The Scotland Epistles Football Magazine

First posted on Facebook on October 15th, 2016

Happy Birthday to Bert McCann who will turn 84 today. Bert played for Scotland 5 times in the late 50’s and early sixties. Motherwell at this time provided quite a few players to the National team including Ian St. John, Andy Weir. Willie Hunter, Pat Quinn, John Martis and Bert.
Bert was first capped in May, 1958 and played at what was used to be called wing-half, kind of like a holding midfielder nowadays. Also making their debuts were Motherwell teammates Andy Weir and Ian St. John but it would be another player making his first start too who would make the first impression; John White, then of Falkirk and soon to move South to Tottenham Hotspur scored within the first minute against West Germany. Andy Weir would hit the second in the sixth minute as Scotland got off to a dream start. The Germans would peg them back eight minutes later but a Graham Leggat goal in the 23rd cemented the Scots lead once more and although they would get one back before half-time the game finished 3-2 to Scotland and the 103,415 crowd were sent home happy. Not too bad a crowd for a friendly.
Although Bert was left out for the next few matches, he played every game of the 1959-60 Home International Series. The campaign started against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park, Belfast in October 1959. Scotland would win comfortably 4-0 with goals from Graham Leggat of Fulham, John Hewie of Charlton Athletic, John White, by then a Spurs player and George Mulhall of Aberdeen.
Next up was a home game at Hampden in November v Wales. The legendary John Charles would score the Welsh opener but Graham Leggat would hit back early in the second half to give Scotland the draw.
The final game of the series was in April, 1960 and Bert was once more in the line-up. Starting their first games were Frank Haffey of Celtic and Alex Young of Hearts. 129,783 turned up at Hampden as Scotland took on the Auld Enemy. Once more Graham Leggat would score to put Scotland in front but a second half Bobby Charlton penalty would see the teams play out a 1-1 draw. Apparently, the Scots were the better team in this game but were unable to convert their chances, however most of the reports at the time suggest the referring by Mr. Skranko of Hungary was bewildering; he awarded 55 free kicks and England two penalties; one of which Charlton missed and was the allowed to take again due to a movement of the ball in the swirling wind– he missed that too.
If that was to be Bert’s last cap then perhaps he could have been quite happy with his Scotland career, however he was to earn one more cap at Wembley, 1961. Frank Haffey was to make his second and last appearance there too. Scotland lost 9-3 and we won’t go into too many details on that one!
Bert would go on to play for Motherwell until 1965 and move on briefly to Hamilton Accies.
In searching for a photo of Bert, this team one was the only one I could find. This is the line-up for that ill-fated match. The team is as follows; Bobby Shearer, Eric Caldow, Frank Haffey, Billy McNeill, Bert McCann, Dave MacKay
John MacLeod, Denis Law, Ian St. John, Pat Quinn, Davie Wilson, 12th and perhaps lucky man Duncan Mackay.

David Stuart.

First posted on Facebook on October 14th, 2016

At a time when Scotland needs heroes, born today in 1909 Douglas ‘Dally’ Duncan could be classed as one. Dally played all of his football in England and at a time when Anglos weren’t that popular, he played for Scotland 14 times during his time with Derby County scoring 7 goals. His most celebrated goals must be the two he scored against England in April, 1935 to give Scotland the 2-0 win.
Although perusing through Brian James’ England v Scotland book published in 1969 it suggests that this particular game was one of the poorest in years. Contemporary newspaper reports suggest that the 30,000 locked out of the game were the more fortunate rather than the 130,000 “locked in”.
Duncan scored his goals in either side of half time. The great Hughie Gallacher would make his final appearance in the blue of Scotland that day. Scotland were captained by Jimmy Simpson of Rangers, father of Celtic legend Ronnie that day.
The Scotland line up was Jackson (Chelsea), Anderson (Hearts), Cummings (Partick Thistle), Massie (Hearts), Simpson, Brown (both Rangers), Napier (Celtic), Walker (Hearts), Gallacher (Derby County), McPhail (Rangers), Duncan (Derby County).
Duncan in later years would manage Blackburn Rovers and would be in charge of one Ally MacLeod during this time. Dally passed away in 1990.

David Stuart

First posted on Facebook on October 14th, 2016

Happy Birthday to Steven Thompson who turns 38 today.
Steven played for Dundee United, Rangers, Cardiff City and Burnley as well as turning out for his home town team of St. Mirren. Steven was also capped 16 times for Scotland scoring 3 goals.
Unfortunately all of Steven’s caps were won under Berti Vogts; so he tasted defeat so much more than victory. His first cap was as a Dundee United player and came on the same night as Berti’s Scotland managerial debut. Which means he took part in a 5-0 humping by France in the Stade De France in March, 2002. Steven would only play for the last 27 minutes coming on for Dunfermline’s Stevie Crawford. Steven would start the next game and played the first 75 minutes at Pittodrie as Scotland lost 2-1 to Nigeria.
However, he would taste victory soon enough as Scotland took on the might of the Hong Kong League Select as part of the Reunification Cup in May, 2002. Kevin Kyle would open the scoring after 22 minutes and Steven would add the second 14 minutes later with Christian Dailly and Scot Gemmill grabbing another two in the second half.
Steven would then play in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Denmark at Hampden in August, 2002. A month later and he would mostly be a spectator as a rather inept Scotland team lost two goals in quick succession to the Faroes in Toftir in a game which they were lucky to escape with a point thanks to goals from Paul Lambert and Barry Ferguson. Steven would play for the last 7 minutes replacing Scot Dobie of West Brom. A bad way to start a Euro campaign.
A month later and Scotland gained a good result in Reykjavik winning 2-0 due to goals from Christian Dailly and Gary Naysmith. Steven’s 7th and last cap as a Dundee United player came a few days later in a 3-1 friendly win against Canada at Easter Road with Stevie Crawford hitting a double and Thompson scoring the other.
Another friendly in February, 2003 saw the Scots lose 2-0 to the Republic of Ireland at Hampden with Steven coming on as sub for Stevie Crawford in the 64th minute. By this time Steven was a Rangers player. With Berti there was always friendlies and in most cases defeats as happened in April, 2003 in front of a sparse crowd of 12,189 as Scotland took on Austria. Steven played in the first half swapping with Crawford at half time but by then all the goals had been scored and unfortunately both had went Austria’s way.
Kenny Miller at this point begins to establish himself in the Scotland team and Steven will start to disappear from the International scene. He does however, make two appearances against Germany in the 2004 Euro Qualifiers. In the home tie v Germany in June 2003, Steven comes on in the 89th minute for Kenny Miller. Miller had scored a second half equaliser to give Scotland the draw.
A few days before the game in Germany in September, Steven was given 15 minutes against the Faroes at Hampden as the Scots ran out 3-1 winners with goals from Neil McCann, Paul Dickov and James McFadden.
As to the Germany game, Steven was given the full ninety minutes in Dortmund. Scotland put in a good performance but came away 2-1 losers. Thompson had set up the Scotland goal in the 60th minute with the prefect cross for McCann to volley into the net. However, Maurice Ross was sent off six minutes later and Scotland’s chances of getting back into the game faded after that. Of course, this is the game that Christian Dailly is heard shouting “Cheats and Divers” during Berti’s post-match interview obviously unhappy with the soft penalty award in the 60th minute for Germany.
Steven would play in a couple of preferably forgotten home friendlies in 2004 as Scotland lost to Romania and Hungary before playing in the last ten minutes of a World Cup Qualifier against Norway at Hampden, which was lost one nil. (Why the SFA allowed Berti to continue at the start of the 2006 Qualifiers is hard to fathom?).
Steven won his 16th and final cap in Chisinau, Moldova in a World Cup Qualifier. Moldova would take the lead in the 28th minute through Dadu but Steven would equalise with a well taken goal in the 33rd minute and that was how it finished in both the game and for Steven.
Steven would go on play for Cardiff City and Burnley before returning home to play for St. Mirren. Steven retired from football at the tail end of last season but is regularly seen as a pundit for the BBC.
Happy Birthday Steven and all the best.

David Stuart

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?