The Road to Lisbon

In 1967 Celtic manager Jock Stein stepped from the tunnel of Lisbon's Estadio Nacional and took up a position pitch-side as his team of home-grown players ran out to face the might of Inter Milan, the charismatic superstars of Italian football, in the European Cup final. Celtic were a team forged in Stein's own image, steeled with a relentless industry and integrity by their inspirational manager whose character had, in turn, been honed by the horrors of the deep dark of the Lanarkshire coalfields. Martin Greig and Charles McGarry's extraordinary novel delves to the very heart of that incredible season, telling the story through the eyes of Stein - as he plots and plans and drags his team to the pinnacle of European club football - and those of Tim, an idealistic young fan from the south side of Glasgow, whose dreams of life beyond the decaying slums of the Gorbals are inextricably tied to those of his heroes. The Road to Lisbon is a novel of hopes and dreams, of self-discovery and triumph over adversity ...and of an unerring love with an institution that represents so much more than just a football club.

Charles E. McGarry lives in Glasgow where he was born and bred, although he spent several years living in London and Edinburgh. He has played in bands, is widely travelled and graduated from Glasgow University in 1994 with an honours degree in History and Politics. He currently works as a newspaper page designer and sub-editor, having formerly been a business analyst for British Telecom. He is the co-author of The Road to Lisbon (Arena Sport, 2016).