Manager Stein honoured at stadium

Plaque honouring Jock Stein at Cardiff City Stadium

The plaque for Jock Stein next to gates at the Cardiff City Stadium

A wreath has been been laid at the Cardiff City Stadium to honour former Scotland and Celtic manager Jock Stein, who died nearby 24 years ago.

The tribute was carried out before the Wales-Scotland friendly at the ground, opposite the now closed Ninian Park.

Stein, 63, died at the end of a World Cup qualifier in 1985 at Ninian Park, which was then Cardiff City's ground.

Hamish Husband, of the Association of Tartan Army Clubs, called him "the greatest figure in Scottish football".

A piper played and fans gathered at gates at the stadium, where a plaque has also been put up.

[Bill] Shankly said football was not a matter of life and death, it was more important than that - but it isn't

Hamish Husband, Association of Tartan Army Clubs, on Jock Stein, pictured

Stein saw his team achieve a disputed 1-1 draw against Wales, which helped Scotland secure a place in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

But he suffered a heart attack in the wake of his side's late penalty equaliser, robbing the football world of one of its most successful figures.

He led Celtic to the first European Cup win by a British team in 1967, and went on to take nine Scottish league titles in a row with the Glasgow giants.

He also had a Welsh connection, having played for Llanelli for two years from 1950.

Neil Dimmock, who represented Llanelli FC at the ceremony, and is the manager of the Wales football supporters' club, said: "When he left Llanelli he made his name in the game.

'Fantastic achievement'

"What he achieved after leaving Llanelli was unbelievable as a manager and a player."

Mr Husband said the memory of Stein was still revered.

A Scottish fan attaches a Tartan Army scarf to the stadium gates

"Remember that [in] the Celtic team that won the European Cup there was only one player that came from outwith the Glasgow area and he came from Aryshire 30 miles away. So it was a fantastic achievement," he said.

"Then he had nine [titles] in a row and all sorts of other things and he became the national manager following our Argentina debacle [in the 1978 World Cup]. So he is the greatest figure in Scottish football."

Mr Husband acknowledged that Stein was not a great player. "His great speciality I believe - it was before my time - was kneeing the ball out of defence".

But he said he was a giant of a man and a "great working class man" who would have been a miner if not a footballer.

"In his last interview on that fateful day he spoke about how the game of football was under threat from outside influences - the politicians. There was a lot of trouble at the time," he said.

"And he said whatever came out of that game on that day the most important thing was not the result but the behaviour and that was the players and the fans."

"[Bill] Shankly said football was not a matter of life and death, it was more important than that - but it isn't.

"To lose Jock Stein like that… it was a great loss to Scotland."