Remembering Jock Stein

[Mac 10 †]

Remembering Jock Stein 

Saturday marks the twentieth anniversary of former Celtic and Scotland manager Jock Stein's death.
 
Under Stein, Celtic dominated Scottish football and were the first British team to lift the European Cup.

Stein steered Scotland to the 1982 World Cup but suffered a fatal heart attack during a qualifying match in Wales on the way to Mexico '86.

BBC Radio Scotland will broadcast One Night in Cardiff - a tribute to Stein and a reflection on that sad night.

Starting at 1230 BST on Saturday, the programme includes contributions from Ernie Walker, Willie Miller, Graeme Souness, Jim Leighton, Gordon Strachan, Alex McLeish, Mike England, Chick Young and Bob Crampsey.

As a player Stein captained Celtic to Coronation Cup success when they beat Arsenal, Manchester United and Hibernian to become unofficial champions of Britain in 1953.

And in 1954, he led Celtic to their first League championship since 1938 and first League and Scottish Cup double since 1914.

In 1956, Stein was forced to retire after persistent ankle injuries. He played 148 games for Celtic and scored twice.

After coaching the reserve and youth players at Celtic Park, Dunfermline gave him his first managerial post in 1960.

Stein dramatically saved the Fifers from the threat of relegation and masterminded a Scottish Cup win over Celtic in the following season.

He moved to Hibernian in 1964 but within less than a year Celtic made him the club's first non-Catholic manager.

Celtic had not been champions since Stein was captain 11 years before but immediately embarked on an amazing sequence of nine titles in succession.

Stein's finest moment came in 1967 when Celtic beat Inter Milan 2-1 in Lisbon to win the European Champions' Cup.

And he did it with a team comprised entirely of players all born within 30 miles of Glasgow city-centre!

As domestic dominance continued, Celtic again reached the European Cup final in 1970 but were beaten 2-1 by Feyenoord.

He was seriously injured in a car crash in 1975 and took a year out of football while recuperating.

With Celtic's fortunes beginning to fade, he left for Leeds United in 1978 but only lasted six weeks before accepting the Scotland job.

Stein had been part-time national manager in 1965 (losing out to Italy on the road to World Cup '66) but, in a full-time capacity, took Scotland to Spain in '82.

On 10 September 1985, a tense 1-1 draw in Wales, with Davie Cooper scoring a late penalty, was enough to secure a play-off for the '86 World Cup (Scotland beat Australia over two legs with Alex Ferguson in charge).

But there was to be no celebrations after the match, only tears for the greatest manager Scotland has ever known.

One Night in Cardiff can be heard on BBC Radio Scotland, 92-95 FM & 810 MW on Saturday, 10 September at 1230 BST.


R.I.P. to a legend.

[Mindless Minority]

YOUR DEAD AND YOU KNOW YOU ARE,
YOUR DEAD AND YOU KNOW YOU ARE,
YOUR DEAD AND YOU KNOW YOU ARE,
SO FUCK OFF YOU SCOTTISH CUNT

[Mindless Minority]

^Made that up myself you know.