The Scotland Epistles Football Magazine

Okay so I’ve used this photo before but every time Alan kept posting it on here it was shown in mini me size and no one could see it ‘til eventually it disappeared altogether. It is of course Joe ‘Jaws’ Jordan from the 1974 World Cup in the final game against Yugoslavia and a favourite strip of mine, which at the start of the game was accessorised with a matching white sweat band.
Two things about Joe Jordan though. His goalscoring record was 11 goals in 52 appearances but Joe was not one to score in meaningless games, only one would come in a friendly. Among his other ten were four goals in World Cups; against Zaire and Yugoslavia in 1974, against Peru in 1978 and his last one being against the Soviet Union in Spain 1982.
His most famous goal was of course his first against Czechoslovakia in 1973 to send us to the World Cup in 1974. He also scored again against the Czechs in the qualifying for ’78 and I believe he had a hand in our penalty award against Wales at Anfield in the same campaign. His other World Cup Qualifying goal came against Sweden for the successful ’82 campaign. Two other goals in Euro qualifiers didn’t see us get through to the group stages as our Euro record was pitiful around that time.
Finally his last goal was in a 2 nil win against England in the Home Internationals of 1974 prior to heading to Germany, although the goal was deflected in by an England defender.
The other thing I always seem to remember is an interview by Scotsport or the BBC with Peru players prior to Argentina and asked who they feared in the Scotland team and the reply came ‘Hoe Hordan’, oh how we laughed . . . until we cried!