On Celtic, the fans and others
"Football is nothing without fans"
"If I can achieve for Celtic what I have achieved for Hibs, then I feel I will have done well for them"
(Jock Stein on becoming Celtic manager, possibly his only understated remark!)
"I enjoy being manager here, because I like the people who support us."
"Celtic jerseys are not for second best, they don't shrink to fit inferior players"
“I'd far rather talk about players, they are the people who make things happen. “
“You're too fond of Charlie Gallagher and Harry Hood. You wouldn't win a league with 11 Charlie Gallaghers or Harry Hoods. “
"There is no substitute for experience "
"Have the first issue ready for the week after the [Scottish] Cup Final and leave a blank space on page one for a picture of the boys with the Cup!"
(Jock Stein on the new "Celtic View" in his first season as manager)
"I think it is important to win a match, but I think what is even more important is the manner in which you win."
"The most pleasure any manager can get is seeing everyday boys joining the Club as youngsters and growing into men and giving themselves a better social standing than they could ever have dreamed of previously."
(Before a European Cup game to Hunter Davies (an English Journalist) touring round Celtic and Rangers grounds who was commenting on Celtic's unpretentious surroundings compared to Rangers more "cathedral-like stadium")
"Ach, Rangers are alright, but they still haven't invented blue grass."
“25% of our [Celtic’s] managers have been Protestant!”
Jock Stein on being appointed manager of Celtic, when pointed out with headlines in the papers and by people that he was the first Protestant manager of Celtic (he was only the 4th in the clubs history (retold by Hugh McIlvaney)
“Is it alright if he’s very cheeky that ah can skelp ‘em?”
Jock Stein jokingly to Billy McNeil’s family as he convinced them to let him sign for Celtic (as told by Billy McNeil)
“We weren’t Orange but we were staunch!”
Jock Stein on his family background to Hugh McIlvaney
(from BBC life story program on Jock Stein 2007)
"If they were interested in what I had to say they would get here in time. The door stays shut!"
(Jock Stein on barring late coming journos to his press talks)
"I think we could win everything in front of us. I think this could be a season to remember."
(Jock Stein to various players at the start of the 1966/67 season, quoted by Archie MacPherson)
"Jock, if there were two players, one Catholic and one Protestant. Who would you sign?"
"The Protestant"
"Why?"
"Because I know that Rangers would never sign the Catholic"
(winding up Rangers FC over their bigoted signing policies)
TV Presenter : 'Scott Symon [Rangers manager] what do you think the score will be in the Old Firm match'
Symon : "I think 2-0 to Rangers"
TV Presenter : 'And you Mr Stein what will the Old Firm score be?'
Big Jock : 'Only a fool would try to predict the score in an Old Firm game!'
"Surely there are enough Celtic songs without introducing religion or politics or anything else?"
(After 1972 game against Stirling when he jumped into the Celtic crowd to stand up to individuals singing sectarian songs)
"I lost some friends when I made the move, but if that's what matters to them, then they're not really friends at all."
(On his move to Celtic which led to him being shunned and dismissed by his old 'friends')
"This terrible tragedy must help to curb the bigotry and bitterness of Old Firm matches. When human life is at stake this kind of hatred seems sordid and little. Fans of both sides will never forget this disaster."
(Jock Stein from the Celtic View on the Ibrox Disaster of 1971)
"It is up to us, to everyone at Celtic Park, to build up our own legends. We don’t want to live with history, to be compared with legends from the past. We must make new legends."
Jock Stein (After winning his first league title as Celtic manager in 1966)
"We all end up yesterday's men in this business. Your're very quickly forgotten."
Jock Stein in Archie MacPherson's book "The Great Derbies: Blue and Green" (1989)
"The best place to defend is in the opposition penalty box."
'I feel we have the players fit to wear the mantle of champions of Europe. I have told them so. Now it's up to them.'
Jock Stein after beating Vojvodina Novi in the QF of the European Cup, 1967
"We send Murdoch down to the health farm at Tring to lose some weight and the main result is that we are polluted with bad tips from the wee jockeys he meets there."
Jock Stein joking to Hugh McIlvaney about Bobby Murdoch's weight control
"If you're good enough, the referee doesn't matter."
"It's not religion that's the problem - it's the lack of religion!"
"I'm happy where I am, I like the people I work with, I like the players and the directors of this club but most of all I like the fans and to see them happy makes me happy,so I'm very happy here."
(When asked about Man Utd showing interest in getting him to manage at Old Trafford in early 70's)
"There's nothing wrong with losing your temper for the right reasons."
(Jock Stein's advice to Alex Ferguson, as re-told by Alex Ferguson in an interview in Jun 08 who was speaking about his own infamous temper)
“I’m sorry to leave but I just could not be a saleman!”
Newspaper headline on Jock leaving Celtic after being asked by the board to “move up” to the board level to become in charge of the club pools! (a complete disgraceful act by the board)
plenty more here.
kerrydalestreet.com/page/Jock+Stein+-+Quotes