Biography

Jock Stein had two spells as manager of the national side, firstly in 1965 when he was placed in temporary charge, remaining Celtic manager as he carried out his Scotland duties. His first stint only lasted for seven games yet included World Cup qualifying wins over Finland, Wales and Italy.

Jock was appointed Scotland manager again in 1978, this time on a permanent basis.  He steered his side to the finals of the 1982 World Cup, losing only one match in the qualifying campaign. Scotland were narrowly eliminated on goal difference at the group stage, losing out to the former Soviet Union.

While leading Scotland to qualification for the 1986 World Cup, he appointed a young Alex Ferguson, then manager of Aberdeen, as his assistant.  Jock was also responsible for giving some footballing greats their first international caps, including Alex McLeish and Davie Cooper.

On 10th September 1985, Scotland played Wales in a tense qualifier at Ninian Park, Cardiff. A second-half Davie Cooper penalty earned Scotland a 1-1 draw, a result that all but assured our participation in the 1986 World Cup. However, the celebrations were short lived. Just before the final whistle, Jock collapsed in the tunnel and died of a heart attack. Alex led Scotland through the play-off against Australia, to the finals in Mexico, but the death of Scotland's most successful manager so far cast a long shadow over the campaign.