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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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