Colin Stein

Colin Stein
Stein in 1969.
Personal information
Full name Colin Anderson Stein[1]
Date of birth (1947-05-10) 10 May 1947 (age 77)
Place of birth Linlithgow, Scotland
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Armadale Thistle
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1965–1968 Hibernian 74 (41)
1968–1972 Rangers 112 (60)
1972–1975 Coventry City 83 (22)
1975–1978 Rangers 16 (4)
1977–1978 → Kilmarnock (loan) 24 (8)
Total 309 (135)
International career
1968–1973 Scotland 21 (9)
1968–1972 Scottish League XI 3 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Colin Anderson Stein (born 10 May 1947) is a Scottish former footballer, who played for Hibernian, Rangers (two spells), Coventry City and Kilmarnock. Stein was part of the Rangers team that won the 1971–72 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and he scored one of the goals in a 3–2 victory against Dinamo Moscow in the final. Stein also represented Scotland and the Scottish League XI. He scored nine goals in 21 appearances for Scotland, including four goals in a 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Cyprus.

Career

Stein, who was born in Linlithgow, began his career with Armadale Thistle. He went on to play professionally for Hibernian, Rangers and the Scotland national team during the 1960s and 1970s. He also had a spell in England with Coventry City. He played an important part in Rangers winning the 1972 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final, scoring the opening goal in the final.[2] Rangers beat Stade Rennais, Sporting CP, Torino, Bayern Munich and Dinamo Moscow to win the competition.[2]

On 2 January 1971, during an Old Firm match at Ibrox, Stein scored an equaliser in stoppage time to salvage a draw for Rangers after Celtic had taken the lead in the 89th minute. Minutes later after full-time, barriers on Stairway 13 at Ibrox gave way, causing a chain-reaction pileup of spectators that killed 66 and injured over 200 in what would be remembered as the second Ibrox disaster. Initial reports speculated that Rangers supporters who had left the ground turned back upon hearing the crowd roar at Stein's goal, leading to the disaster.[3] The official inquiry into the tragedy conclusively proved that all the spectators were moving in the same direction at the time of the collapse, however.[3]

Stein registered a hat-trick for Scotland in 1969, when he scored four goals in a match against Cyprus.[4] He held the distinction of being the last player to score a hat-trick for Scotland until 2015, when Steven Fletcher scored three times against Gibraltar.[5] Stein won a total of 21 caps for Scotland, scoring nine goals.

In the twilight of his career, after leaving Kilmarnock, Stein also played for Elgin City, who were then a Highland League side.[citation needed]

Personal life

His elder brother, Bobby Stein, was also a professional footballer.[6]

Career statistics

International appearances

Appearances and goals by national team and year[7]
National team Year Apps Goals
Scotland 1968 2 1
1969 7 8
1970 4 0
1971 3 0
1972 1 0
1973 4 0
Total 21 9

International goals

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref
1. 11 December 1968 GSP Stadium, Nicosia  Cyprus 5–0 5–0 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification [7][8][note 1]
2. 3 May 1969 Racecourse Ground, Wrexham  Wales 2–0 5–3 1969–70 British Home Championship [7][8]
3. 6 May 1969 Hampden Park, Glasgow  Northern Ireland 1–1 1–1 1969–70 British Home Championship [7][8]
4. 10 May 1969 Wembley Stadium, London  England 1–2 1–4 1969–70 British Home Championship [7][8]
5. 17 May 1969 Hampden Park, Glasgow  Cyprus 3–0 8–0 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification [7][8]
6. 4–0 [7][8]
7. 5–0 [7][8]
8. 6–0 [7][8]
9. 21 September 1969 Dalymount Park, Dublin  Republic of Ireland 1–0 1–1 Friendly match [7][8]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Some sources, including RSSSF, credit Stein with scoring two goals in the game played against Cyprus on 11 December 1968. The Scottish FA only credit Stein with one goal, scored in the 43rd minute, and credit the goal scored in the 42nd minute to Bobby Murdoch.

References

  1. ^ "Colin Stein". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  2. ^ a b Cup Winners' Cup 1971–72, Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
  3. ^ a b "1971: Sixty-six die in Scottish football disaster". BBC. 2 January 1971. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  4. ^ Smith, Aidan (14 November 2009). "Colin Stein still keen, 40 years after he was up to his old tricks". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  5. ^ Lamont, Alasdair (29 March 2015). "Scotland 6-1 Gibraltar". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  6. ^ Spiers, Graham (11 May 2013). "Four months with Ferguson is an experience which lasts for ever". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Colin Stein at the Scottish Football Association
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Brown, Alan; Tossani, Gabriele (28 November 2019). "Scotland - International Matches 1966-1970". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 21 February 2020.