Jock had a way of making men what they became
On Wednesday, Celtic supporters will take a moment to mark the centenary of Jock Stein’s birth.
It is now 37 years since the club’s greatest-ever manager passed away, aged just 62. But his achievements – particularly masterminding the Lisbon Lions’ 1967 European Cup win – will stand the test of time.
Former players from differing eras still revere the man, who was born in the mining village of Burnbank in Lanarkshire on October 5, 1922.
Lou Macari, who was signed by Stein in 1966 and later went on to manage the club, points out that he didn’t just know football, he also knew people.
The 73-year-old said: “I played for Celtic for over six years, and then spent 11 years with Manchester United. I played for Scotland, and went to a World Cup Finals.
“But I’d never have done any of that if it hadn’t been for Big Jock.
“The players I came through the ranks with – Kenny Dalglish, Danny McGrain, Davie Hay and George Connelly – would probably say the same thing because everyone he brought into the first team had a long career in the game.
“If I’m being honest, I didn’t realise at the time just how great he was, and how much he had going for him, because I was young and naive.
“I used to go to Celtic Park on a supporters’ bus as a kid, and was just delighted to be part of the club.
“It was only later in life, after playing under other managers – and particularly after becoming one myself – that I realised just how much Big Jock had achieved, and what he had done for us all.
“He virtually ran Celtic on his own, helped by his assistant, Sean Fallon, trainer Neilly Mochan, and the physio, Bob Rooney.”
Maurice Malpas is another with cause to thank Stein for what he achieved in the game.
He made 830 appearances for Dundee United, his only senior club, before branching into coaching and management.
“I was still a teenager when Jock asked Jim McLean to be his No. 2 with Scotland,” Malpas recalled.
“I remember thinking, ‘Jim must be pretty good if Jock wants him’.
“Walter Smith, who was then Jim’s assistant with United, was the Scotland Under-21 manager, and Jock would visit the team’s hotel.
“And, unlike other managers, he didn’t keep his distance, Instead, he’d come and sit with you, and he always seemed to know everything about you.
“He’d speak away but we hardly ever spoke back. We were in awe of him, and happy just to listen to what he said.
“In 1984, Wee Jim invited him as a guest of the club when we lost 3-0 to Roma in the European Cup semi-final second leg.
“I was a full-time student, and only trained at Tannadice on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
“I was about to complete a degree in electronic engineering, and my intention was to use my qualification to find a good job outside the game.
“Anyway, after the game that night as we waited at the airport in Italy, Jock came over, pulled me aside and told me he’d been watching me that season, and that he was going to give me my first cap.
“That changed everything for me.
“I went from the depths of
despair to personal excitement at the prospect of playing for my country.
“And, when I played against France in June 1984, I became the last part-timer to play for Scotland – and decided to turn full-time.”
Malpas also ran the gamut of emotions when he played against Wales in September of the following year.
Stein collapsed and died after suffering a heart attack at the end of the match, after a draw had guaranteed Scotland a World Cup play-off against Australia.
“There was sheer elation at the final whistle. We were turning cartwheels on the pitch,” Malpas recalled.
“It was only when we got into the dressing room that Graeme Souness, who was suspended that night, told us that Jock had passed away.
“There wasn’t a hole big enough to dig yourself into after that, and it was the longest, quietest journey home I can remember.
“Jock would make you feel so proud that you had to leave the dressing room sideways because your chest was so pumped up, it was the only way to get out the door.
“Suddenly, though, the World Cup meant nothing.”