Timeline
“If you know your history” is a line in the Celtic Song that Celtic supporters learn almost as soon as they can speak. It is a vitally important part of being a Celtic supporter and understanding what Celtic Football Club means to the support and why the history of our great club is something that must be learned to appreciate the importance of Celtic in our lives.
A great part of this learning is understanding some of the individuals who gave a great part of their lives to Celtic and without whom, Celtic Football Club and its supporters would certainly be a lot poorer today.
1922 – John Stein the only son of George and Jane Stein was born on October 5th at Burnbank, Hamilton in Lanarkshire. 1937 – Leaves Greenfield school in Hamilton and after a short time working in a carpet factory goes down the pits to
become a miner.
1938 – Joins Blantyre Victoria junior football club.
1942 – Takes his first steps into senior football when he joins Albion Rovers. Makes a name for himself as a no nonsense Centre-Half and goes on to make over 200 appearances for the Coatbridge club, which also includes a brief loan spell to Dundee United in 1943.
1948 – Rovers win promotion to the First Division. Stein described in a book to mark the occasion as “the best capture the club ever made”.
1950 – Signs for non-league Welsh club Llanelly (Llanelli) Town. For the first time in his career Stein becomes a full-time professional footballer on the princely sum of £12 per week.
1951 – Stein is desperate to come home to Scotland as he had left his wife and young daughter behind and his house had been broken into twice in his absence. His wish is granted when on the recommendation of Celtic reserve team trainer, Jimmy Gribben, Celtic buy Jock Stein from Llanelly for £1,200.
1951 – Makes his Celtic debut against St Mirren at Celtic Park on December 8th 1951.
1952 – Stein appointed vice-captain by current captain (that was the captain’s right in those days) Sean Fallon.
1952 – Sean Fallow breaks his arm and the full captaincy was passed to Stein. He would be club captain until his Celtic playing career ended due to injury in 1955/56.
1953 – Captain’s Celtic to Coronation Cup success when Celtic unexpectedly overcome Arsenal 1-0, Manchester United 2-1 and Hibernian 1-0 (in front of 117,000 at Hampden) to become unofficial champions of Britain.
1954 – Skippers Celtic to their first League championship since 1938 and first League and Scottish Cup double since 1914.
1954 – Celtic chairman Bob Kelly takes the players to watch the 1954 World Cup Finals in Switzerland. While the rest of the Celtic party enjoyed the holiday and sympathised with the three Celtic players in the Scotland squad (Evans, Fernie and Mochan) who had been humiliated 7-0 by Uruguay, Jock Stein watched and learned. Firstly, about the shambles of Scotland’s preparations and secondly about the continentals tactics, particularly the hungarians who were revolutionising the game.
1956 – Stein forced to retire from football after persistent ankle injuries that would result in him having a permanent limp. In total Jock Stein played 148 games for Celtic and scored 2 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.
1958 – Leads the reserves to the second XI Cup with an 8-2 aggregate triumph over Rangers. This was Stein’s first success as a manager.
1960 – Accepts the role of Dunfermline manager on March 14th 1960. After only 6 weeks in charge Stein leads the Pars clear of relegation.
1961 – Stein guides Dunfermline to the Scottish Cup for the first time in their history. Ironically this comes via a 2-0 replay victory over Celtic.
1962 – Defeats Everton in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (now known as the UEFA Cup) and only loses to Valencia in a third game play-off after retrieving a four goal first leg deficit.
1964 – Becomes manager of Hibs on April 1st 1964. Within months of becoming manager he leads Hibs to Summer Cup success.
1964 – The testimony of his contemporaries is 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.
1965 – On January 12th the four Celtic directors meet in the North British Hotel. The minutes note that “all four have an agreed desire to secure the services of J Stein as manager. Mr Kelly was to approach Stein with the view to offering him the position. (Sean) Fallon was to be offered an increased salary with increased status if Stein was secured. McGrory (current manager) was to continue as public relations officer”.
1965 – On January 14th at the weekly board meeting Kelly states that “he had interviewed Stein and that he was willing to join the club as manager. He had asked however to be allowed to remain for a time with Hibs as they had a chance of winning the league, and that in any case he would require to give reasonable notice. This was agreed to”.
1965 – Due to the leakage of information the board announce a press conference on January 31st. At the press conference it is announced that Jock Stein will assume the role of team manager on March 9th 1965. A few days after Stein takes over his first game in charge is away to Airdrie with Celtic winning 6-0. Stein was also the clubs first non-Catholic manager.
1965 – On April 24th 1965, six weeks after becoming manager, Stein leads Celtic to Scottish Cup success after a 3-2 victory over Dunfermline. This was Celtic’s first silverware in over 7 years. The importance of this victory in the future success of Celtic was not lost upon Stein when he observed many years later, “It wouldn’t have gone as well for Celtic if they hadn’t won this game”.
1965 – A few days after the Scottish Cup success Stein presented to the board two lists of players. The first list, including the name of Joe McBride, was of a list of players Stein wished to buy. The second list contained those players Stein was willing to sell. Names on that list included John Hughes, Charlie Gallagher and Jimmy Johnstone! Fortunately, the sale of players was restricted to less obvious names otherwise the course of Celtic’s place in European football history may have dramatically changed. Celtic players from that era commented that Stein at that point must have been preoccupied with teamwork rather than giving individuals licence to do as they wish.
1966 – Celtic are crowned Scottish champions for the first time since 1954. They also reach the semi-finals of the Cup-Winners-Cup only to be knocked on away goals by Liverpool in controversial circumstances.
1967 – Stein wins THE LOT.
Manages first British team to be crowned Champions of Europe after beating Inter Milan 2-1 in Lisbon. It was also a triumph for attacking flair over an ultra-defensive Italian style that at the time, was threatening to suffocate the game on the Continent. Stein’s style of play changed football and inspired so many football fans that Silvio Berlusconi, owner of AC Milan was later to comment that AC’s great club side of Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard and Baresi was based on Celtic after watching Stein’s team pulverise Inter Milan to submission with the finest attacking football he had ever seen.
- Manages first EVER team to be crowned Champions of Europe with 11 home-grown players.
- Manages the club to two League Championships in a row for the first time in 50 years.
- Manages the club to Scottish Cup success...
- Manages the club to two League Cups in a row for the first time in Celtic’s history.
- Manages the club to the domestic treble for the first time in Celtic’s history.
- Manages the club to Glasgow Cup success.
- Is the Manager of the First club in history to win ALL competitions entered in one season.
1968 – Wins the League for the third time in a row and the League Cup for the third time in a row.
1969 – Wins the domestic treble for the second time in three years.
1970 – European Champions Cup runners-up after losing 2-1 to Feyenoord after extra-time. Defeat heavily fancied English champions Leeds Utd in the semi-final both home and away. Wins both the League and League Cup for the fifth time in a row and finish runners-up in the Scottish Cup.
1970 – Stein starts to rebuild the team by bringing through a batch of home-developed players known as the quality street kids. These players included Davie Hay, George Connolly, Lou Macari, Kenny Dalglish and Danny McGrain.
1971 – Wins both the League for a record equalling sixth time and the Scottish Cup. Finish runners-up in the League Cup.
1972 – Reach the semi-finals of the Champions Cup before losing to old foes Inter Milan on penalties. Wins the Scottish League for a record seventh time in succession and also wins the Scottish Cup to complete the domestic double for the second year in a row. Finish runners-up in the League Cup.
1973 – In January he suffers a suspected heart attack and spends several weeks convalescing. During Stein’s absence Celtic slump in the league. Stein’s return invigorates the team and they go on to win the League championship for the eighth time in a row. Also finish runners-up in both the Scottish and League Cups.
1974 – Stein manages Celtic to the League Championship for a World-record Ninth successive time. Celtic also reach the European Cup semi-final but lose to the hatchet men of Atletico Madrid. Celtic win the Scottish Cup and domestic double for the fifth time in Stein’s tenure and also finish runners-up in the League Cup.
1975 – Win both the Scottish Cup and League Cup. Celtic’s League Cup Final appearance was their tenth successive appearance in the final.
1976 – In July seriously injured in a road accident after returning home from holiday in Menorca. Stein was rushed to hospital in Dumfries. Scarcely able to breathe, a condition which had not deterred a policeman from attempting to breathalyse him as he lay at the roadside. Stein did not return to Celtic Park that season and Celtic failed to win their first silverware since Stein became manager eleven seasons ago.
1977 – Stein returns and Celtic win both the League Championship and Scottish Cup to complete the sixth domestic double during Jock Stein’s twelve years in charge. Celtic also finish runners-up in the League Cup.
1978 – After twelve wonderful years, the greatest manger Scottish football and arguably British football has ever seen resigns from the position of club manager. The board of Kelly’s and Whites offer Stein a position in charge of fund-raising. A shameful act from a shameful group of people when he should have been made club chairman.
1978 – Jock Stein leaves Celtic and takes up the position of manager of Leeds United.
1978 – After 45 days in charge at Elland Road, Stein resigns and accepts the position of Scotland manager.
1982 – Leads Scotland to the World Cup Finals where they go out on goal difference to the Soviet Union.
1985 – On September 10th 1985 at Ninian Park, Cardiff, Jock Stein suffers a fatal heart-attack as Scotland equalise to gain the point needed to make qualification virtually certain to the 1986 World Cup Finals.
Jock Stein’s Roll of Honour:
European Club Champions: 1967
World Club runners-up: 1967
European Club runners-up: 1970
Scottish League Winners: (Ten times) 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977.
Scottish Cup Winners: (Eight times) 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977.
Scottish League Cup Winners: (Six times) 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970.
Jock Stein: 1922 – 1985.
Martin O'Neill - Legend! 
