Jock
Stein: football’s Big Man10-Sep-85
When Jock Stein collapsed and died amid the hubbub of Ninian Park, Cardiff, last night, Scotland lost not only a national team manager, but a figure whose influence on the domestic scene was immense and dramatic.
Although he will be forever associated with the legendary Celtic side which he steered to dominance of the Scottish scene through the mid-sixties to mid-seventies. Stein’s apprenticeship had been long, hard and varied.
Born in Bellshill in 1922, Stein had a full career as a miner before turning to professional football. After playing for Albion Rovers and serving for a spell with Llanelli, he came north to join Celtic and led them to victory in the 1953 Coronation Cup – in which they beat Hibs in the final - and to the League Championship and Scottish Cup the following season.
In 1957, a Harley Street specialist examined Stein's ankle and told him his playing days were over. Bob Kelly, the Celtic chairman, later to become Sir Robert put Stein in charge of the Celtic youth team and be was part of the Parkhead coaching set-up until 1960 when be moved into management himself, taking over at Dunfermline to such good effect that in 1961 the East End Park side defeated Celtic in the Scottish Cup final.
In 1964 he moved to Hibernian, but this proved to be but a stop-over before the inevitable return to Parkhead and the start of one of the most spectacular success stories in Scottish football history. Celtic had not at that time won a trophy for eight years. In April 1965, under Stein, they avenged themselves on Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup final.
Thereafter there was to be a remarkable unbroken run of nine league championships - interspersed with regular Scottish Cup wins - and, of course, the glorious peak of 1967 in which Celtic became the first British side to win the European Cup when they defeated Inter Milan 2-1 in Lisbon.
In the course of that season they also won every domestic trophy, and it was rounded off when, in the Bernabeau Stadium, Real Madrid were despatched in a match held for Alfredo di Stefano. During his sojourn with Celtic, which lasted until 1978, Stein brought to Parkhead ten league championships, eight Scottish Cups and six League Cups.
Towards the end of his time with Celtic, in 1976, Stein was involved in a serious car crash on his way north after a holiday abroad. He spent many days in intensive care and by that time he already had a history of heart trouble.
Stein finally moved from Parkhead in 1978, making way for Billy McNeill, but the plans then formulated to appoint him as the club's first non-Catholic director fell through when he elected to move to Leeds. This stay was to be a brief one, for he was to accept the Scotland post in succession to Ally Macleod after only 45 days at Elland Road. His job then was to rebuild the national side after the disaster of Argentina and he set about it in characteristically quiet, deliberate fashion. His side qualified for the finals in Spain and carried themselves with honour.
In fact he had taken over the Scotland managership very briefly, during his time with Celtic, but that association ended in 1966.
Although the tempo of the Scotland job was better suited to Stein in the latter part of his career, given his background of uncertain health, he nevertheless felt the strain and recently indicated that whatever the outcome of the current campaign, he would by then "have had my time" and that it would be time for someone else to take over.
Jock Stein was a major force in Scottish football and his place will be difficult to fill. He is survived by his wife, Jean, his son, George, who lives in Switzerland, and his daughter, Rae.
• From The Scotsman of 11/09/85