Today we have a guest writer, Archie Macpherson, Scotland’s most celebrated broadcaster. Archie started broadcasting for the BBC in the 1960s and was the authoritative voice of football commentaries, and comment, for decades thereafter. He was co-commentator for our first European Cup win and remains a regular newspaper columnist and TV contributor.
I had a brief conversation with Archie last month when he categorically stated that Jock Stein was best manager Scotland has ever produced was. Pleased, though I was, to hear this, in the light of accolades earned by Sir Alex Ferguson, I asked him if he could substantiate his claim.
These questions are enormously subjective but few have the breadth of perspective, not to mention the analytical capacity, to tackle this one properly. This is the article he offered to write for us on the subject:
Jock and Fergie, by Archie Macpherson
If there had been no Jock Stein there would have been no Sir Alex Ferguson. It may sound a contentious statement to make but even though it is tempting to play around with history according to your own beliefs and perceptions I would stand by that as a sound interpretation of the way the respective merits of these men can be set against each other.
It helps in this matter if you can lay aside the achievements of those men from the record books and instead consider their personalities and the context in which they plied their trade.
When Jock came to Celtic as manager in 9th March 1965, he fully understood from his past experience there as a player and coach that he would find a club desperate to achieve a commanding status in Scottish football. The frustration they felt only reflected that which their massive support similarly endured around that period. They were massive underachievers.
He also knew from his own background that his task would not simply be about selecting a team, then motivating them, but about radically overhauling the perception the public in general had about the club and which stemmed mainly from the constructs of the media.
It may be difficult for a current generation to fully comprehend this but Celtic then were simply perceived as bit players in a drama where the lead actor came from Govan and always took the curtain-calls. Stein changed all that. He took on the press-pack like he had been sent in from the city’s sanitation department to fumigate.
If you didn’t turn up on the dot for his press conferences then the door was slammed on your face no matter the size of your ego. His television interviews, unlike the passive posture of that likeable man his predecessor Jimmy McGrory, were often truculent and challenging. All of this concentrated the mind of those who wrote and spoke about Celtic. They would think twice about saying anything that might offend the big man. He was strengthening Celtic’s image and, as a by-product of that, securing the self-esteem within the playing staff which previously had been sadly lacking.
And where was Sir Alec at this time? He was watching, observing. I saw him sitting in the lounge of Malpensa Airport Milan in 1970, in the aftermath of the European Cup Final there, amidst thousands of Celtic supporters, which given his Rangers connections only indicated his deep interest in what Jock was doing.
Fergie to his credit was a learner. When he went to Old Trafford it was not to a club about which there was lack of public respect. It was initial lack of respect for himself which made him take up arms against his detractors. To go to a Fergie press-conference was to see a recreation of Jock at the height of his powers. And from being beside Jock in the dressing-room, and on the bench at Scotland games, he absorbed Jock’s handling of men which could range from wrath to wit. The so-called ‘hairdryer’ treatment Fergie handed out only simulated what Jock could do to make the walls of a dressing-room bulge when it got up his hump.
Where they differed enormously as men was that Jock did not harbour grudges in quite the same way as Fergie. Jock did have his difficulties with the BBC initially but never refused to deal with them. Fergie barred them for over a decade, then got an award from the same people. So I am suggesting that although you cannot compare the achievements made in entirely different footballing environments, Fergie served his apprenticeship in the Stein era by consequently adopting much of the big man’s methodology. Jock was the ice-breaker. Fergie was the follow up.
In that sense, as the one was indispensable to the success of the other, I rate Jock as the master of the two.
My thanks to Archie for his contribution.
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zimmerman @ 02:49,
Even science couldn’t disagree with that.
Everything is made of cells, contributing to the bigger body.
We are all wee cells contributing to the existence of the one bigger consciousness – some of those cells are a bit more mental than than others, some care about their neighbouring cells, and others are more parasitical. Which means even us Tims have we hun parasites running around in our bodies and bloodstreams! Aarghh!!! :)))
What’s Archie’s views on all this btw ??
CRR – feD SoM
zimmerman
02:49 on 11 January, 2014
Bill Hick’s best quote imho
all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves.
__________________________________________
I wanna hear mair of your musings as life goes by. Influential people tend to be people that have no idea.
Sad news of Ian Redford’s death.
Always had a soft spot for the guy after he missed a last minute penalty (surprise)
for huns to win cup………cause…….bluenose pal had all his holiday money on thems
to win………his missus didnae half kick up a stink(and a table) in the vogue that night.
R I P Ian and Alistair.
VESPACIDE 0210
BLIND always reminds me of this….
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X5vvPow4u28&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DX5vvPow4u28
voguepunter
03:08 on 11 January, 2014
Sad news of Ian Redford’s death.
________________________________________
God Bless Ian and I hope he husnae pissed off God too much, it isnae a tough assignment to get a place upstairs from what I can gather.
petec
You put a good word in for him mhate………an while your at it,say one for me.
Hail hail
Petec/ VP,
And me ! And a word of thanks as I’ve been lucky in life (personally) and anything that’s gone wrong has largely been my own fault ! :))
Bill Hicks died of cancer.
I know because he told me he had cancer and that he was dying.
He was not murdered.
Stop using dead people for your own spurious agendas. They are not here to defend themselves.
FFM
I am innocent …..anything I’ve done wrong ,was purely through drink.
NOMEACULPA
Goodnight Owl City
Hail Hail.
Goodnight all.
Good afternoon GCT. HH
The trouble with CQN at this time of night…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSNyiSetZ8Y
Off out soon for dinner followed by a wee visit to the cinema to see The Book Thiefwhich has just opened in Australia. It’s one of my all-time favourite books, so looking forward to the movie.
RIP Iain Redford.
G’day VP.
Tom
03:36 on 11 January, 2014
if you like Lanark. You might like Kafka On the Shore.
“I can’t watch TV longer than five minutes without praying for nuclear holocaust.”
― Bill Hicks
MARGARET McGILL
I have never seen The Sixth Sense,tv and cinema not being my favoured leisure choices.
My telly hasn’t been on since Christmas,but I Tivo’d that film a few weeks ago.
Since the heading of your clip says” “I see dead people” I might as well delete it!
Spoliersport…..
Personally I think Celtic should make an offer in this transfer window to Aberdeen for Willo Flood.
Whats the worst that could happen?
Texas Radio and the Big Beat!
Works for me. No really, it does.
Rock and Roll flowing through Blind Willie Johnson and SRV!
Queen with Freddie Mercury…seen them.
10CC, all four members, Seen them.
Was fortunate to see J Geils warm up for Frampton.
Genesis, Supertramp and eventually
The Tragically Hip!
Loved them all . . .
Springsteen! Darlington County
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWQ4XyS8M3Q
followed by
Open all Night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY8e4IMxsVs
I love America!
Hail Hail
T
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS ………FC not PLC
03:45 on 11 January, 2014
yup delete all references to the seventh sense and necrophilia too. It just gets worse. Trust me.
tobagostreet
03:48 on 11 January, 2014
Are you Immaculately stoned?
Like me!
MARGARET McGILL
I didnae think Willo was a bad wee player before he joined us,and I certainly didnae rate Fletcher.
And I still don’t,btw.
But the failing in 2009 was not due to either of them;that was down to having three international strikers who suddenly couldnae hit their own arse wi a banjo.
But your comment made me snigger!
TOBAGO STREET
I “came out” on here as a Queen fan once,but I think I got away with it!
I didnae really,STEINREIGNEDSUPREME didnae miss me that day,haha….
And as for The Doors,long loved them. I remember putting The End on the first ever CD junkie I saw.
The Golf in Prestwick.
When I saw just how much that 12 minutes of wonderment pissed off everyone else,it became a firm favourite!!
The problem with Bruce Springsteen is that well he really isnt that good.
Born to Run and then born in the USA then Born a mug I mean How many born agains does one really need?
MAGS
Dunno if I want to watch it now,I might not sleep very well after it.
Your youngest bro has been very quiet lately. Has he changed his e-mail?
just askin like based on all our elaborate plans and everything that stands. ken.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS ………FC not PLC
03:58 on 11 January, 2014
Nope he’s waiting on Celtic stating absolutely nothing.
For a 100 years then I win a tenner.
MAGS
Only until a mod arrives.
The iPad-inspired comment in my post about the Doors adds to it,I believe.
How are you keeping these days anyway?
As I said,I rarely watch telly,and but for you,I would never have heard of Maggie Grace.
You have my eternal gratitude. Stevie Nicks is getting on a bit…
Canny wait
MAGS 0410
Grand idea.
MAGS
I’ll probably phone him over the weekend,see if I canny give him something to be miserable about.
Hell,I’ll invite him to Swindon,that should do it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3NHGduLY3A
ok so we’ve had the boss, the Doors and Bill Hicks.
Any news on Celtic not doing anything or saying anything to anybody about anything anytime soon? Except on the great Turkey shoot.
The ole Arrows
Divide & Conquer.
McGill’s bus gives you a hard-on with books in your lap
Someone shot the bird in the afternoon dance show
They gave out free records to the best couple
Spades dance best, from the hip.