Heart of a Lion, the autobiography of Lisbon Lion, Willie Wallace, went to print this morning and will be out the day before the Cup Final. It is a joy.
Willie starts with a remarkable 17 days in April 1967 when the takes us through five games, Dukla Prague, home and away, in the semi-final of the European Cup, England v Scotland at Wembley, a tense league encounter with Aberdeen and the Scottish Cup final. Before you get into the substance which made the man, or his more famous achievements which were to follow the next month, you are immersed in sense of possibility, of sheer wonder, and of incredibly hard games of football, that encapsulated these times.
His story is genuinely unique, being the only Lisbon Lion Jock Stein went out of his way to buy, for good reason. His pace was unparalleled in the game. His scoring rate at Hearts was excellent but at Celtic he outperformed his peers – and that was an incredible team of peers.
We learn a valuable insight into how a team who had won nothing in seven years before Jock Stein’s arrival were transformed and swept all before them. Willie gets right into the detail of tactics and preparation.
The Great Event is there in all its intricate detail. Neil Lennon should make every player in the squad read it before Champions League duty commences next season. It would inspire the most desolate soul.
Willie asked CQN to publish the book, which we did. There are contributions from our own Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan, who believe me, does not disappoint. Close friend of Jock Stein, and the most influential broadcaster in Scottish football history, Archie MacPherson, wrote a chapter giving historical context to this extraordinary career. Archie’s range and insight is priceless.
We tentatively asked our very own A-lister, Rod Stewart, if he would write the foreward. Willie has been away from Scotland for a long time, a lot of football has been played since, and Rod’s been busy in the intervening years, but he was delighted to be asked. Rod explains his father’s Hibernian roots and through his “star-struck eyes” tells us Willie “might as well have had a four-leaf clover as a heart”.
Rod finished by saying “Bless you, Mr Wallace”, which I’ll echo. I can’t tell you the sheer joy it’s been in participating in this project. My enormous thanks, Willie.
You can order online NOW by clicking below. Willie is coming over this month and we’re getting a pile of books signed by him, so fill your boots.
964 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- »
gerald766
02:09 on 11 May, 2013
Thanks.
Posted this wee message on twitter he he.
Remember the fans who want Neil out plz no booing at the end when he speaks and plz no shouting out why haven’t we got max PTS total :)
Good morning CQN from a wet Clydebank
Just getting ready for the game and the big
Party at CP can’t wait have a great day everyone
Safe journey to and from the game
Keep the Faith
Hail Hail
HT 07.14. Watties surname? Is it…….”The Traitor”?
Heading off for the drive to fun city. Hopefully Celtic, Neil Lennon and the glorious Green Brigade will give us all a day to remember.
Hail Hail Celtic men n wummin.
leftclicktic
07:39 on 11 May, 2013
no probs bud
lets all do the huddle lets all do the huddle
enjoy today bhoys and ghirls
wearehavingapartycomeonovertomyplace csc
Morning,
Realised I had a cheek to moan to my mates about early kick off after seeing this.
San Francisco CSC @ sfcsc
Trophy day… Join the San Francisco CSC at Fiddlers Green Millbrae for live coverage #Celtic v St Johnstone, May 11th 4:15am k/o #COYBIG
Morning bhoys/ghirls.
Forgot to meantion that we started a little late last night due to P67 following the orc marchers through ole Blantyre town.. o)))
Cheers to The Boy Jinky for coming for Mrs and mini BT to drive them to the game today…
A Ceiler Gonof Rust
07:51 on
11 May, 2013
He’s never been a traitor, he’s always been true to the dark and evil side ;-)
Safe journey and enjoy the party mate.
Morning all.
Will miss the start of the game today – going to pick Mrs Tally up at Pisa airport.
She arrives 15 mins before kick off!
Then a mad dash home to catch the trophy presentation!
Enjoy the day all those who are going.
HH!!
The Herald has hit the ultimate low this morning.
One story about Celtic supposedly sounding out Owen Coyle and another about skint Sevco negotiating with Kenny Miller.
Complete fantasy…
I thought I would be away this weekend and miss today but a change of plans means I will get to the party.
With the rain battering off the window, not so sure that is a good thing. :0)
hen1rik
07:49 on 11 May, 2013
——————————–
nae shouting out
where is our floating casino;-)))))
nae shouting out
shug on clyde knows the truth;-))))
jam67
Morning Celts,
Jobo it’s looking like 30c again today and not a cloud to be seen.
Found a bar/ restuarant that’ll show the game but I’m gonnae go into old town to watch it in the halfpenny inn, good Celtic bar and usually with live music.
Enjoy the game Celts!
V
V
Not far from hapenny inn in oldtown there is a nice restaurant. El grabo (sp)
Upstairs and looks onto the sea. Just round the corner from the beautiful little church…..
Good morning friends and welcome to Silverware Saturday from a fairly damp and greyish EK. 10.00am Communion gig then staight on to The Park for the party.
Great night in Blantyre last night listening to our own Paul67 and 2 other guys. Always a very dangerous move to name names but was good to see faces old and new including Auldheid, BT, Oldtim, CRC, bjmac, Doc, Cowiebhoy, The Boy Jinky, Kev Jungle, Steigneignedsupreme, Sipsini. Apologies to those that my failing memory has omited.
Enjoy today Bhoys and Ghirls.
Oh and Lennybhoy, D’oh!
Good Morning Folks,
A wee daft question – Are you allowed to take an umbrella into Celtic Park?
Dontwanttogetwetcsc
Morning all. Very wet, wild and windy down here in North Ayrshire. Let’s hope the Celtic brighten the day.
Morning all.
Cats and dogs here in the west; plus ca change…
Owen Coyle? I should coco. Mum made your bed, now you can lie in it…
BTW did the conflab last night get recorded at all?
If so, anyone have a sausage?
Cheers…
.
So What was the Big News @ The Q&A..?
Did Ole Oldtim find Lanarkshire and get Home safe..
And Did Ole KevJungle finish his Question with Off Oot..;-)
Summa of OldKevJungleTimCSC
.
VMhan..
25C in Sunny Melbs..Whit the Feck happened to Winter..?
Summa of IndianSummerCSC
If I remember properly, Paul67, one of your young bhoys is making his First Holy Communion today. If I’m right, my best wishes to him and the family and, indeed, to all those who are celebrating the Sacrament this month.
.
Glenn Gibbons: Ferguson says Stein was the greatest
Jock Stein was a great interrogator.
By GLENN GIBBONS
OF THE avalanche of tributes and criticisms directed at Sir Alex Ferguson since the announcement of his retirement, the most commonly used superlative is the one at which he is most likely to bristle.
That is, the frequently bestowed acclaim of the Govan man as “the greatest manager in history”, an appendage which he himself believes, with a reverence that approaches sacredness, to be the rightful preserve of Jock Stein.
Even after almost 40 years of virtually unbroken distinction north and south of the border, Ferguson maintains that his happiest days as a manager were those he passed as Stein’s assistant with Scotland’s national team in the 1980s, once offering the startling confession that “I would have happily remained big Jock’s assistant for the rest of my days.”
Ferguson reflects many of the qualities the former Celtic manager brought to a profession in which he was an authentic pathfinder, not least an irresistibly forceful personality driven by a formidable intelligence and seemingly limitless energy. But he has always insisted that nobody, including himself, has come close to the natural charisma that made Stein the most seductive and persuasive figure of his lifetime. This is hardly surprising to those of us fortunate to have kept the company of both men through decades of incalculably rewarding relationships that brought immeasurable enrichment to the business of chronicling their staggering achievements. Both endowed with a capacity for ferocity (natural and contrived, depending on circumstances), they also had in common a mischievousness that was no respecter of status or reputation and a peerless judgment of character and talent.
Stein’s towering influence on those around him is fascinatingly illustrated by an episode that occurred during a Scotland trip abroad when Jim McLean was Stein’s assistant. Several younger managers, including Ferguson, were invited aboard by the SFA, an opportunity to observe and gain useful experience. On the first night, with Jock at the centre of the gang and debate and argument flowing, the big man silenced the gathering with a challenge: “Okay, here’s one for you,” he said. “What’s the difference between a good player and a bad player?”. That prompted a buzz of conversation and a series of analytical musings, to all of which Stein responded with a disapproving, “Naw, naw, you haven’t got it.” After a while, he surprised everyone by declaring that he was off to his room, leaving them to ponder and discuss the question.
The surprise sprang from the common knowledge that big Jock was a terrible sleeper, more likely to keep others out of bed than retire to his own. The following morning, Brian Scott, the Celtic and Scotland physiotherapist, was first at breakfast, as the medical men usually are, in order to make early fitness checks.
Stein was soon with him, asking Brian what had happened after he left and what the various “thinkers” had come up with. Scotty reported everything, eliciting from Stein another shake of the head. “Okay, what is the answer?” Brian blurted, by this time curious to distraction. “A good player,” said Stein, “sometimes gives a bad player a loan of the ball.” It is a story which exposes the essence of Stein, and not merely through the wit and conciseness of the definition of the distinction between the gifted and the mediocre. It was, much more tellingly, in his spearing of Scott for information, his singular method of intelligence gathering, leaving himself fully equipped in readiness to meet the others, already knowing what they had been thinking. This was a brilliant propensity for interrogation that made Stein virtually omniscient – and one of which Ferguson himself had first-hand experience. During a long conversation in his office at Carrington a few years ago, occasioned by my assignment to deliver a piece on Ferguson talking about his mentor, the Manchester United manager reminisced with undisguised delight on the times spent with Stein, including those occasions when he became one of the big man’s victims.
“When I was a player at Rangers,” said Ferguson, “Cathy and I would occasionally have a Saturday night dinner at the Beechwood, the pub/restaurant next to Hampden Park that was managed by Kenny Dalglish’s father-in-law, Pat Harkins. Jock and Sean Fallon, his assistant at Celtic, would take their wives there every weekend, as they both lived nearby in King’s Park. Well, any time Jock spoke to me, I would feel ten feet tall. It was magical. He would ask me how things were at Ibrox and I would tell him everything I knew. Utterly helpless, it just came out without my even realising it. That was the effect he had on people. It was no surprise that Jock kept Celtic ahead of us at that time. He knew everything that was happening at Rangers because I told him!
“Years later, when I was a fully-grown man, a manager at Aberdeen, winning major trophies, and his assistant with Scotland, it would still happen. He would give me a ring on a Friday night and simply say, ‘How you doing? What’s happening?’. And I would tell him everything that had happened that week. I would pour out everything, because I would think he already knew what was happening and if I didn’t fill him in, he would think I was holding out on him! That was the effect he had on people and it was no wonder he knew everything about everybody.”
It was, of course, Jock who recommended Ferguson to the late Chris Anderson, then vice-chairman of Aberdeen, as the replacement for Billy McNeill when the latter left Pittodrie to succeed Stein himself at Celtic in 1978. It would be enough in itself to warrant universal recognition of Jock as the soundest judge that ever drew breath.
Summa
Sunny but chilled in the Chilterns…
Good luck to my pal’s daughter who is in the guard of honour today, she’ll be the proudest ghirl at Celtic Park.
To everyone that’s going have a great time.
To all Tims everywhere have a Champion day!
Hail! Hail!
Sos
Mrs BT and I picked him up in Hamilton. MANAGED to buy him a wee fish tea in equis before heading to KSC. Taxi back to hotel telling driver to keep him out off Hamilton palace..
Johan murdoch picking him up at 11am
“Horrible Hurtin’ ……….Herlad”
Shameful.
.
BT..
Guid choice Equis..
Guid Night Yes..?
Busy..?
Summa
Ps..What is the Sorest..Head or Leg..?
Busy night and good info imparted as always.
Only couple of pints as robinbhoy reminded me of the pitfalls of alcohol and crutcbes.
Was para about interlopers and both oldtim and the ohg drinking too much…
Im sure the barmaids made a few bob too
Will we be able to get a crowd today 2000 more than our stadium capacity, the way the world record breaking zombies did?
ASonOfDan
07:58 on
11 May, 2013
I would like to think that Celtic are sounding out potential replacements in case NL decides to go. Still don’t think he will, and if he does certainly hope we don’t end up with Coyle (though I think we will), but PL wouldn’t be doing his job if wasn’t sounding out who was available. We have a CL qualifier in 9 weeks!!
.
BT..
Told you to Borrow a Scooter..;-)
And leave the Auld Yins tae have Fun..
Summa
fourleafclover
If you are in the GB then No, if you sit elsewhere it depends how bored the polis and stewards are.
Morning cqn..seems like it was a successful night in blantir ..hope every one has a great silverware saturday..make it loud n proud today for the Bhoys in Green…great to see brooney\°/ back in contention he’l be needed for the cupfinal h.h
jungle jam67
08:02 on 11 May, 2013
LoL
sos
i would need one to take me upstairs and to the WC… o)))
BTW
just for you and V, we are being forecast snow at the start of the week in Scotland…
Good to see that our captain is back in the squad today. We’ll need him for the Cup Final. A wee 20 minute run out today and an hour next week at Tannadice should be enough to have him ready for Hibs game.
B/TIM- not a piece of cake, lookin ‘ more leg less than ole old Tim