MURDO MacLeod is the latest name to confirm his participation in the Jock Stein 30th Anniversary Charity Match – sponsored by Direct Slating Supplies – as he takes up the mantle of manager of the Celtic Legends’ team. And the former Hoops star couldn’t hide his delight at returning to the dugout.
MacLeod was assistant manager to Wim Jansen during the much-heralded 1997/98 season as the club famously clinched the League Cup and won the title, crucially stopping Rangers’ 10-in-a-row bid.
During his playing days, MacLeod established himself as an integral part of the Celtic side and he cemented himself in the club’s folklore by scoring an unforgettable goal against Rangers as ‘10 men won the league’ in 1979.
The ex-midfielder spoke to the official Celtic website about his involvement in the match and shared his thoughts on the historic connection between Jock Stein and the squad that stopped the 10.
He said: “To be involved in a game like this is fantastic, absolutely fantastic. It’s for a great cause and, to remember Jock Stein – one of Celtic’s finest managers – in this way, it’s an honour.
“I think a lot of the Bhoys from my time as assistant manager will be fit enough, they all looked after themselves. Guys like Jackie McNamara, Simon Donnelly, Tosh McKinlay, Tom Boyd and Stubbsy are a big part of the club’s history and I’m looking forward to seeing them.
“There is also a good bit of history with Jock too. Jock obviously set Celtic’s nine-in-a-row and these players prevented Rangers from beating that record. They stopped the 10.”
This match will see two ex-Celts squaring off against one another as Murdo MacLeod’s team of Celtic Legends take on David Moyes’ XI from Dunfermline Athletic.
On catching up with David Moyes, Murdo said: “Davie is a good friend of mine. He was part of the club when I was there and I got to know him well.
“During his career, he moved on to a few clubs including Dunfermline and then Preston North End, where it all began for him in management.
“He has become of the finest Scottish managers in the game and it’ll be good to see him, and in front of a full house too hopefully.”
Murdo MacLeod’s tenure at Celtic began just as Jock Stein left in the late 1970s, however, he revealed that he owes one of the proudest moments of his career to football legend, Stein.
He said: “Jock had just left as I’d come in and Billy McNeill was my manager. However, I’ll never forget Jock phoning me after we’d just won the Scottish Cup in 1985 and asking me if I’d join the Scotland squad for the upcoming match against England.
“It was my first cap and it’ll always be a very special memory.”
Celtic Legends’ Squad So Far
Manager: Murdo MacLeod
Tom Boyd
Stiliyan Petrov
Tosh McKinlay
Alan Stubbs
Martin Compston
Simon Donnelly
Jackie McNamara
Jonathan Gould
Mark Burchill
The Jock Stein 30th Anniversary Charity Match takes place on Sunday, September 6 at East End Park (KO 2pm).
Tickets for the match, priced at £12 for adults and £6 for concessions, are available ONLINE, by calling 0871 226 1888* or by visiting the Celtic Ticket Office.
Matchday Hospitality is available, on a first come, first served basis, in the Purvis Suite at a cost of £45 per person, or supporters can upgrade to a pitch-side box for an additional price of £100 per person.
To make a booking please visit www.dafc.co.uk, contact DAFC on 01383 724295, or email [email protected]
Proceeds from the day will be shared between Celtic FC Foundation and the Pars Foundation, the respective charitable arms of both clubs
*Calls cost 13 pence per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge. For customer enquiries relating to existing purchases only, please call 0141 230 1967. Calls charged at standard rate.
