Stein was forced to retire from football after persistent ankle injuries. In total he played one hundred and forty-eight games for Celtic and scored two goals. He was given the job of coaching the reserve and youth players and was responsible for persuading the board to purchase Barrowfield as a training ground. In 1958, he led the reserves to the second XI Cup with an 8-2 aggregate triumph over Rangers. This was Stein’s first success as a Manager. On 14th March 1960 he accepted the job of manager at Dunfermline. After only six weeks in charge, Stein led them clear of relegation. He built Dunfermline into a powerful force and guided them to their first Scottish Cup in 1961, via a 2-0 replay victory over Celtic. In 1962 they defeated Everton in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and only lost to Valencia in a third game play-off after retrieving a four goal first leg deficit. On 1 April 1964, he was appointed Manager of Hibernian and within months of becoming manager he led them to Summer Cup success. The testimony of his contemporaries was that he was already “miles” ahead of everyone else in his understanding of the game, and in studying how the investment of energy could be tailored to maximum effect. Stein was immersing himself in the structure of the game while the rest simply went out and played. On 9th March 1965, Stein returned to Celtic as their first non-Catholic manager. Following a barren period of eight years without a trophy for Celtic, he revitalised the team and just six weeks after becoming manager, led Celtic to Scottish Cup success in a 3-2 victory over his old club Dunfermline. The next year Celtic were crowned Scottish champions for the first time since 1954; they also reached the Semi-Finals of the European Cup-Winners-Cup only to be knocked out on away goals by Liverpool. Stein managed Celtic to a domestic treble for the first time in the club's history, winning the Scottish League Cup, the League Championship and the Scottish Cup. He guided Celtic to victory in the final of the 1967 European Cup against previous champions and Italian giants Inter Milan. Despite initially falling behind to an Italian penalty his team triumphed 2-1, winning much admiration for the positive attacking quality of their football. In winning club football's most prestigious trophy, Stein became the first man not only to guide a Scottish club to champions of Europe, but also the first to achieve this honour with a British club. Celtic were also the first Northern European side to become champions of Europe. He also became the first Manager in history to win all competitions entered. The feat was done with a team all born within thirty miles of Glasgow. The feat of winning the Champions Cup with a team full of native-born players was later matched by Steaua Bucharest. In a conversation with Bill Shankly shortly afterwards, Shankly famously told him "John, you're immortal now". The following season, Celtic won the League and League Cup for the third season in a row. In 1969 they won another domestic treble, their second in three years. In 1970, Stein led Celtic to a League and League Cup double; they also finished runners-up in the Scottish Cup. He also guided them to their second European Cup final, beating Leeds United in the Semi-Finals, but they lost to Dutch side Feyenoord in the Final in Milan. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1970. The 1970s brought continued success on the domestic front. During this time Stein's Celtic won a record nine consecutive Scottish Championships. Stein was badly injured in a car crash in 1975. He nearly died but eventually recovered . For most of the 1975/76 season Sean Fallon assumed control as Manager. Stein returned to the managership at the start of the 1976/77 season. Celtic's fortunes at this point went into decline and Stein was persuaded to stand down to make way for a younger man. In 1978 with Billy McNeill's appointment as Manager, Stein was not offered a seat on the Celtic board, but was offered a position with responsibility for the Celtic Pools. Stein rejected this offer as he felt he still had something to offer football and left Celtic in less than amicable circumstances. Shortly afterwards he became manager of Leeds United after just one game in the 1978/79 season. He had been a long time friend and adversary of Don Revie and the big man in physique and football stature but, after just forty-four days in charge at Elland Road, Stein resigned, accepting the position of Manager of the Scotland National team. His reign did not get off to a good start losing 2-3 to Manchester United at Elland Road, but using just players he had inherited from Jimmy Armfield or John Hawley who caretaker Manager Maurice Lindley had been purchased in the closed season, his second game in charge saw an emphatic 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Elland Road. Then sandwiched between two goalless draws with West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns and at Elland Road in the League Cup, came another 3-0 triumph over this time against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. A 0-3 loss to Manchester City at Maine Road, an unexpected 1-2 reversal to Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road and a goalless draw at Coventry City preceeded another 3-0 victory over Birmingham City at Elland Road. His final game in charge saw United surmount the West Bromwich Albion hurdle in the League Cup with a Paul Hart goal at the neutral venue of Maine Road. He left Leeds in midtable and fans wondering of what might have been. Stein, who had been part-time National Manager in 1965, was now able to focus on the job full-time. He led Scotland to the 1982 World Cup, where they went out on goal difference to the Soviet Union. During qualification for the 1986 World Cup, Stein brought in a young Alex Ferguson, at the time Manager at Aberdeen, to be his assistant. On 10th September 1985, Jock Stein died from a heart attack at the end of the 1-1 draw with Wales at Ninian Park. He was sixty-two years old. The result in this game virtually ensured Scotland's qualification for the 1986 World Cup, where Scotland were managed by Alex Ferguson until the surprise appointment of Andy Roxburgh. Stein was regarded as one of the great quartet of Scottish Football Managers, along with Bill Shankly, Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby and has been voted the greatest Scottish Football Manager. During his career as a Manager he won the European Cup, eleven Scottish League Championships, eleven Scottish Cups and six Scottish League Cups.

Tributes and Obituaries

Undiscovered Scotland: Biography

John "Jock" Stein, CBE, lived from 5th October 1922 to 10th September 1985. He was a football manager best remembered as manager of Celtic and of the Scotland national team. The wider picture in Scotland at the time is set out in our Historical Timeline. Jock Stein was born at Burnbank near Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. In 1937 he left school at 15 to work in a carpet factory before going down the pits as a miner. In 1938 he joined Blantyre Victoria junior football club, becoming a semi-professional player in 1942 with Albion Rovers while still working as a miner. Albion Rovers gained promotion to the First Division in 1948, and in 1950 Stein became a full time professional, on £12 per week, with Welsh club A.F.C. Llanelli. In 1951 Celtic bought him for £1,200. He became club captain the following year and continued to play with Celtic until 1956. When he retired he had played 148 games for Celtic and scored 2 goals. During his time as captain, Celtic had won the Coronation Cup in 1953, and the League Championship and Scottish Cup double in 1954. Stein moved on to become reserve and youth team coach for Celtic. In March 1960 he accepted the job of manager at Dunfermline, helping them escape relegation that season. The following year Dunfermline won the Scottish Cup. In April 1964, he became manager of Hibernian, and in March 1965, Stein returned to Celtic as the team's first non-Catholic manager. The team had not won a trophy of any sort for eight years, but six weeks after his arrival they won the Scottish Cup. The following season they became Scottish League Champions for the first time since 1954, and reached the semi-finals of the European Cup-Winners-Cup. The following season Stein guided Celtic to the Scottish domestic treble of the Scottish League Cup, the League Championship and the Scottish Cup. And in 1967, Celtic won the European Cup beating Inter Milan in the final. For the next decade, Celtic reigned supreme in Scottish football, and Stein led them to 9 successive League Championships. He was awarded a CBE in 1970. In 1975 he was seriously injured in a car crash. He left Celtic in 1978, spending a brief period as manager of Leeds United before becoming Scotland manager. Stein led Scotland's campaign in the 1982 World Cup, where they went out at the group stage on goal difference to the Soviet Union. During qualifications for the 1986 World Cup, Stein brought in a young Alex Ferguson, at the time manager at Aberdeen, to be his assistant. On 10 September 1985, Jock Stein died from a heart attack at the end of the 1-1 draw with Wales at Ninian Park in Cardiff. He was 62 years old.

Jock Stein: The Famous People: Biography: 10th November 2017

Jock Stein was a Scottish football player and manager and became the first ever manager of a British side (Celtic) to win the European Cup in 1967.

Daily Mail: 10th September 2010: Brian Scott: JOCK STEIN: Sportsmail’s Brian Scott, on duty that fateful evening 25 years ago, recalls the shock and sorrow at a legend’s passing

Two words from a tearful Graeme Souness - 'He's gone' - prompted the outpouring of thousands more by us scribes who were on duty that fateful night of September 10, 1985, in Cardiff. Jock Stein was dead. His Scotland side had just drawn 1-1 with Wales to assure themselves of a play-off with Australia - one they would negotiate successfully - for a place at the World Cup in Mexico the following summer. But what should have been a heady occasion for Stein and his players became a harrowing one with the news that the manager's life had ended in his, and their, moment of triumph. We'd last seen him at the end of a drama-laden match being assisted from the bench. Intolerable pressure: Stein had not been his usual self in the build-up to or during the game at Ninian Park A million or so television viewers back home had witnessed the same distressing image. Even so, none of us could have imagined this legendary character was in his death throes; soon to be the subject of obituaries appearing around the world. The immediate reaction to his passing was one of shock coupled with incomprehension. What ... the most imposing figure in Scottish football no longer is of this world? Please, someone, say it isn't so. Then a feeling of profound sadness for him and his family set in. It has lingered all the way through to the present, with today (Friday) marking the 25th anniversary of the great man's demise at the age of just 62. Tuesday's European Championship tie against Liechtenstein at Hampden - we won't linger here on how wretchedly Scotland were to perform before winning 2-1 - was preceded by a minute's rousing round of applause for Stein. Parkhead fans, who still live in awe of his unparalleled achievements while manager of Celtic, will accord him the same again before tomorrow's home game with Hearts. Rarely can that sorrowful, and somewhat trite, sentiment applied to the deceased - 'gone but not forgotten' - have carried greater resonance than in his case. Stein, big and burly, dominated the Scottish game for a generation. He imbued it with pride when Celtic won the European Cup in 1967. He offered it wise counsel. Be sure he would have much to say if he could see the state the game is in at the moment. The national team had qualified for the World Cup Finals of 1974 and 1978 when, after his brief sojourn with Leeds United, he took charge of them in succession to Ally MacLeod. He duly prolonged the sequence by taking Scotland to Spain in 1982 and was bent on stretching it still further when the omens began to gang up on him and them. Scotland 0, Wales 1. That unforeseen setback at Hampden in March, 1985, looked as if it could undermine their chance of qualifying for Mexico. It also took its toll of Stein. He became unwell, with hindsight suggesting he might have suffered a mild heart attack in the aftermath. But when, in May, Scotland won 1-0 in Iceland, with a Jim Bett goal, he and they recovered a sense of optimism. The return match with the Welsh at Ninian Park four months later was to be crucial. If Scotland won, they would progress to the Finals; if they drew, they would line themselves up for a play-off. Not since they'd faced the same opponents in a climactic World Cup qualifier eight years earlier - one which Wales, in their questionable wisdom, shifted to Anfield - had such tension gripped the nation. Stein was relaxed enough in the immediate build-up; at least he contrived to give that impression. Yet some of those close to him thought they sensed something eerily strange in his demeanour. The night before the game, for example, he called his assistant, Alex Ferguson, and coach Andy Roxburgh to his room for a blether. Now, he wasn't a man given to talking about himself. Yet, for once, he did; running through the whole gamut of his career in football. His two aides, when they left him, looked at one another in bemusement, saying: 'What was that all about?' This pair, in time, may have found themselves wondering if Stein's life had passed before his very eyes that evening. Had he had a premonition of what was to befall him some 24 hours later? It was odd, too, that the manager had discouraged any of his family from going to Ninian Park. His son, George, was set to travel all the way from Switzerland, where he lived, only to be dissuaded from doing so. But to the match itself; one in which Scotland could well have done without being deprived of their suspended captain, Souness, for whom a seat in the stand was set aside. Stein's team assuredly would have been the stronger, too, had not Kenny Dalglish, Alan Hansen and Mo Johnston all been rendered unavailable because of injury. But to lament their absences in public was to run the risk of allowing negativity to intrude upon the Scots' best-laid plans. Hence, the manager's every utterance beforehand was positive. Wales, in the event, looked the better side for most of the 90 nerve-shredding minutes, taking the lead early on through Mark Hughes when he beat Jim Leighton with a solid shot from just inside the penalty box. Could Scotland possibly find a way back? Stein, perceived as supreme among strategists, would plot one, surely. Yet, in the half-time dressing room, he seemed strangely reticent and detached. He could only have been further disoriented by the fact Leighton had lost one of his contact lenses. So Alan Rough was pressed into service as a substitute and, with the second half yielding no early promise of an equaliser, the talismanic Davie Cooper came on, also. This latter switch proved to be crucial when, in the 80th minute, the Scots were awarded a dubious penalty. Cooper, his courage somehow withstanding the intense pressure upon him, despatched the kick past Neville Southall's grasping hands. Scottish fans comprising roughly half of the 44,000 crowd were uplifted in that moment. So, too, were those occupying the Scottish bench. 'Keep your dignity,' Stein kept cautioning them in anticipation of his team hanging on for a draw. Photographers crowded in on the dugout, hoping to get the picture which may betray the manager's innermost emotions. He shooed them away but one wouldn't budge, angering Stein who motioned to push him aside. Then, with the final whistle about to blow, he seemed to slump and required to be helped down the tunnel. What ailed him? Scotland's celebrations became muted as that question awaited an answer. SFA secretary, Ernie Walker, had left his seat in the directors' box shortly after Cooper's equaliser. He couldn't bear to watch the remainder of the game. Nor could Souness. The pair met within the bowels of the stadium and retreated to a hospitality area to steady their nerves. Then they became aware of the unfolding drama involving Stein, who had been rushed to a medical room. Walker hastened to the stricken manager's side, in time to hear him say something like: 'It's all right.' But, with Scotland's doctor, Stewart Hillis, having administered what treatment he could, Stein's pulse stopped. Only much later did it emerge that the manager, victim of a cardiac scare in the early 1970s, hadn't taken his diuretic pills that day. He had succumbed to a build-up of fluid in his lungs, rather than a heart attack. Scotland 's dressing room was desolate, its occupants numbed by what they'd heard from along the corridor. None could bring themselves to speak for about 20 minutes. Then a clearly-distressed Souness appeared where the Press were gathered to utter those unforgettably moving words which none of us was quite ready to take in. 'He's gone,' the captain muttered. We'd almost interpreted as much from the grave look on the face of SFA president, David Will, who'd passed by moments earlier, despite our reluctance to believe it. Even the stars above couldn't brighten Scotland's charter flight back to Edinburgh. Doc Hillis came to the rear of the plane to brief the Press on Stein's final minutes. Virtual silence prevailed otherwise, save for the wails let out by a close friend of the Stein family who was beside himself with grief. We reporters sat with sunken heads, scribbling our final testaments for the night to a famous life lost. Then, having filed them from a bank of telephones at Edinburgh Airport, and as we headed past the luggage carousel towards the exit, a baggage handler held up a shoulder bag asking if it belonged to any of us. 'No,' we said, 'but if you would allow us to look inside, we might be able to identify whose it is.' Several of the contents, including a book and a bottle of pills, could have belonged to anyone. But what's this? A letter addressed to Mr. J. Stein: a most poignant reminder that the bag's owner hadn't come home.

Stein, Jock: Celic Wiki. Biography and Achievements

Irish Times: 24th May 2017: Jock Stein: From miner to European champion

Fifty years ago the visionary manager led Glasgow Celtic to their greatest ever victory

When Jock Stein returned to manage Celtic in March 1965, the club had gone almost eight years without a trophy. A little over two years later, they were Britain’s first champions of Europe having swept all before them in an unprecedented season of success. Stein took over a club which had only won three league titles since 1926. The high point in those years had been 1953-54, when Stein captained Celtic to the double. But neither the league nor Scottish Cup would be won again until he returned in a different capacity. The turnaround was remarkable and swift, if not immediate. Stein’s mid-table side lost to St Johnstone, Hibernian, Falkirk (a 6-2 thrashing) and Partick Thistle in his first six weeks in charge, but they rose to the occasion by beating Motherwell 3-0 in a Scottish Cup semi-final replay. That set up a final against Dunfermline on April 24th. The Hoops twice trailed but Billy McNeill headed a late winner to seal a 3-2 victory and reacquaint Celtic with silverware. The relationship was to prove lasting. Stein’s formative years in the Lanarkshire mining community of Burnbank shaped his football career. Born in 1922, he followed his father and grandfather down the pits aged 16, spending 11 years as a miner before becoming a full-time professional footballer. When he left his first job he knew he would “never be alongside better men”. Stein’s sense of teamwork was forged in the sheer darkness underneath the ground, where men would make sure all their colleagues’ work was finished before they themselves ventured out into the light. His playing career started in the unassuming environs of part-time Albion Rovers before he left the pits behind and moved to ambitious non-league side Llanelli. He joined Celtic two years later aged 29, initially earmarked for their reserves, but his force of personality along with an injury to Sean Fallon, his future right-hand man, ultimately saw him promoted to first-team captain. Ball work Stein was made reserve-team manager in 1957. A decade before leading them to European Cup glory, he was coaching the likes of McNeill, John Clark and Bertie Auld, who was immediately struck by Stein’s visionary approach. In those days footballers were starved of the ball in a fitness-based training regime, but Stein made ball work and tactics central to his methods. Stein moved on to manage relegation-threatened Dunfermline in 1960, where he won his first six matches before leading the Fifers to a Scottish Cup final win over Celtic a year later. After a successful spell at Hibernian, Stein returned to Parkhead after being promised full control of team affairs. He was Celtic’s fourth manager and the first non-Catholic to hold the position – his religion had previously been viewed as an obstacle to him landing the job. He was more than happy to keep on signing both Catholics and Protestants while city rivals Rangers continued with their sectarian recruitment policy. Success flowed from that initial cup triumph. Celtic won the title and League Cup in Stein’s first full season and lost to Bill Shankly’s Liverpool in the semi-finals of the European Cup Winners’ Cup. The next campaign eclipsed anything the club had achieved or are likely to achieve again. Celtic won five trophies including the Glasgow Cup, no mean feat given first-round opponents Rangers went on to reach the European Cup Winners’ Cup final, losing to Bayern Munich. Working man That Rangers won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972 during Celtic’s run of nine consecutive titles highlights the scale of their achievements under Stein, but the list of honours only tells a fraction of the story. That Lisbon night 50 years ago encapsulated his mantra: to win and to entertain. Stein, who was later on the verge of leading Scotland to a second World Cup finals when he died from a heart attack in 1985, knew as well as anyone what sacrifices the working man made to pay into football grounds and the responsibility he and his players had to provide respite from the harsh conditions. Speaking to the Observer’s Hugh McIlvanney before the final, Stein admitted he felt a duty to attack. “Just to be involved in an occasion like this is a tremendous honour and we think it puts an obligation on us,” he said. “We can be as hard and as professional as anybody, but I mean it when I say we don’t just want to win this cup. We want to win it by playing good football, to make neutrals glad we’ve done it, glad to remember how we did it.” Vindication was emphatic. Celtic responded to conceding from a controversial early penalty by overwhelming Inter, who were going for a third European Cup in four years, with wave after wave of attack. It was fitting that the equaliser came from Tommy Gemmell, one of football’s first overlapping full-backs, and the same player helped set up Stevie Chalmers’ winner after a penalty-box shimmy that looked equally ahead of its time. Stein had triumphed against Helenio Herrera, the man who had taken the defensive ‘Catenaccio’ approach to successful but unpopular extremes. And, as Stein said himself: “We did it by playing football. Pure, beautiful, inventive football.”

Eons of Scotland: Paisley Tartan Army.

JOCK STEIN 1922-1985

“The legend has gone but his memory will always live on”

On 10 September 1985 at Ninian Park in Wales, Rangers winger Davie Cooper stepped up to take the most important penalty kick of his life in the 81st minute of a World Cup qualifying encounter between Scotland and Wales. The Tartan Army's place at the finals in Mexico '86 depended almost entirely on Cooper striking the target, as the Scots were trailing the Welsh 1-0, thanks to an early Mark Hughes goal in the 13th minute, and only a draw or a win against their celtic cousins would guarantee Scotland one of the two qualifying places from Group VII. As the 80th minute approached, Scotland's Stephen Nicol had set up a telling cross which was nodded on by Graeme Sharp and found David Speedie in the box - the little striker then sent the ball forward, and Welsh defender David Phillips was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area. Referee Johannes Keizer of Holland didn't hesitate in pointing to the spot, and the entire Scottish nation watched with nervous anticipation as Cooper stepped up and converted with cool confidence. The Scotland coach, Jock Stein, watched from the dugout as the drama unfolded; looking pale and concerned, he leaned forward to catch a glimpse of the unfolding action on the pitch, but in the moments that followed the goal celebrations, as the crowd of Scotland fans in Ninian Park erupted in celebration,Stein remonstrated with an intrusive photographer near the dugout, then collapsed on the track and died shortly afterwards on the physiotherapy table in the away dressing room.In those brief moments, probably the greatest light in Scottish football history was extinguished, and the game north of the border never truly recovered. THE BIG MAN The Wee Rovers would remain Stein's club for the next eight seasons, during which time he would feature in 236 appearances for the club and score nine goals, whilst still working as a miner in the Lanarkshire coal pits. He was married on 3 October 1946 to Jean Toner McAuley, and in 1950 he departed Cliftonhill and made a surprising trip across two borders to the non-league Welsh side, Llanelly Town. The transfer was acrimonious - not to mention illegal - and a series of protracted negotiations, combined with homesickness and deteriorating results for the club, saw Stein return home to Lanarkshire with the intention of giving up football entirely in favour of a life down the pits. Had it not been for the vision of the legendary Celtic scout, Jimmy Gribben, the Glasgow club may never have known the heights of success they would eventually reach under Stein, both as a player, and later as manager. For it was Gribben who passed Stein's name along to Celtic's chairman Robert Kelly, and an approach was quickly made to Llanelly Town, shortly before Stein made his fateful journey back home to Scotland. Celtic's fans were unconvinced when Big Jock signed for the club in December of 1951. Many considered him to be too old, and much was made of his background as a Rangers supporter. His father refused to speak to him over the matter, and many of his old acquaintances in Burnbank turned their backs on a man whom they had perceived to have 'turned coat' on them. Stein was unperturbed. Almost by accident, his career at Celtic soon expanded into the role of club captain when Sean Fallon broke his arm during the 1952-53 season. Fallon had already nominated 'Big Jock' as his vice-captain over the legendary Bertie Peacock, and the Irishman never regained the armband, but did go on to make his mark as Stein's right-hand man in their famous managerial partnership at the club in later years. In his role as the club's leader on the pitch, Stein captained Celtic to victory in the 1953 Coronation Cup, defeating the tournament favourites, Hibernian, in the final – but not before Aberdeen, Rangers, Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur had all been eliminated from the competition. However, Stein's crowning glory in the Celtic colours as a player was the League Championship and Scottish Cup double the club earned during the season that followed. On 29 January 1957, aged 34, Stein retired as a player from Celtic Football Club, mainly due to a persistent ankle injury, having notched up 147 matches over six seasons. His final appearance for the club as a player was against Coleraine, during a close-season encounter. During this period, Stein developed his skills as a coach and was offered the job of staff coach to the Celtic youth squad, but the position held no ambition for the big man, and in 1960, he soon found himself with the paradoxical challenge of rescuing Dunfermline FC from relegation and establishing himself as manager of the Fife club. The resounding effect of Stein's move from Celtic to Dunfermline was confirmed when he guided the club to the final of Scottish Cup in 1961, defeating his former club 2-0 in a midweek replay, following a goalless draw at Hampden on Saturday 22nd April. It was the first time in Dunfermline's history the club had won the trophy. Success loomed ahead of him, and it is perhaps the least-recognised of all Stein's achievements that should probably rank amongst his greatest. In the 1962-63 season, Dunfermline qualified to play in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, and the Pars eliminated Everton 3-1 on aggregate, conceding only one goal at Goodison Park in the first leg. But it was the monumental performance in the next round that sent shockwaves around Europe, when Dunfermline clawed back a four-goal deficit from the first leg of their encounter with Spanish giants Valencia, and notched up an incredible 6-2 scoreline at East End Park to take the match to a play-off in Lisbon. Shortly after his spell at Dunfermline, Stein was appointed manager of Hibernian, where he won the Summer Cup and expanded his talents as a manager. However, his spell at the Edinburgh club was short-lived, and just one year later, in 1965, he was approached by a crisis-struck Celtic to return to the club as their manager. Success in Glasgow with Stein at the helm was almost instant, and for the next 13 years, Celtic's dominance of Scottish football became supreme. He started by guiding the team to the Scottish Cup and defeating his former club, Dunfermline; Celtic's first major win since 1958. He went on to win the club's first ever domestic treble and set a phenomenal Scottish football record of nine successive league championship titles in a row from 1966 to 1974. In 1966, Celtic also reached the semi-finals of the European Cup Winner's Cup, where they eliminated by Liverpool on away goals. On 25 May 1967, at the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal, Celtic faced Inter Milan in the final of the European Cup and became the first British and northern European club to win the trophy, overcoming the Italian giants 2-1 to bring the famous trophy to back to British shores for the first time ever. It was the ultimate achievement in an ongoing success story generated by Stein's presence at the club. The early success of Celtic under Willie Maley was completely overshadowed by Stein's unstoppable progress and innovation. Before him, Celtic were not recognised outside of the UK, and barely noticed outside of Scotland. In the three decades before Stein took over, Celtic had won only three league titles, and had not picked up a single piece of silverware since 1958. As many observers have commented over the years, Jock Stein was Celtic; he made the club what they are today and his legacy remains as relevant in the modern era, as it did 40 years ago. When Stein departed the club in 1978, the circumstances were less than amicable. Celtic refused to reward his services at the club with a role on the board of directors, instead, they offered him offering him the opportunity to manage Cetic's pools outlet, but Stein gracefully declined and moved on to succeed Jimmy Armfield as manager at Leeds United FC, but remained in the job for only 45 days, before resigning to take up the position as head coach of the Scotland national team. Stein had previously taken on the role as part-time national manager of Scotland in 1965, whilst still in charge at Celtic, but under his stern leadership from 1978-1985, Scotland reached the World Cup Finals in Spain '82, suffering elimination only on goal difference to the Soviet Union. On 10 September 1985 in Cardiff, Jock Stein's life ended as it he had lived it – through football. His final decision as head coach of Scotland was to substitute Aberdeen's Gordon Strachan for Davie Cooper in that ill-fated World Cup qualifying encounter with Wales. Cooper took to the field and netted the penalty-kick that sent Scotland to the World Cup in Mexico '86, an achievement which Stein would never realise. His individual record as Scotland head coach is second only to Craig Brown's; 68 games played, 30 won, 13 drawn and 25 lost. However, the football vision of a Lanarkshire miner can never be truly explained by statistical analysis alone. Stein was more than a collection of phenomenal results. By most accounts he was also a gregarious character; chatty, friendly and intelligent – with presence, unique man-management skills and a fiery temper that could silence a dressing-room full of confident young stars in an instant. Exactly how he managed to transform a team of underachievers into a feared force in European football at the first attempt defies explanation, but Scottish football stepped into the light when Stein left his mark on the game, and many of today's top managers owe something of their achievements to Stein's tactical nous. In a conversation with the former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly shortly after Celtic's historic win in Lisbon, Shankly told Stein: "Jock, you're immortal now." 1922 – John Stein the only son of George and Jane Stein was born on October 5th at Burnbank, Hamilton, Lanarkshire. 1937 – Leaves Greenfield school in Hamilton and after a short time working in a carpet factory goes down the pits to become a miner. 1938 – Joins Blantyre Victoria junior football club. 1942 – Takes his first steps into senior football when he joins Albion Rovers. Makes a name for himself as a no nonsense Centre-Half and goes on to make over 200 appearances for the Coatbridge club, which also includes a brief loan spell to Dundee United in 1943. 1948 – Rovers win promotion to the First Division. Stein described in a book to mark the occasion as “the best capture the club ever made”. 1950 – Signs for non-league Welsh club Llanelly (Llanelli) Town. For the first time in his career Stein becomes a full-time professional footballer on the princely sum of £12 per week. 1951 – Stein is desperate to come home to Scotland as he had left his wife and young daughter behind and his house had been broken into twice in his absence. His wish is granted when on the recommendation of Celtic reserve team trainer, Jimmy Gribben, Celtic buy Jock Stein from Llanelly for £1,200. 1951 – Makes his Celtic debut against St Mirren at Celtic Park on December 8th 1951. 1952 – Stein appointed vice-captain by current captain (that was the captain’s right in those days) Sean Fallon. 1952 – Sean Fallon breaks his arm and the full captaincy was passed to Stein. He would be club captain until his Celtic playing career ended due to injury in 1955/56. 1953 – Captain’s Celtic to Coronation Cup success when Celtic unexpectedly overcome Arsenal 1-0, Manchester United 2-1 and Hibernian 1-0 (in front of 117,000 at Hampden) to become unofficial champions of Britain. 1954 – Skippers Celtic to their first League championship since 1938 and first League and Scottish Cup double since 1914. 1954 – Celtic chairman Bob Kelly takes the players to watch the 1954 World Cup Finals in Switzerland. While the rest of the Celtic party enjoyed the holiday and sympathised with the three Celtic players in the Scotland squad (Evans, Fernie and Mochan) who had been humiliated 7-0 by Uruguay, Jock Stein watched and learned. Firstly, about the shambles of Scotland’s preparations and secondly about the continentals tactics, particularly the Hungarians who were revolutionising the game. 1956 – Stein forced to retire from football after persistent ankle injuries that would result in him having a permanent limp. In total Jock Stein played 148 games for Celtic and scored 2 goals. He was given the job of coaching the reserve and youth players and was responsible for persuading the board to purchase Barrowfield as a training ground. 1958 – Leads the reserves to the second XI Cup with an 8-2 aggregate triumph over Rangers. This was Stein’s first success as a manager. 1960 – Accepts the role of Dunfermline manager on March 14th 1960. After only 6 weeks in charge Stein leads the Pars clear of relegation. 1961 – Stein guides Dunfermline to the Scottish Cup for the first time in their history. Ironically this comes via a 2-0 replay victory over Celtic. 1962 – Defeats Everton in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (now known as the UEFA Cup) and only loses to Valencia in a third game play-off after retrieving a four goal first leg deficit. 1964 – Becomes manager of Hibs on April 1st 1964. Within months of becoming manager he leads Hibs to Summer Cup success. 1964 – The testimony of his contemporaries is that he was already “miles” ahead of everyone else in his understanding of the game, and in studying how the investment of energy could be tailored to maximum effect. Stein was immersing himself in the structure of the game while the rest simply went out and played. 1965 – On January 12th the four Celtic directors meet in the North British Hotel. The minutes note that “all four have an agreed desire to secure the services of J Stein as manager. Mr Kelly was to approach Stein with the view to offering him the position. (Sean) Fallon was to be offered an increased salary with increased status if Stein was secured. McGrory (current manager) was to continue as public relations officer”. 1965 – On January 14th at the weekly board meeting Kelly states that “he had interviewed Stein and that he was willing to join the club as manager. He had asked however to be allowed to remain for a time with Hibs as they had a chance of winning the league, and that in any case he would require to give reasonable notice. This was agreed to”. 1965 – Due to the leakage of information the board announce a press conference on January 31st. At the press conference it is announced that Jock Stein will assume the role of team manager on March 9th 1965. A few days after Stein takes over his first game in charge is away to Airdrie with Celtic winning 6-0. Stein was also the clubs first non-Catholic manager. 1965 – On April 24th 1965, six weeks after becoming manager, Stein leads Celtic to Scottish Cup success after a 3-2 victory over Dunfermline. This was Celtic’s first silverware in over 7 years. The importance of this victory in the future success of Celtic was not lost upon Stein when he observed many years later, “It wouldn’t have gone as well for Celtic if they hadn’t won this game”. 1965 – A few days after the Scottish Cup success Stein presented to the board two lists of players. The first list, including the name of Joe McBride, was of a list of players Stein wished to buy. The second list contained those players Stein was willing to sell. Names on that list included John Hughes, Charlie Gallagher and Jimmy Johnstone!. Fortunately, the sale of players was restricted to less obvious names otherwise the course of Celtic’s place in European football history may have dramatically changed. Celtic players from that era commented that Stein at that point must have been preoccupied with teamwork rather than giving individuals licence to do as they wish. 1966 – Celtic are crowned Scottish champions for the first time since 1954. They also reach the semi-finals of the Cup-Winners-Cup only to be knocked on away goals by Liverpool in controversial circumstances. 1967 – Stein wins THE LOT. Manages first British team to be crowned Champions of Europe after beating Inter Milan 2-1 in Lisbon. It was also a triumph for attacking flair over an ultra-defensive Italian style that at the time, was threatening to suffocate the game on the Continent. Stein’s style of play changed football and inspired so many football fans that Silvio Berlusconi, owner of AC Milan was later to comment that AC’s great club side of Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard and Baresi was based on Celtic after watching Stein’s team pulverise Inter Milan to submission with the finest attacking football he had ever seen. - Manages first EVER team to be crowned Champions of Europe with 11 home-grown players. - Manages the club to two League Championships in a row for the first time in 50 years. - Manages the club to Scottish Cup success.. - Manages the club to League Cups in a row for the first time in Celtic’s history. - Manages the club to the domestic treble for the first time in Celtic’s history. - Manages the club to Glasgow Cup success. - Becomes the First Manager of the First club in history to win ALL competitions entered. 1968 – Wins the League for the third time in a row and the League Cup for the third time in a row. 1969 – Wins the domestic treble for the second time in three years. 1970 – European Champions Cup runners-up after losing 2-1 to Feyenoord after extra-time. Defeat heavily fancied English champions Leeds Utd in the semi-final both home and away. Wins both the League and League Cup for the fifth time in a row and finish runners-up in the Scottish Cup. 1970 – Stein starts to rebuild the team by bringing through a batch of home-developed players known as the quality street kids. These players included Davie Hay, George Connolly, Lou Macari, Kenny Dalglish and Danny McGrain. 1971 – Wins both the League for a record equalling sixth time and the Scottish Cup. Finish runners-up in the League Cup. 1972 – Reach the semi-finals of the Champions Cup before losing to old foes Inter Milan on penalties. Wins the Scottish League for a record seventh time in succession and also wins the Scottish Cup to complete the domestic double for the second year in a row. Finish runners-up in the League Cup. 1973 – In January he suffers a suspected heart attack and spends several weeks convalescing. During Stein’s absence Celtic slump in the league. Stein’s return invigorates the team and they go on to win the League championship for the eighth time in a row. Also finish runners-up in both the Scottish and League Cups. 1974 – Stein manages Celtic to the League Championship for a World-record Ninth successive time. Celtic also reach the European Cup semi-final but lose to the hatchet men of Athletico Madrid. Celtic win the Scottish Cup and domestic double for the fifth time in Stein’s tenure and also finish runners-up in the League Cup. 1975 – Win both the Scottish Cup and League Cup. Celtic’s League Cup Final appearance was their tenth successive appearance in the final. 1976 – In July seriously injured in a road accident after returning home from holiday in Menorca. Stein was rushed to hospital in Dumfries. Scarcely able to breathe, a condition which had not deterred a policeman from attempting to breathalyse him as he lay at the roadside. Stein did not return to Celtic Park that season and Celtic failed to win their first silverware since Stein became manager eleven seasons ago. 1977 – Stein returns and Celtic win both the League Championship and Scottish Cup to complete the sixth domestic double during Jock Stein’s twelve years in charge. Celtic also finish runners-up in the League Cup. 1978 – After twelve wonderful years, the greatest manger Scottish football and arguably British football has ever seen resigns from the position of club manager. The board of Kelly’s and Whites offer Stein a position in charge of fund-raising. A shameful act from a shameful group of people when he should have been made club chairman. 1978 – Jock Stein leaves Celtic and takes up the position of manager of Leeds United. 1978 – After 45 days in charge at Elland Road, Stein resigns and accepts the position of Scotland manager. 1982 – Leads Scotland to the World Cup Finals where they go out on goal difference to the Soviet Union. 1985 – On September 10th 1985 at Ninian Park, Cardiff, Jock Stein suffers a fatal heart-attack as Scotland equalise to gain the point needed to make qualification virtually certain to the 1986 World Cup Finals. Jock Stein’s Roll of Honour: European Club Champions: 1967 World Club runners-up: 1967 European Club runners-up: 1970 Scottish League Winners: (Ten times) 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977. Scottish Cup Winners: (Eight times) 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977. Scottish League Cup Winners: (Six times) 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970. Jock Stein: 1922 – 1985