The roar of the crowd in Lisbon still echoes in my memory—fifty years on, it’s as vivid as ever. That day in 1967, when Celtic Football Club became the first British team to lift the European Cup, holds a special place in football history. It’s the story of a group of Glasgow boys, known forever as the Lisbon Lions, who dared to challenge the giants of European football with our unique brand of attacking play. I, Stevie Chalmers, was fortunate to be at the heart of it all, scoring the goal that sealed our legendary victory over Inter Milan. That single touch—slotting the ball past Sarti with five minutes left—was the culmination of a season where Celtic dominated Scottish football and took on the best in Europe. But behind that golden goal lay a journey marked by relentless training, the vision of manager Jock Stein, and the unbreakable bond of teammates who believed we could achieve the impossible.
My path to that historic moment was far from straightforward. Before I wore the green and white hoops, I faced a life-threatening illness—tuberculosis—that almost ended my hopes of ever playing football at any level, let alone for Celtic. While my recovery was a challenging journey, it instilled in me a resilience that became my unwavering weapon on the field. Throughout the 1960s, I worked to become Celtic’s leading goalscorer, topping the charts four times and helping the club secure domestic dominance with Scottish league championships, Scottish Cups, and League Cups. Our greatest accomplishment was the 1966-67 season, during which we won a slew of trophies at home and achieved an unforgettable European conquest. Every match, every goal, every setback—from injuries to tough competition—prepared me for that final surge in Lisbon. I recount the inside stories, the pivotal moments, and the tactical genius of Jock Stein, who wasn’t always easy to please but drove us to greatness.
Inside these pages, I reveal what it meant to be part of the most magical era in Celtic’s history. The camaraderie of the Lisbon Lions, the pressure of representing Glasgow on the world's stage, and the personal highs and lows shaped me as a player and a man. I share the details of our European Cup campaign, from the nerve-wracking semi-final against Dukla Prague to the strategic brilliance that outfoxed an Inter Milan side famed for their defensive steel. My relationship with Stein—sometimes tense, always respectful—was at the core of my career, challenging me to rise above every obstacle. “The Winning Touch” is more than my autobiography; it’s a tribute to the spirit of Celtic, the joy of attacking football, and the pride of scoring the goal that made history. For Celtic fans, football historians, and anyone inspired by tales of triumph against the odds, the book is the story of how a Glasgow striker became immortal.
Book Condition
ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 48
Published: March 13, 2012
Publisher: Visit Hachette Books Scotland
Price: £19.99
Hardback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0755363223
Dimensions: 152 x 228 (mm)
