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.