Celtic

How Jock Stein made history with Celtic

British football has been relatively successful in European competition, with several clubs winning the continent’s biggest trophies in recent decades.

While England has been the most successful of the UK nations in European competitions, it was the Scottish giants, Celtic, who were the first British team ever to win the European Cup in 1967.

Jock Stein’s appointment in 1965 laid the foundations for victory

jock stein managing celtic 1970
Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

One of the key components of Celtic’s victory in 1967 was the appointment of former player Jock Stein as the Hoops boss in 1965. He had played for the Hoops between 1951 and 1957, making 106 appearances in the SPL before hanging up his boots.

Stein began his managerial career with Dunfermline Athletic in 1960. He managed the Pars for four years and won the FA Cup in 1961. In March 1964, he moved on to manage Hibs. He impressed in the Scottish capital, managing a win rate of 62 per cent.

His record was enough to convince former club Celtic to appoint him as boss in March 1965. His appointment made history, as he became the club’s first Protestant manager and just its fourth manager overall.

When Stein joined the Hoops, the team was struggling in the SPL. Despite a 6-0 win over Airdrie in his first match as Celtic boss, the team struggled in the Scottish top flight. However, the Hoops at least won the Scottish Cup after a victory over Dunfermline in the final.

In his first full season, Stein guided Celtic to their first SPL title in 12 years. They also reached the final of the FA Cup and narrowly lost to Liverpool in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

The season made everybody at the club believe that the team could challenge for all the big prizes the following season.

Celtic make history in all competitions

jock stein stand at celtic park
The Jock Stein Stand, Celtic Park by Leslie Barrie, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Winning the SPL title was a springboard for what would be a spectacular campaign in 1966/67, which saw Celtic achieve an incredible feat.

The team showed their confidence by winning the first old firm derby of the season, 2-0, against bitter rivals Rangers. The win was made even more impressive by the Hoops’ scoring both of their goals in the opening five minutes of the encounter.

Celtic then went on an excellent unbeaten run, which only ended on New Year’s Eve 1966 with a 3-2 defeat against Dundee United.

The Glasgow outfit was also thriving in the European Cup, seeing off Swiss side Zurich before defeating French outfit Nantes in the first two rounds of the competition.

However, the Hoops’ third-round tie against the Yugoslavian team Vojvodina caused far more problems. They lost the first leg 1-0 in Novi Sad. The home side impressed observers and opponents alike, and Celtic star Stevie Chalmers claimed that Vojvodina was ‘the best team we played in the whole tournament.’

Celtic levelled the tie just before the half mark through a Chalmers strike. Just as the tie looked set for a replay in Rotterdam, Billy McNeill headed home the winning goal via a set piece in stoppage time to send the Hoops through to the semi-finals of the competition.

The Glasgow giants recorded a 3-1 win at Celtic Park over Czech side Dukla Prague in the first leg of the semi-finals, with December signing Willie Wallace grabbing a brace and Jimmy Johnstone also getting on the scoresheet.

There was good news on the domestic front for Celtic, too, as just prior to the European Cup semi-final second leg, the Hoops won the Scottish FA Cup courtesy of a 2-0 final win over Aberdeen, with Wallace once again scoring twice.

The second leg of the European Cup semi-final in Prague ended 0-0, despite Dukla putting the Scottish giants under immense pressure at times. However, they hung on to book their place in the final of European football’s elite competition.

Before the European Cup final, there was the small matter of the race for the SPL title. It was a tight title race with arch-rivals Rangers. To make it even more interesting, the two teams clashed at Ibrox on the final day of the campaign.

Celtic only needed a draw to clinch their second straight SPL title. The game certainly produced a spectacle. Rangers knew they needed a win and took the lead on 40 minutes.

However, the lead was short-lived, as Johnstone equalised through a scruffy effort within a minute of the restart. The Hoops looked to be cruising to the title when, with 15 minutes remaining on the clock, Johnstone doubled his team’s lead after beating two players and firing into the roof of the net.

Rangers Roger Hynd equalised for the home team, making it a nervous finish, but Celtic stood firm and sealed the Scottish top-flight title once again.

Making history in Europe

jock stein statue at celtic park holding european cup
Jock Stein statue at Celtic Park by Thomas Nugent, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The last order of business was the European Cup final, which was to be played against former European champions Inter Milan, managed by the legendary Argentinian Helenio Herrera.

When the Hoops fell behind courtesy of a 7th-minute Sandro Mazzola penalty kick, considering Inter’s reputation for their defensive solidity due to their use of the famous Catenaccio tactic, it looked like it would be difficult to get back into the game.

However, Jock Stein’s team had become renowned for their attacking play. In the second half, that attacking play bore fruit, as just after the hour mark, Tommy Gemmell equalised for the Scottish giants.

Celtic took the lead with just five minutes left on the clock through a Stevie Chalmers effort. The goal was enough for the Hoops to lift the trophy, becoming the first-ever British club to win the European Cup. The win was even more unique, as all eleven of Celtic’s players were homegrown and were born within 30 miles of Celtic Park.

Winning the European Cup saw Celtic win the quadruple, as they had already won the League Cup earlier in the season against Rangers. It was a truly special ending to a truly special campaign.

Jock Stein was an exceptional manager

In truth, the achievement wouldn’t have happened without the exceptional managerial ability of Jock Stein. Throughout his time as Celtic boss from March 1965 until his exit in August 1978, he proved himself to be one of the best in the business.

Stein also had an influence on many managers from the young generation of Scottish managers, with both Sir Alex Ferguson and Walter Smith working under Stein as coaches.

Stein’s contribution to Celtic was acknowledged in 2011 by the Hoops erecting a statue outside the club’s Celtic Park ground. It was highly deserved for the massive part he played in helping the Hoops make history.

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