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Jock Stein led Celtic to a League and Cup double as a player in
1954, and stayed with the club on the coaching side when he hung up
his boots. Spells as a manager with Dunfermline and Hibs were
fairly successful, but in 1965 he returned to take control at
Parkhead, and spent the next 13 years building one of the greatest
club sides in Britain. Celtic became the first British side to lift
the European Cup in 1967, and domestically he picked up 10 League
titles, 8 Scottish FA Cups and 6 Scottish League Cups. When the
board decided that 55-year-old Stein - who had suffered some heart
problems - should be moved to the position of general manager, he
was less than happy, and took the bait when Leeds dangled a
lucrative contract under his nose.
There were some rumours at the time that Stein was just biding
his time waiting for the Scottish national job to come up - and
when Ally McLeod vacated the seat after an unsuccessful World Cup
campaign, Stein jumped at the opportunity and returned to Scotland
after just 44 days at Leeds. He died 7 years later - collapsing
after a crucial World Cup qualifier against Wales in Cardiff.
Dave Clark says: To be fair, he never signed that lucrative
contract, did he? But if only he hadn't left... Just like
Clough.
George McConville says: Jock Stein was the greatest manager ever
seen in football in the UK. Alex Ferguson is very close in
comparison. The main difference between Jock and Sir Alex is that
Jock did not spend mega bucks buying a team, the Lisbon Lions cost
less collectively than any one Manchester United player, even
taking inflation into account. Jock Stein reared home grown talent
into the Champions of Europe, not even Sir Alex has managed to
equal that feat. God Bless Jock Stein and may he rest in peace in
his new Paradise.
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