The Scotland Epistles Football Magazine

Happy Birthday Ted MacDougall who will be 69 on the 8th January. I suppose if you weren’t around in the seventies there’s a good chance, you don’t know who Ted MacDougall was. Winter of ’71 was big news; with Led Zeppelin releasing Zeppelin IV or the Four Symbols album or whatever you want to call it and ever since, somewhere someone is playing Stairway to Heaven on guitar but even more bizarrely the Montreux Casino burned down when Frank Zappa and the Mothers were playing and ever since that somewhere someone is playing ‘Smoke on the Water’ on the guitar.

But, even bigger than that on the football front; Ted MacDougall on November 20th scored 9 goals, yes 9 goals in a FA Cup tie for Bournemouth against Margate, which is still a Cup record. This story was everywhere for a few weeks and Ted would have big money moves to Manchester United, then West Ham, neither of which really worked out for him before landing at Carrow Road and in the yellow of Norwich.  It was there that Ted rediscovered his scoring touch and was selected by Willie Ormond for Scotland in 1975.

1975. Whenever I think of 1975 for Scotland I automatically think of Wembley and that 5-1 stuffing by England and as such think it was a terrible year for Scotland. However, if truth be told Willie Ormond was beginning to shape a team that would eventually dominate the Home Internationals in 1976 and 77. Scotland’s record that year was P10 W4 D5 L1 F15 A12. Okay there were an awful lot of draws but overall it wasn’t too bad.

Scotland’s Euro qualification was always in doubt after a 2-1 defeat to Spain in the first qualifying game. However, we started ’75 with a credible 1-1 in Valencia with Joe Jordan shocking the hosts with a goal in two minutes. It took until the 67th minute for Spain to get the equaliser through Mejido. It is in our next game that Ted makes his debut a friendly versus Sweden in Gothenburg where Ted scores the equaliser in the 86th minute. Ted started upfront in attacking team that contained Celts Kenny Dalglish and Lou Macari with Rangers forward Derek Parlane in it. Also, making their debut that night was Stewart Kennedy; the goalkeeper not the full back and Billy Hughes of Sunderland made his only appearance coming on for Graeme Souness in the second half. (Billy was mentioned in an article last year and Neil Emslie commented “Billy Hughes had a shoe shop in Sunderland called; you guessed it . . . Billy’s Shoes.”) Priceless.

Another friendly in May saw us beat Portugal one nil with Ted retaining his place, an Artur own goal saw us win that one.

Next up the Home Internationals and what looked like a pummelling by the Welsh after they went 2-0 up in 35 minutes but goals by the late Colin Jackson and a thunderbolt by Bruce Rioch saw us come away with a two all draw. A 3-0 win against Northern Ireland with Ted scoring in the 15th minute; followed by goals from Dalglish and Parlane saw Scotland heading towards with some confidence, after all England had drawn with both the Irish and Welsh in the preceding games. Nuff said.

June and it was back to Euro action and again a good draw in Bucharest against Romania with Gordon McQueen scoring in the 89th minute. After playing five games in a row Ted was omitted from this one nor did he face Denmark away in September with Joe Harper, then of Hibs netting the only goal in Copenhagen.

Ted started in the return game as the Scots beat Denmark 3-1 with Dalglish, Bruce Rioch and Ted scoring the goals in October at Hampden. However, the final game in the qualifiers once more saw us draw 1-1 with Romania but for Ted he was replaced by Andy Gray of Aston Villa and was given the final 17 minutes which was his final time in a Scotland shirt. Too many draws we see us fail to reach the Euro finals.

1976 would see Willie Ormond try out a few more forwards including Willie Pettigrew, Derek Johnstone and Joe Craig and so no place was to be found for Ted who can look back with some pride on his time with Scotland scoring 3 goals in 7 games. Ted returned to Bournemouth and Dean Court in 1978 for a couple of seasons and is so revered there that in 2013 a stand was named after him

And finally of course, Ted’s 9 goals wasn’t the biggest football story that winter; there was the little matter of a 4-1 trouncing of a team in green and white hoops by a team in red and yellow but I might have mentioned that before and ever since, somewhere, some Jags fan is telling someone about it.

David Stuart

Pilot, that Edinburgh Supergroup called it correctly in the opening line of their 1975 chart-topper – ”January -Sick and tired, you’ve been hanging on me.”

I hate the cold, dark, miserable, month of January and that Rabbie Burns does nothing to lift the gloom. Truth be told I much preferred Kenny Burns [20 caps and 1 goal between 1974 and 1981] and Tommy Burns [8 caps between 1981 and 1988]. Incidently, Kenneth and Thomas [no relation] failed to ‘overlap’ by just three days with Kenny’s final Scotland appearance being in a 2-0 defeat against Wales at Swansea on 16 May 1981 whilst on 19 May 1981 Tommy made his debut at Hampden Park in a 2-0 victory over a Northern Ireland side that included Martin O’Neill.

Well belated Happy Birthday to ex-Scotland defender Alan McLaren. Normally I don’t do belated but on Monday I got up knowing who and what I was going to write about but life had other plans as I was befelled by the dreaded lurgy. Yep. Man Flu hit the Stuart household as it always does at this time of year and strikes down, this normally fit and virile man in his prime. So it’s taken a while to get round to finishing it. Anyway, Alan I hope you had a great day on your 45th birthday on the 4th January.

Alan first featured, as a Hearts player for Scotland in our final three pre-tournament friendlies prior to the European Championship finals in Sweden. He started against the U.S. in the Mile High Stadium in Denver, USA that ended in a 1-0 victory for Scotland with Pat Nevin supplying the winner in the 7th minute. Duncan Ferguson would come on as a sub that night to make his debut also.

Both, McLaren and Ferguson would start the next game Toronto, Canada where the Scots recorded a 3-1 victory in the Varsity Stadium. Gary McAllister with two including a penalty and Ally McCoist hit the goals that night. Next stop Norway and a nil nil draw with the hosts in Oslo.

McLaren did make the squad for the Finals but did not get to make an appearance and would have to wait until November ’92 before being reinstated to the team. This was a World Cup Qualifier against Italy but by then Scotland had already lost to Switzerland in Berne at the wonderfully named Wankdorf Stadion and drawn nil nil at home to Portugal. The Swiss game was the one where Richard Gough was sent off for handball; that Andy Roxburgh later explained had been ‘instinctive’ after the ball hit off a sprinkler and went above his head. So instinctive and ingrained in the modern day footballer it is, that to this day players get sent off for this every other weekend. The Italy game was also to finish nil nil and Scotland were already playing catch up to qualify.

Scotland won their first qualifier in February ’93 when they defeated Malta 3-0 at Ibrox with two goals from Ally McCoist and one from Pat Nevin with a defence made up of Alan, Dave McPherson then of Rangers, Tom Boyd of Celtic and playing in his final game Alex McLeish.

Alan was to play in a one nil friendly defeat to Germany at Hampden a month later and was perhaps fortunate to miss the next qualifier as Scotland were truly humbled 5-0 to Portugal in Lisbon in April.

June ’93 he played in the 3-1 win over Estonia in September, missed a game against Switzerland but was returned to the fold by Craig Brown in October in his first game in charge and in fact he would play in 16 of Craig’s first 18 games. He would flit between full and centre back wherever Craig needed him and performed well.

Brown’s first two games were our away Qualifiers to Italy and Malta. Scotland lost the first one 3-1 and won the second 2-0. Friendlies then followed a 1-0 nil defeat to the Dutch at Hampden who also failed to reach USA ’94 in March, then a 2-1 victory over Austria in Vienna with John McGinlay and Billy McKinlay supplying the goals in April and a return game against the Dutch in Utrecht in May ’94, which we also lost 3-1.

Euro ’96 qualifying started with a good win in Helsinki, Finland with Duncan Shearer and John Collins scoring to give us a 2-0 win in September ’94. This was followed by a 5-1 whipping of the Faroe Islands at Hampden in October ’94 as our good start continued.  This was Alan’s 14th Scotland cap and was to be his last as a Hearts player as he moved to Rangers prior to the next qualifier.

At this point we seemed to stutter a bit with a one all draw with Russia in November at Hampden and then in late December a narrow defeat to Greece in Athens followed in March ’95 with a credible blank score draw with Russia in Moscow to follow.

San Marino were beaten rather unconvincingly in Serraville in April ’95 2-0 with John Collins scoring a first half goal and Colin Calderwood completing the scoring in 85th minute.

May ’95 and it was Kirin Cup duty for the first time; Alan played in both games, the first a 0-0 draw with the hosts in Hiroshima, followed by a 2-1 win over Ecuador in Toyama. Our scorers that day were John Robertson of Hearts and Stevie Crawford, then of Raith Rovers on his Scotland debut.

For some further reading on this tour of Japan, can I suggest you read #2 of the Epistles magazine for Scott Kelly’s excellent “Japan Because You Can” article? Only £2 from eBay as usual.

Then it was back on Euro duty in June with a 2-0 win in the Faroes with two goals in four minutes from Billy McKinlay and John McGinlay midway through the first half once more seeing us through.

Alan would only miss one game in the whole qualifying campaign and it would perhaps be the most vital as Scotland through an Ally McCoist goal saw off Greece at Hampden. Russia had taken full points from Greece and with two teams qualifying it meant Scotland had two games to make sure of qualification. Unusually for Scotland, we never fell at the first hurdle and beat Finland in September ’95 to qualify for Euro ’96 in England. A Scott Booth goal in the first ten minutes was enough to see us through.

A friendly, a month later against Sweden in Stockholm, saw Scotland lose 2-0, which would be our only defeat in the calendar year of 1995 in 9 games.

November, ’95 and our last qualifier saw us in celebratory mood, pummel San Marino 5-0 with goals from Eoin Jess, Scott Booth, Ally McCoist, Pat Nevin and a Francini own goal in the 90th minute at Hampden.

However, for Alan McLaren and Scotland the tale ends there as injury would see him fail to make England ’96 and indeed he would never play again for the National side as knee injuries began to plague his career. Alan would retire from prematurely in his late twenties.

As you can see, Alan did make the sticker sets for Euro ’96 but I imagine it would be little consolation for Alan who with the right bit of luck may well have went on to win well over 50 caps for Scotland but we will never really know. All the best Alan.

David Stuart

It’s been a busy year for the Scotland Epistles, we have launched two issues, produced countless articles for the Facebook page and also set up a website.

Obviously the idea of the magazine was to sell at Scotland games and hopefully sell enough to at least cover our costs but as you guys know we haven’t been that successful at it. I think a lot of people don’t know what we were selling and kind of looked at us as if we were odd to be selling such a thing, mind you a lot of the same people were shelling out a fiver a time for a programme without giving it a thought.

Alan Nelson ditched the idea of selling fairly quickly as it was interrupting with his drinking time. It took Robert and me until the Poland game to come up with that one and so we went for a beer and quickly realised that needing a piss also gets in the road of selling. My son Ewan, did valiantly try to sell some until at the Poland game some jobsworth from the council told him he couldn’t do it without a licence. WTF!

Special mentions go to Robert’s wife and friend for giving the selling a go. To Scott Kelly and Kevin Donnelly for the effort they also put into it and finally to Robert’s ex-colleague Annie MacDonald for selling so many as well.

It continued to be a good seller on eBay and thanks to everyone who bought it on there too.

Then there was the Facebook page, if you look back to 2014 you will see there were hardly any posts and they were very short. Alan came up with the idea of us writing small articles to keep interest going and it kind of snowballed from there, although I think in my first article I got a few things wrong so much so that eventually Alan deleted it. We have had a lot of articles that pushed numbers up including some postcards of Hampden, articles on Eoin Jess, Ally McCoist and Johnny McKenzie. I reckon we’ve written at least 50,000 words on the page at least this year. So thanks to everyone who has commented, liked and shared articles throughout the year taking us from 100 followers to well over 400.

Finally we launched the website, which is doing okay although can still be a bit hard to find but by and large the response has been very positive. It contains all the Facebook articles and some have been expanded with different photos and videos attached. Sometimes my Facebook articles are posted on there first as Alan is not always able to post straightaway so it’s worth a having a peek there too regularly. It also has a lot of sections on collectables such as programmes, cards, stickers as well as team photos and other interesting things.

So we hope you’ve enjoyed our output over the year and hope you will continue to do so in 2016. So Happy New Year to you all and all the best to you and yours in 2016.

David Stuart

The start of the year seems so far away; we had had a good start in 2014 to our Euro qualifying with a narrow defeat to Germany, followed by our close victory over Georgia at Ibrox, then a good point in Warsaw and finally a great win against the Irish at Celtic Park. Seven points on the board and we were happy enough knowing we had qualification in our hands.

The downside would be the defeat to England but we shrugged that one aside; we had gotten the result we needed against the Republic and that was what counted.

The first outing in 2015 was a rather insipid 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in front of a sparse crowd due to the rip off ticket prices, this was followed a few days later with the Gibraltar game at home. Despite the rather embarrassing moment of the Gibraltan equaliser, the job was done and we at last had that hat-trick. (That reminds me wouldn’t it be good if someone wrote an article all about the players who managed to hit a double but were unable to reach three over the years. Well, someone already did and it will be available in issue 4 of the Scotland Epistles coming soon.) What I remember most about this game was how bloody freezing it was!

Another poor friendly against Qatar was next at Easter Road but at least we won a cup and I’m sure it will look good in the museum in years to come. Away to the Republic was a fairly poor performance and we started to get a wee bit worried about qualifying. Tbilisi and once more the wheels fell aff the barra. Again, a lacklustre showing and no evidence of any immediacy or desire to win the game; more of a just stick to the plan and a goal will come mentality.

The Germany (on a bloody Monday night!) and Polish home games both had moments of ecstasy but ultimately agony as we gave away goals too easily and never had that wee bit of luck that could have seen us through. However, we lost out to three teams that were beatable; the Germans were a pale shadow of the World Cup winning side and never really performed to their best. We did well to take points off of Poland but late goals scuppered us twice and as for the Republic; a very ordinary but determined team that got some of the breaks that we didn’t but perhaps they were merited by their resilience to keep going and get the result needed.

Party time in Portugal against Gibraltar was an anti-climax but it was a decent performance and a fillip to WGS as he decided to stay as manager. Whether he has the managerial nous to get us through to Russia 2018 we will see but the lack of depth in the squad and very few youngsters pushing for places is worrying.

However, that said 2015 is now in the past and in the past it must remain but we can still rise and be a footballing nation again. England awaits and Scotland expects. Don’t let us down boys!

Part 2 will look at the year from the Scotland Epistles, Bullshit & Thistles perspective.

David Stuart

Charlie Nicholas will be 54 on December 30th. It’s fair to say that Charlie had a great start to his Scotland career with that wonder strike against Switzerland but sadly it could be argued that was the pinnacle of his time in the dark blue of Scotland.

It had all started so well that night on 30th March, 1983 in a European Championship Qualifier against Switzerland at Hampden. Charlie’s form for Celtic that season had merited him starting upfront in his first International alongside Kenny Dalglish.

Scotland’s qualifying campaign had already faltered despite an opening win against East Germany at Hampden; two successive defeats in Belgium and Switzerland had Scotland already looking as though we were on our way out of the competition.

Also, making his debut that night was Richard Gough, then of Dundee United.

Scotland did not get off to a great start that evening as the Swiss went in to an early lead and had doubled it in 57 minutes. John Wark scored for Scotland in the 70th minute following a great through ball by Paul McStay. Six minutes later and a flick with his right foot and a volley on his left saw Charlie set Hampden alight. A star was born or so we thought.

Charlie started in two of the following Home International games a nil nil draw with Northern Ireland and a two nil defeat to England at Wembley. Scotland had beaten Wales two nil at Ninian Park in between with goals from Alan Brazil and Andy Gray.

A tour of Canada saw Scotland play the hosts three times in quick succession; Charlie would start in all three games scoring in the second match as Scotland ran out 3-0 winners.

October 1983 saw Charlie start against Belgium in our penultimate qualifier. Belgium had already qualified and it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 30th minute. However, the Scots pulled one back as Charlie scored following a great flick on from Kenny Dalglish. This would be Charlie’s first cap as an Arsenal player. There’s been thousands of words said about Charlie’s wisdom in picking Arsenal and the lights of London over a host of other teams to join, suffice to say I’m not going to add to it.

Charlie would miss quite a few games over the next few months and now found himself down the pecking order with Mo Johnston then of Watford, having come into the team. Charlie came on as a sub in a 2-0 away defeat to France in a friendly in June 1984 and a few months later would do so again in that astonishing 6-1 thrashing of Yugoslavia at Hampden with Nicholas completing the rout with the last goal.

In October, Charlie scored his fifth Scotland goal in only his tenth international, once more coming on as a sub at Hampden in a World Cup Qualifier against Iceland. Scotland won 3-0 with a first half double from Paul McStay starting the scoring. This would be Charlie’s final Scotland goal as he failed to find the net in his last ten games for the national side.

Another subs appearance in February 1985 against Spain in a World Cup Qualifier coming on in the last six minutes for Steve Archibald in Seville. Scotland lost one nil but had already produced a great performance against Spain in the previous November, winning 3-1 with Maurice Johnston scoring a double.

Next up was a poor team performance against Wales at Hampden which saw Ian Rush score the only goal in a vital qualifier. Charlie once more was only given a brief appearance coming on in the 75th minute for Paul McStay as Scotland desperately sought that equaliser.

It would be Alex Ferguson who would give Charlie his next cap; having exiled Mo Johnston from the Scotland scene for disciplinary issues Fergie started with Charlie in a friendly against Israel in Tel Aviv on January 28th, 1986 as part of our preparation for the World Cup in Mexico. Scotland won 1-0 with Paul McStay scoring the goal.

A satisfying 3-0 defeat of Romania at Hampden was to follow in March with goals from with Gordon Strachan, Richard Gough and Roy Aitken proving the goals against a team that included Gheorghe Hagi. Charlie came on as a half time sub for Graeme Sharp. Kenny Dalglish won his 100th cap that night.

Charlie started in the Rous Cup match against England in April at Wembley with Scotland losing 2-1 with Graeme Souness scoring with a penalty for the Scots.

June 4th and Charlie was given a starting place against Denmark in our World Cup opener. This took place at Estadio Neza, Netzahualcoyotl in front of a crowd of 18,000; Elkjaer-Larsen scored the only goal of the game to give the Danes a victory.

Charlie was dropped in favour of Steve Archibald for the next game; a 2-1 defeat to West Germany and was then given the last twenty frustrating minutes against Uruguay as a toothless Scotland failed to score the goal that would have seen us go through to the next round.

With strikers such as Nicholas, Archibald, Sharp, McAvennie and Sturrock all having a chance to shine in Mexico and failing, it is perhaps all too easy to suggest that Mo Jo might have made a difference but he certainly couldn’t have done any worse.

Andy Roxburgh in his first game in charge would bring Maurice Johnston back in and would also play Charlie up alongside him. However, Scotland would fail to score in a 0-0 game with Bulgaria in a Euro Qualifier at Hampden.

Charlie would make his penultimate appearance for Scotland coming on for Brian McClair against England in a Rous Cup match at Hampden in May 1987, again Scotland failed to score as they drew 0-0.

It would be almost two years later and as an Aberdeen player, where there was a resurgence in his career, that Charlie would gain his final cap coming on for Pat Nevin for the final sixteen minutes against Cyprus. Mo Johnston and Ally McCoist had already put Scotland into a 2-1 lead and that was the final score as Scotland inched closer to a qualifying for Italia ’90.

So that was it for Charlie, if only if only but that is the story for many a Scotland striker. Overall, Charlie’s time as a Scotland player wasn’t the success that we all had hoped and I suppose sometimes that’s why it can be particularly irksome to hear him criticise the national team on Sky Sports but still there’s always the Swiss goal to remember him by.

So Charlie, Happy Birthday and all the best and maybe have a wee drink to celebrate. Mebbe no champagne tho’, eh?

David Stuart

So I hope you all had a great Christmas. Me, I was working but it was okay so don’t feel too sorry for me. As for presents, well the wife does have a hard job buying for me as I never really seem to want anything or so she claims but hey I’m not on here to complain.

I don’t tend to want football tops as I generally don’t wear them; so at least I was spared the hideous home top and I am even more thankful for notgetting the pink away one. So she was going to have to settle on buying me a couple of books, which if you don’t know what I’ve got and don’t know want I want can be a bit difficult and it’s even harder when there’s is no such thing as the Scotland Epistles, Bullshit & Thistles annual. So how did she score; surprisingly 2 for 2; sort of.

It’s one of those things that the night of 26th September, 1973 is ingrained in our memories, however we rarely give a thought to the three vital games before this.

Scotland started their World Cup ’74 campaign with Tommy Docherty in charge and with a tricky away match in Copenhagen against Denmark. Although, Denmark were seen as one of the weakest teams in Europe; Scotland’s last trip in a Euro Qualifier in June ’71 had seen us lose one nil to a Finn Laudrup goal. Finn was of course father to the Laudrup brothers Brian and Michael.

Docherty was still tinkering with his team trying to get that right mixture of experience and youth. The line-up for the first game on October 16th, 1972 was Bobby Clark, John Brownlie, Alex Forsyth, Billy Bremner, Eddie Colquhoun, Martin Buchan, Peter Lorimer, Lou Macari, Jimmy Bone, George Graham and Willie Morgan.

In the video clip you can see Lash Lorimer at his best hitting a typical thunderbolt leading to a corner. The corner he hits equally as hard and Macari gets on the end of it to score in 17 minutes. Two minutes later and from a short corner (which sees the normally reliant Arthur Montford describe Morgan as Alex Forsyth), it’s George Graham who hits one across the box for Jimmy Bone of Norwich City to score his only Scotland goal but then again he only ever played twice.

Finn Laudrup interrupts the Scots scoring with a nicely placed free kick which I’m sure his sons would have been proud of.

Into the second half and Bone has been replaced by Joe Harper in 65 minutes, by the 66th minute Joe has scored after some neat play and a nice back heel by Lou Macari. A minute later and Harper hits the post before Lorimer deftly flicks to Morgan for goal number 4.

There is no record of whether or not the players went for a pint after the game that night.

A month later at Hampden and there are some changes to the team with David Harvey winning his first cap in goal. Willie Donachie is in for Alex Forsyth; Kenny Dalglish and Joe Harper start up front in place of Bone and Macari.

Four minutes in and a Lorimer corner is again fired back in by Graham and Dalglish justifies his inclusion by putting Scotland one up. From the second half kick off, a ball is played into the area by Graham, headed on by Dalglish and then Lorimer gets on the end of it to score. Lorimer, however would be sent off in the 87th minute for retaliation.

It finished 2-0 and this would be Docherty’s last game in charge. These two games were vital in getting the Scots to the finish line, however, the third game I mentioned took place long after Docherty had departed for the filthy lucre at Old Trafford. In May, 1973 Czechoslovakia travelled to Copenhagen for their World Cup opener. The Czechs drew 1-1 leaving Scotland with the prospect of winning at Hampden in September, 1973 and qualifying for the World Cup.

And we all know what happened there.

David Stuart

They say that although growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional – well I choose not to. So whilst a Christmas present from the Ann Summers shop is all fine and well, I will be very disappointed if there are not some footie-related gifts in my stocking – [which incidently, is sheer black nylon with perfumed red love-hearts] – be they Panini stickers, trading cards or a hard-back annual.

I must admit though, I still miss going along to the old Lewis’ Department Store in Glasgow’s Argyle Street, sitting on the knee of a someone dressed in a tight-fitting red and white outfit then reciting a Christmas wish list which included replica football jerseys, football books, a Jim Farry snowglobe and various Subbuteo accessories. All good things must come to an end however and as I was thirty-five at the time of my last visit and ‘Santa’ was the wife’s sister you could say I had a good innings.

Anyway, this Christmas what I want, what I really, really want is for Scotland to be given a last-minute, wild-card entry to next year’s Euros. [Let it go, Robert – equally depressed Editor]. Failing which, I’ll settle for the re-introduction of the Official [ie SFA authorised] Scotland Football Annual. As far as I am aware only three were produced- for 2009, 2010 and 2011. The content often ranged from the childish [wordsearch games] to the cringeworthy [Tartan Army tributes] but I enjoyed them anyway.

In the 2009 annual there was an A-Z of manager George Burley. Z was for Zero – the number of SPL matches he lost during his time as Hearts manager. Other ‘highlights’ included a review of our near-miss 2008 Euro qualifying campaign – apparently we were ‘A team re-born’ and Questions and Answers sections with several players in which it was revealed that if they hadn’t become footballers Barry Ferguson would have been a roofer, Stephen McManus a Fireman and Scott Brown a Bin man.Meanwhile an interview with Julie Fleeting reminded us that she scored over 100 goals for the Scotland Women’s team – kind of puts Law, Dalglish, McCoist etc in the shade doesn’t it?

By the time the 2010 annual came out Scotland were not going to the World Cup Finals in South Africa and as such the publication went heavy on a nostalgic look at great players and matches from the past including Alan Morton, Billy Bremner, Gary McAllister and Scotland’s 3-1 win over Spain in a World Cup qualifier in 1984. Looking ahead, there was Billy Stark’s next batch with special mentions for James Forrest [Celtic], Paul Hanlon [Hibs],Callum Booth [Hibs], John Fleck [Rangers] and Alex MacDonald – the Burnley striker who was on loan at Falkirk at the time. There was also a spotlight on five supporters so if anyone wants to ‘fess up’, now’s your chance.

When the 2011 annual appeared Craig Levein was manager and so the pages were numbered four, six, zero….A photograph of the then SFA President George Peat was a bit of a bonus. It was the usual formulaic content though whilst this time we were told that the ones to watch were Murray Davidson [St.Johnstone], Kevin McDonald [Burnley], David Goodwillie [Dundee United] and David Wotherspoon [Hibs].

Anyway, Joyeux Noel – as they say in a country that I won’t be visiting next year.

Robert Marshall