12803279_1722119151358789_1975663132105873586_n

This picture I bought at the same time as the Under-23 one from the other day. This is the full squad for a game a couple of months later against Peru at Hampden in April, 1972. The biggest talking point was the return of Denis Law after years out in the International Wilderness returning to the Scotland side at the age of 32. According to the Evening Times, Denis ran the show, not only with his skill but with his enthusiasm and drive, encouraging more out of the Scottish players than they thought possible. Scotland won 2-0 with Denis scoring the second goal and John O’Hare providing the first.
As to Peru, they apparently had some good players among those highlighted by Malcolm Munro in the Evening Times was one Juan Munante and also Teofilo Cubillas. Cubillas has enthralled the crowd with his ball skills; “ he had the crowd going when at top speed he raced upfield, juggling the ball with his knees – not because he particularly wanted to but because that was the way the ball was bouncing”. One to look out for that guy and as well as the two mentioned Hector Chumpitaz also played at Hampden in 1972 that night. All three played in Argentina but Chumpitaz would also return to Hampden in September, 1979 as the teams played out a 1-1 draw.
Remarkably Asa Hartford was given his Scotland debut that night and he too would face the Peruvians three times. Also, playing their first games were Killie goalkeeper Ally Hunter and Willie Donachie. The unlucky ones, in this photo are once more Ian Phillip and Firhill legend Denis McQuade as they were the only two never to be capped by Scotland at full International level.
The Scotland team that night were; Ally Hunter, John Brownlie, Willie Donachie, Willie Carr, Eddie Colquhoun, Bobby Moncur, Willie Morgan, Asa Hartford, John O’Hare, Denis Law and Archie Gemmill. Unusually there were no subs used by Scotland.
As for Gemmill and O’Hare’s club team Derby County; they played the second leg of their Texaco Cup Final against Airdrie that night too. Derby won 2-1 but there was some controversy; apparently Derby goalkeeper Boulton clearly punched Drew Jarvie and was actually spoken to by the referee and still allowed to play on, further to that there was a dodgy penalty decision. Scotland League Secretary Tommy Maule was demanding that in future the referees for the finals be neutral. Despite these comments the referee Mr. Jack Taylor would go on to be one of the most famous refs in history for giving Holland a penalty in the first minute of the 1974 World Cup Final.

David Stuart