The Scotland Epistles Football Magazine

So I just had to share this with someone such is my excitement in that sad collector type way. Do you remember as a child the excitement of a new footballer set or later on, sticker set and all the things you would do to try and complete the set and then it came down to the last card? You would end up giving fifty cards away just to get it.
Well, it’s kind of the same if you’re buying cards on ebay and for some sets there’s always that elusive one and in the case of the A&BC Green back Scottish set of 1970 for me it has been no.151 Doug Fraser of WBA that I have been chasing for nigh on two years. Last week I finally won an auction for it; the price £26.99. Sad but true.
So what has this got to do with Scotland . . . well Doug played for Scotland on two occasions. Right back Doug had started his football days at his hometown club of Aberdeen before moving to West Brom for £23,000 in 1963. His two caps came in 1968 deputising for Tommy Gemmell. Doug made his debut in a blank draw with Netherlands in Amsterdam in May. Teammate Bobby Hope made the first of his two Scotland appearances that night. Other debuts were handed out to Bobby Moncur of Newcastle, George ‘Dandy’ MacLean of Dundee in his only Scotland appearance and replacing Hope after only twelve minutes was Jimmy Smith, then of Aberdeen.
Doug also played in the 5-0 World Cup Qualifier victory over Cyprus in Nicosia in December ’68. Alan Gilzean and Colin Stein both hit a brace with Bobby Murdoch supplying the other goal. That was it for Doug and Scotland.
As for me that is the 1970 set complete. Next up; Alan Gilzean from the 1969 Blue set. How lucky am I?