A Photographic History Of Scottish Football

[paulbrucerick]

Just now, Flybhoy said:

Think you may be right there, I remember one was a 0-0 draw, must have been the Colombia match, in front of another rather paltry attendance I seem to recall. 

The Chile result sticks out as I was one of the few unfortunate souls at the game. That and McInally got the first goal so it was the first time I had seen anyone linked to Ayr scoring for Scotland.

[Aubrey Maturin]

5 minutes ago, Flybhoy said:

Think you may be right there, I remember one was a 0-0 draw, must have been the Colombia match, in front of another rather paltry attendance I seem to recall. 

Was having a look at some of the teams that our players were with from 85 onwards, the quality we had makes it even more incredible we never made it past a group stage at world cup.

[Jacksgranda]

4 minutes ago, Tynierose said:

Was having a look at some of the teams that our players were with from 85 onwards, the quality we had makes it even more incredible we never made it past a group stage at world cup.

We're Scotland...

[Flybhoy]

Of the three I am old enough to remember watching, 1986 we were unlucky against Denmark and Germany, losing by a single goal each time and Roy Aitken had a perfectly good goal ruled out against the Danes,  and, when a win would have sent us through we were kicked off the park by Uruguay in the final match, drawing 0-0 against a side who played 89 minutes with ten men, having had a man sent off in the first minute for attempting to kill Gordon Strachan.  Steve Nicol missed an absolute fucking sitter I still haven't forgiven him for as Uruguay punched, kicked and spat there way through the match, Ernie Walker called them 'the scum of world football', correctly as well. 

In 1990 despite making a complete c**t of ourselves in the opening game against Costa Rica the win against Sweden meant a draw in the final match v Brazil would have saw us go through against a side already qualified and going through the motions at times, we were on course for it too until Jim Leighton made an arse of a shot, fumbling it for Muller to score a tap in from the rebound,  Taffarel then pulled out a world class save in the last minute to deny M* J*hnst*n*

Even still we may have still qualified as one of the best placed sides finishing third that year had Uruguay (those b*****ds again) not scored a winner in their last match v South Korea in about the eighth minute of stoppage time, safe to say luck was not on our side at Italia 90.

In France in 1998 we gave a good account of ourselves in a 2-1 defeat to Brazil and really should have won instead of drawing 1-1 with Norway, the final game against Morroco we were simply thumped by a far better side who I think we underated, Colin Hendry and Jim Leighton however were particularly chronic that night.

There are several ways to cock it up and, invariably Scotland find one or a combination of them. 

[Daydream]

We're Shite...

FTFY

[Ranaldo Bairn]

Of the three I am old enough to remember watching, 1986 we were unlucky against Denmark and Germany, losing by a single goal each time and Roy Aitken had a perfectly good goal ruled out against the Danes,  and, when a win would have sent us through we were kicked off the park by Uruguay in the final match, drawing 0-0 against a side who played 89 minutes with ten men, having had a man sent off in the first minute for attempting to kill Gordon Strachan.  Steve Nicol missed an absolute fucking sitter I still haven't forgiven him for as Uruguay punched, kicked and spat there way through the match, Ernie Walker called them 'the scum of world football', correctly as well. 
In 1990 despite making a complete c**t of ourselves in the opening game against Costa Rica the win against Sweden meant a draw in the final match v Brazil would have saw us go through against a side already qualified and going through the motions at times, we were on course for it too until Jim Leighton made an arse of a shot, fumbling it for Muller to score a tap in from the rebound,  Taffarel then pulled out a world class save in the last minute to deny M* J*hnst*n*
Even still we may have still qualified as one of the best placed sides finishing third that year had Uruguay (those b*****ds again) not scored a winner in their last match v South Korea in about the eighth minute of stoppage time, safe to say luck was not on our side at Italia 90.
In France in 1998 we gave a good account of ourselves in a 2-1 defeat to Brazil and really should have won instead of drawing 1-1 with Norway, the final game against Morroco we were simply thumped by a far better side who I think we underated, Colin Hendry and Jim Leighton however were particularly chronic that night.
There are several ways to cock it up and, invariably Scotland find one or a combination of them. 

Fair comments. I can add 1982.

First game v New Zealand and we're cruising three nil at half time. Two lapses of concentration gift goals but we recover well to eventually win 5-2. Should have been 6 or 7 nil though.

Next, versus Brazil, we took the lead (you might have seen it...) before one of the best football teams ever simply took us apart. Little shame in losing, but 4-1 was sair.

Last match, versus USSR, and you guessed it, we needed a win. One nil up st half time through Joe Jordan, our defence falls apart and they score twice. A last minute Souness equaliser is too little too late. As usual.

[Sergeant Wilson]

17 minutes ago, Ranaldo Bairn said:

Fair comments. I can add 1982.

First game v New Zealand and we're cruising three nil at half time. Two lapses of concentration gift goals but we recover well to eventually win 5-2. Should have been 6 or 7 nil though.

Next, versus Brazil, we took the lead (you might have seen it...) before one of the best football teams ever simply took us apart. Little shame in losing, but 4-1 was sair.

Last match, versus USSR, and you guessed it, we needed a win. One nil up st half time through Joe Jordan, our defence falls apart and they score twice. A last minute Souness equaliser is too little too late. As usual.

I was there in 82 (&90). Scotland were at their best and still lost, but I seen Brazilians playing outside in the car park that would have got in most teams over here.

[Monkey Tennis]

I can add recollections of 1978.

It's the one held up as being about ludicrous hubris, and to a degree it was.

However, there was good reason for optimism.  We'd qualified ahead of the European champions and we had a host of players who'd just won the League in England or the European Cup.  Even getting there required reaching the last sixteen, so we were in elite company.  We did however also field Patrick Thistle's goalkeeper.

We were well beaten by Peru, but even then had led and had later missed a penalty.  Iran was simply disastrous and owed a lot by then to a dispirited, bored camp who'd lost Willie Johnston.  The Dutch game showed what might have been and featured that goal, but it just served to cement the campaign in the consciousness.

 

That team was good enough to do damage though, but something similar could probably be said of the 1974 team.  

[Moses Supposes]

45 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

I can add recollections of 1978.

It's the one held up as being about ludicrous hubris, and to a degree it was.

However, there was good reason for optimism.  We'd qualified ahead of the European champions and we had a host of players who'd just won the League in England or the Europen Cup.  Even getting there required reaching the last sixteen, so we were in elite company.  We did however also field Patrick Thistle's goalkeeper.

We were well beaten by Peru, but even then had led and had later missed a penalty.  Iran was simply disastrous and owed a lot by then to a dispirited, bored camp who'd lost Willie Johnston.  The Dutch game showed what might have been and featured that goal, but it just served to cement the campaign in the consciousness.

 

That team was good enough to do damage though, but something similar could probably be said of the 1974 team.  

The manager was a clown. He was actually handed gift-wrapped a set of highly talented and high-achieving players, but he didn't have a clue how to select a squad never mind a team. Among his many baffling decisions was leaving the prolific scoring Andy Gray out of the squad and taking Joe Harper and Derek Johnstone instead, choosing Gordon McQueen who was recovering from a broken leg and actually  boarded the plane for Argentina on crutches and persisting with Masson and Rioch when it had been obvious for a some time they had lost form.  

Coupled with his utterly baffling selections was a grossly inflated sense of both his and the team's actual abilities. He spent most of his time talking nonsense to journalists and making increasingly ridiculous statements about Scotland's prospects of success in the finals and beyond! 

Edited December 30, 2018 by Moses Supposes

[Guest Flash]

1 hour ago, Flybhoy said:

Of the three I am old enough to remember watching, 1986 we were unlucky against Denmark and Germany, losing by a single goal each time and Roy Aitken had a perfectly good goal ruled out against the Danes 

Was Charlie Nicholas not also brought down when breaking clear near the end? The tackle also injured him and he missed the next 2 games.

8 minutes ago, Moses Supposes said:

The manager was a clown. He was actually handed gift-wrapped a set of highly talented and high-achieving players, but he didn't have a clue how to select a squad never mind a team. Among his many baffling decisions was leaving the prolific scoring Andy Gray out of the squad and taking Joe Harper and Derek Johnstone instead, choosing Gordon McQueen who was recovering from a broken leg and actually  boarded the plane for Argentina on crutches and persisting with Masson and Rioch when it had been obvious for a some time they had lost form.  

Coupled with his utterly baffling selections was a grossly inflated sense of both his and the team's actual abilities. He spent most of his time talking nonsense to journalists and making increasingly ridiculous statements about Scotland's prospects of success in the finals and beyond! 

Don’t disagree, but McQueen had a knee injury that he sustained when he physically hit the post after clearing off the line v Wales in the Home Internationals.

[DA Baracus]

16 minutes ago, Moses Supposes said:

The manager was a clown. He was actually handed gift-wrapped a set of highly talented and high-achieving players, but he didn't have a clue how to select a squad never mind a team. Among his many baffling decisions was leaving the prolific scoring Andy Gray out of the squad and taking Joe Harper and Derek Johnstone instead, choosing Gordon McQueen who was recovering from a broken leg and actually  boarded the plane for Argentina on crutches and persisting with Masson and Rioch when it had been obvious for a some time they had lost form.  

Coupled with his utterly baffling selections was a grossly inflated sense of both his and the team's actual abilities. He spent most of his time talking nonsense to journalists and making increasingly ridiculous statements about Scotland's prospects of success in the finals and beyond! 

Obviously I'm too young to have seen this given it took place many years before I was born but I recall from the (excellent) documentary earlier this year that he didn't even have Peru and Iran watched.

[Flybhoy]

2 minutes ago, Flash said:

Was Charlie Nicholas not also brought down when breaking clear near the end? The tackle also injured him and he missed the next 2 games.

 

Aye he was brought down while clean through on goal late on, no professional foul law then so the boy stayed on the park.

Pretty sure he recovered to an extent and managed to come on a as a sub v Uruguay after missing the West Germany match.

 

......checks Wikipedia!

[Moses Supposes]

2 minutes ago, Flash said:

Was Charlie Nicholas not also brought down when breaking clear near the end? The tackle also injured him and he missed the next 2 games.

Don’t disagree, but McQueen had a knee injury that he sustained when he physically hit the post after clearing off the line v Wales in the Home Internationals.

Thanks. I confess some of my details are a little clouded by the passing of time, although I remember very distinctly McQueen getting on the plane using crutches. 

[Moses Supposes]

1 minute ago, DA Baracus said:

Obviously I'm too young to have seen this given it took place many years before I was born but I recall from the (excellent) documentary earlier this year that he didn't even have Peru and Iran watched.

Which was absolutely typical of the utterly shambolic wha's like us approach to the whole project. 

[Flybhoy]

Yeah,  Charlie Nicholas came on, a 70th minute double substitution with Davie Cooper for Steve Nicol and Paul Sturrock.

[DA Baracus]

1 minute ago, Moses Supposes said:

Which was absolutely typical of the utterly shambolic wha's like us approach to the whole project. 

You have to wonder how he then selected the teams and what he said to them. Mental lack of preparation.

[wellinwigan]

1 hour ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

I was there in 82 (&90). Scotland were at their best and still lost, but I seen Brazilians playing outside in the car park that would have got in most teams over here.

Was also there when the Miller /Hanson comedy act let the Russians take the lead 

[Flybhoy]

1 minute ago, Moses Supposes said:

Which was absolutely typical of the utterly shambolic wha's like us approach to the whole project. 

With all due respect, likeable eccentric that he was, Ally McLeod came across as out of his depth at that level and, dare I say it, a bit of a clown. 

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

2 minutes ago, wellinwigan said:

Was also there when the Miller /Hanson comedy act let the Russians take the lead 

No one was laughing.

[Jacksgranda]

Should have done better in 1974, too.

Threw it away in the qualifiers in 1966.

Knocked out in a play off by the runners up in 1962.