The Scotland Epistles Football Magazine

First posted on Facebook on May 12th, 2016

Happy Birthday to John Blackley who turns 68 today. John gained 7 caps in total over a period of 4 years from 1973 to 1977 and played for Scotland at the World Cup in West Germany.
All of John’s caps came as a Hibs player where he was a vital part of the defensive make-up of the Hibs side known as ‘Turnbull’s Tornadoes’ in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Of this team; John Brownlie, Erich Schaedler, Pat Stanton, Arthur Duncan, Alex Cropley and latterly Des Bremner would all be capped along with John.
His first cap came against Czechosolvakia in October ‘73 in a World Cup qualifier, which in Davis Cup terms would be classed as a “dead rubber”, with Scotland having qualified for World Cup by virtue of 2-1 victory at Hampden the month before. Willie Ormond’s side was not packed with experience with several others like Tom Forsyth, Tommy Hutchison and David Harvey all winning their second caps. Czech legend Nehoda would score the only goal in Bratislava after seventeen minutes to give Czechoslovakia the win. Donald Ford of Hearts would also make his debut coming on in the 58th minute for Denis Law.
One man’s fortune is another man’s bad luck and so it proved for John as Martin Buchan returned to the Scotland line up in the months leading up to the World Cup playing in the central role alongside Jim Holton, having been dropped after the 5-0 defeat to England in February 1973. However, John’s luck turned and injury to Buchan in the Home International against Wales at Hampden in May ’74 saw John back in the team for the final game in the Championships against England at Hampden. The line-up that day included four players from the Scottish Champions; Celtic and four from the English Champions; Leeds United as well as Sandy Jardine of Rangers, Jim Holton of Manchester United and Blackley. Scotland won 2-0 with goals from Joe Jordan (although it was Mike Pejic of England who got the final touch) and Colin Todd putting in to his own net. This day was famous for Jinky Johnstone’s World Class display and two fingered salute afterwards to the gentlemen of the press.
John retained his place for the first pre-World Cup warm up against Belgium on June 1st, which Scotland lost 2-1 with Jimmy Johnstone scoring the Scots goal. Buchan would return for Scotland’s next game against Norway but was considered too much of a risk to play in Scotland’s World Cup Opener against Zaire on June 14th in the Westfalen Stadion, Dortmund. It is well known Scotland won 2-0 with goals from Peter Lorimer and Joe Jordan. For John this would be his last action of the World Cup as Buchan returned.
John would be on the peripheral of the team over the next few years as the likes of Tom Forsyth, Gordon McQueen and Colin Jackson would be preferred. He would start in three more games for Willie Ormond; the first a friendly against Switzerland in April 1976 which Scotland won 1-0 due to a Willie Pettigrew goal.
He would play in a World Cup Qualifier against Wales at Hampden in November ’76, which Scotland would win by virtue of an Ian Evans own goal and would start the trail to Argentina. John’s final cap was in Willie Ormond’s final game in charge in April 1977. Scotland played Sweden in a friendly at Hampden and comfortably won 3-1 with goals from Hellstrom (o.g. of course), Dalglish and Joe Craig. John would play for the first 76 minutes making way for David Narey who would be making history as first player to be capped whilst playing for Dundee United.
Ally MacLeod never played John but did pick him for a lot of his squads and John is featured in quite a lot of the commercial side of things prior to the World in 1978 i.e. adverts, records, books and even his own beer mat but he was never to play again for Scotland nor did he make the final cut for Argentina.

John would move to Newcastle United in 1978 where he would team up with John Brownlie for a season before moving to Preston North End, Hamilton and finally back to Hibernian for one last hurrah before going into management and coaching for a number of years.
Happy Birthday Sloop and all the best.

David Stuart

Picked up this book on eBay last week. It’s quite enjoyable, not only does it have some interesting photos but some articles written by some members of the Scotland set up in 1978. Among those written is one by John Blackley writing about the World Cup in 1974 titled ‘Zaire – our World Cup Mistake’ in which he talks of the tension before the match and the ultimate failing in not scoring more goals.

Archie Gemmill writes one called ‘Peru must be treated like Brazil’ which suggests caution but towards the end he talks about good it will be for Don (Masson), Bruce (Rioch) and himself to play against players that are older than them such as Chumpitaz and of course Teofilo Cubillas!
Willie Johnston writes one called ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ which is about him getting sent off in the Argentine the year before and how supported he felt by Ally MacLeod then. Oh dear.
Andy Gray talking about his hopes for the World Cup – Oh dear.

Anyway it’s a great wee read and well worth getting a hold of. I will be posting some of the photos in the It Shouldn’t Happen to A Scotland Player section on the website soon too

First posted on Facebook on May 10th, 2016

Happy Birthday to Colin Stein who will celebrate his 69th birthday today. Colin is of course mostly associated with Rangers and indeed was one of the goalscorers in their European Cup Winners cup success of 1972. Colin was capped 21 times for Scotland, scoring ten goals; six of which would come against Cyprus.
Colin was transferred from Hibernian to Rangers in 1968 for what was a record transfer between two Scottish clubs at the time of £100,000. Given his scoring record for Hibs it is surprising that his first cap would come as a Rangers player. Colin was first capped in October, 1968 under Bobby Brown in a friendly against Denmark in Copenhagen.
Also winning their first caps were goalkeeper Jim Herriot of Birmingham City and Tommy McLean of Kilmarnock. Scotland won 1-0 thanks to a Bobby Lennox goal late in the second half.
Denis Law would return for the next game, Scotland’s first World Cup qualifier for Mexico 1970 against Austria at home. Scotland won 2-1 with Law and Billy Bremner grabbing the goals.
December would see Scotland travel to Cyprus next. Stein would line up alongside Alan Gilzean of Spurs in attack. They would both net a double with Bobby Murdoch of Celtic hitting the other as Scotland recorded a 5-0 win.
April, 1969 would see West Germany travel to Hampden in a Qualifier, again Stein would drop out for the returning Law. Bobby Murdoch would grab an 88th minute equaliser following a goal in the first half by Gerd Muller.
Stein would then return to the starting line-up after this and would play and score in the next five games for Scotland.
Scotland started the 1969 British Championships in May, down at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham, in what was a bit of a ding dong of a game with Scotland emerging 5-3 victors. Stein would score the second goal with Billy McNeill, Gilzean, Bremner and Tommy McLean netting the other.
Next up in front of a massive crowd of . . . only 7,483 soaking wet souls Scotland drew 1-1 with Northern Ireland with Stein scoring Scotland’s goal. Apparently the double dunt of the game being televised and terrible weather hit the gate receipts quite badly.
Scotland then faced England in the final game of the Championships at Wembley. Stein would grab a goal but England grabbed four and a woeful day down at Wembley Way way was had.
However, happier times ensued seven days later as Stein would bag a hat-trick plus one, his teammates also scored four more between them with Eddie Gray of Leeds, Billy McNeill, Willie Henderson of Rangers and Tommy Gemmell of Celtic netting a penalty to give Scotland an 8-0 win.
September ’69 and Scotland would face the Republic of Ireland at Dalymount Park, Dublin in a friendly; Stein once more would score, making his tally eight in five games. However, Don Givens would score for the Irish for the game to end in a draw.
Law was out injured at this point and Colin was given a start against West Germany in Hamburg. Scotland needed to get at least a draw to have any chance of progressing to Mexico. Jimmy Johnstone gave them the prefect start with a goal in two minutes. However, a goal on either side of half time would see the Germans take the lead but Alan Gilzean would bring Scotland back into it. Heartache of course awaited the Scots, as Libuda put Germany 3-2 ahead in the 81st minute and with moments remaining Tommy Gemmell was sent off to further dent Scotland’s chances.
Stein would start the next two games on the bench; a 2-0 defeat in Austria followed by a one nil victory in Belfast over Northern Ireland with John O’Hare of Derby scoring. Scotland would fail to score in the next two games of the Home Internationals at home to both Wales and England. Both games ended 0-0 but Colin was denied a stonewall penalty following a lunge by Brian Labone of Everton in the England game, apparently the German referee was the only person in the Stadium that never saw it.
A few poor performances from Scotland at the start of their 1972 Euro Qualifiers, followed by a poor Home Internationals would see Bobby Brown resign from the manager’s post.
Tommy Docherty would take Stein to Brazil in the summer of ‘72 for the Independence Cup where Scotland would play Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and finally hosts Brazil in the Maracana. Stein would be given the final twelve minutes of the Czech match coming on for Denis Law; the game would end nothing each and this would be Stein’s only cap under Docherty and last as a Rangers player.
Willie Ormond would recall Stein in February 1973, now with Coventry City for his first game in charge starting him on the bench but he would only have to wait 19 minutes before coming on for an injured Willie Morgan. Perhaps Willie knew better as Scotland were already 3 down to England and the game would finish 5-0.
Stein’s last hurrah would be in the 1973 Home International series coming on as a sub in the 2-0 victory over Wales, starting in the 2-1 defeat at home to the Irish before a final ten minutes down at Wembley as Scotland suffered a one nil defeat.
Stein would return to Rangers a few years later and then move to Kilmarnock before winding his career down at Elgin City in the Highland League.
Colin’s hat-trick remained as Scotland’s last for almost 46 years when Steven Fletcher finally hit one against Gibraltar. He is still the only player in the modern era to score in six consecutive appearances for his country; a record he shares with Bob Hamilton from the 1900’s. Will we ever see that one broken and indeed he is still the last Scotland player to score four goals in the one game.
Happy Birthday Colin and all the best.

“Seriously, I must have been the only Scottish player alive not to get a cap under Berti. I think back now and there were guys like Gary Holt, Robbie Stockdale and Scott Dobie getting caps ahead of me.
For a spell at United, I was in the best form I’d been in since breaking through at Rangers. I deserved more caps under Berti. No disrespect but I was better than guys like Stockdale and Dobie every day of the week.”
So said Charlie Miller, a couple of years back and it’s probably true. Instead Charlie Miller has one Scotland cap to his name, which came under Craig Brown in April, 2001 in a friendly in Poland which ended 1-1. According to Charlie, he was rotten that night but surely not that bad that Berti would never consider him.
Anyway, Charlie is another for our Scotland Players Abroad Section on the website. He would play Norway, Belgium and in Australia; this is Charlie with Aussie team Gold Coast in 2009-10

First posted on Facebook, May 9th, 2016

Happy Birthday to Big Don who will be 45 today. Although, English born Don was very proud of his father and his father’s Scottish heritage. Don was capped 26 times for Scotland and scored 6 goals. Scotland never lost a game in which he scored.
Don was first capped by Craig Brown as an Everton player, having already played for the likes of Liverpool, West Ham and Sheffield United in March, 1999, coming on as a sub for Gary McAllister in the 64th minute in a Euro Qualifier against the Czech Republic. This would prove to be Gary’s last game for Scotland. Scotland had lost two first half goals and some of the crowd began booing McAllister in the main. Gary would announce his retirement shortly after this game. In the game itself, Scotland would equalise four minutes after this change with Eoin Jess pulling one back, however the game ended 2-1.
Don would start and score in the next game as Scotland played in that horrible salmon pink number of the late ‘90’s. Mind you it didn’t stop them from gaining a famous 1-0 friendly win against Germany in Bremen in April ’99.
Don’s next game would be in September of the same year, where he opened the scoring scrambling the ball home after a Billy Dodds’ header was saved against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo. The home side equalised shortly after but Dodds hit a shot from outside the area to put the Scots in front just before half time and that’s how it finished.
The Czech Republic would be clear winners of the group with 30 points; the Scots had some stumbles along the way with blank score draws in Lithuania and Estonia but would be runners up in the group, seven points ahead of the third placed team.
Don scored again in what was his fifth international as the Scots beat Lithuania 3-0 at Hampden with goals by Don, Gary McSwegan and Colin Cameron, all of which came in the second half.
So Scotland made it to the play-offs and England in November awaited them. Paul Scholes would hit a double at Hampden in the first leg and the advantage was England’s going into the second leg. Four days later and Scotland hit England with everything they could muster in the second leg at Wembley. Don would score with a header in the 39th minute to give us all hope and despite a valiant effort, Scotland could not grasp that vital second goal.

Don won his tenth and final cap with Everton in May 2000 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin in a 2-1 friendly win over the Republic. Craig Burley had scored an own goal two minutes into the game but Don would once again score shortly after and with Barry Ferguson scoring in the 29th minute Scotland came away with the win.
Scotland started their campaign for the World Cup in South Korea and Japan with two away wins; the first in Latvia with Neil McCann hitting the only goal with two minutes remaining. Don started the campaign as a Sunderland player and would resume his goal scoring in the second game as Scotland beat San Marino 2-0 in Serravalle. Matt Elliott scored the other. At this point Don had scored 6 goals in 12 games but would fail to hit the net in his final 14 games for Scotland.
Scotland did a lot of things right in their World Cup campaign; winning both home and away against the minnows; drawing with the ultimate winners of the group Croatia both home and away but in reality it would be the letting Belgium back into the game at Hampden in March 2001 after going in front with two goals and a with player advantage that would see them fail ultimately. Don would play in all the games of the campaign; his 17th cap would come in the home draw against Croatia and as a West Ham player, once again, having moved for a fee of £5million.
Berti Vogts would be a year into his management of Scotland before Don would make an appearance, injury at West Ham had hampered his return to Scotland duty. He would only be given the first 45 minutes of the game against the Republic of Ireland at Hampden in a friendly in February 2003. Scotland had lost two early goals as the game ended with a 2-0 defeat.
Don would win 7 caps under Berti and most would be in pretty forgettable games (as we wish the Berti years were overall); however he would be come on as part of a double substitution in the 65th minute in a Euro Qualifier against Lithuania along with Darren Fletcher who would score five minutes later to help Scotland clinch a playoff place against the Netherlands.
His final Scotland cap would come against the Netherlands in the first leg at Hampden in November, 2003. He would make an scant appearance coming on in the 90th minute for goal scorer James McFadden as Scotland won the first leg 1-0.
Don’s later footballing years were filled with injury issues and his career wound down with stints at Millwall, Coventry and Luton Town.
Happy Birthday Don and all the best.

David Stuart

First posted on Facebook May 7th, 2016

Happy Birthday to Scotland’s most famous dentist and of course Lisbon Lion Jim Craig who will turn 73 today . . . perhaps. Jim’s birthday is also listed as April 30th in places too. His Wikipedia page decides to be ambivalent and gives one date at the top of the page and another on the statistic bit on the side.
Jim belongs to that exclusive club of players who have won just one Scotland cap. Jim was an excellent over-lapping full back who served Celtic very well in over 150 games between 1963 and 1972. He had an eventful European Cup Final, giving away a penalty in only six minutes, which was converted by Mazzola for Inter to take the lead. However, it was Jim’s infield pass to his fellow full back Tommy Gemmell, that Tommy thundered the ball past Sarti for an equaliser in 63 minutes and the rest as they say is history.
Although everyone in the starting eleven in Lisbon would be capped, overall the Lisbon Lions were poorly served by the Scotland team as most would only win a few caps each, and in fact Bertie Auld’s three caps came in 1959 during his first period at Parkhead. As for Jim, his one cap came on November 22nd, 1967 against Wales at Hampden that doubled up as a Home International and Euro Qualifier. Two goals from Alan Gilzean and a third from Ronnie McKinnon saw Scotland overcome Wales 3-2. Looking at the games proceeding and after this, Scotland had a settled full back partnership in Eddie McCreadie and Tommy Gemmell, with Tommy’s absence perhaps being the reason for Jim’s inclusion on that night. Not only would this be Jim’s last appearance in a Scotland shirt but it was also the last of his 34 for Jim Baxter too.
Celtic did provide quite a few full backs for Scotland from the early 60’s through to the 70’s with the likes of Duncan Mackay, Jim Kennedy, Davie Hay, Jim Brogan and the wonderful Daniel Fergus McGrain playing as well as Craig and Gemmell.
So Happy Birthday Jim or even Happy Belated Birthday Jim.

David Stuart

First posted on Facebook May 7th, 2016

Happy Birthday to Garry O’Connor who will turn 33 today. In terms of talent Garry had a bundle and would be capped 16 times for Scotland, scoring 4 goals but sadly he was never to reach his full potential.
Garry’s first cap came under Berti Vogts against Nigeria on 17th April, 2002 up at Pittodrie. Garry would come on as a sub late in the game for Steven Thompson. Also making their debuts that night were Rab Douglas, Robbie Stockdale (remember him?), Kevin McNaughton and Gareth Williams, who would be substituted by another new cap Michael Stewart. Other than Garry only Douglas would make double figures in appearances.
Christian Dailly would score early on for Scotland but this was in an era where we never won friendlies at home and once again we were found to wanting as Nigeria scored twice to make it 2-1.
Garry would play twice more under Berti in the Far East tour of 2002, starting against South Korea in a 4-1 defeat and then coming on as a sub for Kevin Kyle in the last ten minutes of that thrilling game against the Hong Kong X1, which we won 4-0. Of course, this was when James McFadden decided to go AWOL and missed the flight home, Garry would pull a similar stunt a few years later.
Walter Smith recalled Garry to the Scotland squad and brought him on as a substitute in his first game in charge a 2-0 defeat to Italy in Milan in a World Cup Qualifier in March 2005. Garry would be given a starting berth in a friendly against Austria in the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium in Graz in August 2005. The Scots got off to a great start with a goal in three minutes from Kenny Miller followed by a second from Garry in 38 minutes. Sadly we would lose two goals in the second half to draw the game. This was followed up by a sub appearance against Slovenia in that classic 3-0 away win and then a start in a one all draw with USA at Hampden.
By the time of his 8th appearance Garry had left Hibs and joined Russian club FK Lokomotiv Moscow, with hindsight perhaps not the best choice for Garry and indeed would be a challenge to many a young player from the UK, I imagine.
Garry came on as a second half sub against the Faroe Islands in September 2006, scoring the last goal in the 6 nil drubbing at Parkhead. Garry also came on in the France game at Hampden in October that year a few minutes after Gary Caldwell had scored that memorable goal.
From here it went a wee bit downhill; Garry failed to turn up a few days later to meet with the squad as they were due to fly out to Ukraine, later claiming it was for family reasons. Walter Smith would not pick Garry again.
However, the installation of Alex McLeish as Scotland manager gave Garry a way back in. Alex had been manager of Hibs previously and had actually given Garry his debut there. Garry was recalled to the squad in May 2007 and would once more play in Austria in a friendly. This time Garry would score the only goal to give Scotland victory. He would follow this up a week later in a 2-0 win in the Faroes scoring the second goal, shortly after Shaun Maloney had put Scotland in front.
Shortly after this Garry joined Birmingham City and like a lot of us I hoped this would be the making of Garry and his full potential would be realised. Sadly, it was not to be, Garry would suffer niggling injuries throughout his time with Birmingham; it would also see his issues with drugs and alcohol become prevalent.
However, he was still able to gain the last five of his sixteen caps in his time at St. Andrews. Alex McLeish gave him a starting place in a rare friendly 1-0 win with South Africa, Kris Boyd would score the only goal at Pittodrie in August 2007.
Garry would start in the first of a September Euro double header against Lithuania with Scotland winning 3-1 at Hampden. He was to be sub again, a few days later in that great night in Paris coming on for goalscorer James McFadden late the second half. A month later at Hampden he would come on for Faddy again with ten minutes remaining in the 3-1 win against Ukraine.
It would be almost two years later in September 2009, Garry would make his last Scotland appearance coming on for the last ten minutes against Holland in a World Cup Qualifier. George Burley would be in charge for this one nil defeat.
That would be it for Garry and spells at Barnsley, Hibs, Tom Tomsk in Russia and Morton would follow. Garry would then move to Lowland team Selkirk FC in 2014, where he is currently the player / manager.
Happy Birthday Garry and all the best for the coming year.
David Stuart

First posted on Facebook on May 6th, 2016

Happy Birthday to George Herd who will turn 80 today. George played for Scotland 5 times between 1958-1960 and was the last Clyde player to represent Scotland. Clyde won the Scottish Cup twice in the fifties in ’55 and ’58. Around this time three other players were capped including ‘Off the Ball’ favourite Tommy Ring, Harry Haddock and Archie Robertson.
George was first capped against England in April 1958, fellow team mate Harry Haddock also played. Making their debut that day was also James Forrest from Motherwell in his only appearance and Jimmy Murray of Hearts. Jimmy belongs to that select bunch of players that have scored for Scotland at a World Cup. Jimmy achieved this in a one all draw with Yugoslavia in Sweden 1958.
Sadly for George, Scotland got pumped 4 nil and it would be two years later before he would make another appearance. George returned to the fold in a three each draw with Hungary in Budapest on June 5th 1960, George scored one of the goals with Alex Young of Hearts and debutant Willie Hunter of Motherwell also scoring.
Three days later, George would become one of a very select band of Scotland players when he played against Turkey in Ankara. Scotland lost 4-2 with Eric Caldow converting a penalty and Alex Young scoring the other. To this date the eleven players on duty that day are the only Scottish team to face Turkey at any full international level.
His next game for Scotland came in October 22nd 1960 and was in a 2 nil defeat to Wales. George was picked for one more game a 5-2 win against Northern Ireland on 9th November 1960. Ralph Brand of Rangers scored a double that night on his debut. Brand’s record for Scotland is an incredible 8 games and 8 goals.
George would move to Sunderland from Clyde in 1961 where he played over 270 League games scoring a very respectable 111 goals. In an interview in 2003 George said this about his time with Scotland “when I moved to Sunderland and Ian McColl took over as Scotland’s manager my international career came to an end. We just did not see eye to eye. I would have loved to have won more caps for my country”.
So here’s to George who may not have had the greatest of Scotland careers but like his club Clyde, who have provided 11 players for the National side, his efforts should be celebrated. Happy Birthday George and all the best.

David Stuart

Further to this Robert Thompson added on the Facebook page;

“I first saw George Herd after he signed for SAFC in 1961. His footballing talent was amazing. When he arrived at Roker Park he was cleary supremely fit and he continued (and continues at 80) to be so. Alan Brown saw him and signed him for Sunderland. His amazing skill, vision and trickery along with the time he created for himself when on the ball, would be deemed wasteful by managers in the current era of “athletic” football. God bless him for providing us all with so much pleasure.”

First posted on Facebook May 5th, 2016

Happy Birthday Derek Parlane, who will be 63 today. Rangers’ striker Parlane played for Scotland 12 times, scoring one goal. It was Willie Ormond, who gave Derek his first cap, in what was Ormond’s second game in charge. After seeing an experienced team go down 5-0 to England in his first game; Willie gave debut caps to five players in his second, which took place at the Racecourse, Wrexham in May 1973.
As well as Derek, Ibrox teammates goalkeeper Peter McLoy and Derek Johnstone in a defensive role, Celtic’s Danny McGrain and Manchester United’s Jim Holton were all given their first caps.
However, it was to be George Graham, recently transferred from Arsenal to Tommy Docherty’s Manchester United who would score a double to give Scotland a 2-0 victory. Derek would be substituted for another Rangers legend Colin Stein, then of Coventry in the 80th minute.
Derek would miss the rest of the Home International Series but returned for two friendlies in June; the first in Berne, Switzerland, played at the wonderfully named Wankdorf Stadion, which Scotland lost 1-0. The second, was my first Scotland game as we played the mighty Brazil at Hampden on June 30th. In front of 78,181(the one was me!); it was Derek’s club teammate Derek Johnstone who scored the only goal of the game. Sadly it was for Brazil.
The World Cup in 1974 would come and go; without Derek as the return of Denis Law, the emergence of the Jordan and Dalglish partnership and others including Donald Ford of Hearts overtook him in the pecking order and although he was part of the original squad of forty; he did not make it in to the final 22. Although, the makers of football cards and stickers for the World Cup all included him it seems.
It would be February, 1975 before Derek would feature in the team again coming midway through the second half for Joe Jordan in early February in a Euro Qualifier against Spain in Valencia. Scotland grabbed a credible one each draw with Jordan scoring in the first two minutes and the Spanish equalising one minute after Parlane’s introduction. However, a home defeat to Spain the previous November, would be Scotland’s downfall in the campaign.
Derek played in a friendly against Sweden in Gothenburg in April which was drawn one each with Ted MacDougall of Norwich scoring and then played five games in May / June within the space of 18 days. (Rangers teammate Stewart Kennedy began his short Scotland career in the Swedish game.)
They started off with a 1-0 friendly victory over Portugal with Artur scoring an own goal for the victory. This was followed by an exciting game down at Ninian Park, Cardiff where Scotland lost two goals in quick succession to the Welsh in the first half. Early into the second half Derek dug in well at the bye line and crossed a ball over for Colin Jackson to head into the Welsh net. Bruce Rioch in only his second game would thunder in the equaliser in the 62nd minute from the edge of the box as the game finished 2-0.

A few days later and Derek scored his one and only Scotland goal in a 3-0 victory over Northern Ireland at Hampden with Ted MacDougall and Kenny Dalglish netting the others.
Maybe things might have turned out differently four days after that had they not played the Portuguese game as it does seem as if a bit of crazy scheduling was going on. Suffice to say Stewart Kennedy entered the Wembley arena unbeaten in a Scotland strip and left it with his reputation forever tarnished as the Scots lost 5-1.
As if that wasn’t enough a week later they had a Euro Qualifier in Bucharest against Romania. Jim Brown of Sheffield United earned his only cap in goal that day as the Scots gained a one each draw with a goal from Gordon McQueen in the last minute.
Derek’s next Scotland game would be in a Euro Qualifier against Denmark at home in late October ’75. However, Derek would only be given the last five minutes coming on for Ted MacDougall. Ted had scored the third Scottish goal that night following those of Bruce Rioch and Kenny Dalglish. (For those who are thinking that MacDougall must’ve scored quite a few for Scotland; his only three goals, in seven matches mind you, happened in these games mentioned already.) As for Derek that would be his last game under Willie Ormond.
He would make one final appearance; in Ally MacLeod’s first game in charge and once more in Wales at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham in May 1977. Ally’s Scotland career started rather sedately with a nothing each draw with Derek being substituted in the 74th minute for Kenny Burns, then of Birmingham City.
Interestingly cheapskate Dutch company Monty Gum did feature him in their 1978 World Cup set and apparently even their 1982 set!!
As for Derek he would leave Rangers in 1980 and move briefly to Leeds and then to Manchester City, Swansea, Rochdale, Airdrie, Macclesfield and even have stints abroad with teams in Hong Kong, New Zealand and Belgium.
Happy Birthday Derek and all the best.

David Stuart