Post by HAMISH on Jun 2, 2007 20:52:15 GMT
30 years ago today.
June 4th 1977 and Ally Macleod is crowned King of Scotland and the phrase ‘Tartan Army’ first hits the streets. That loyal and unquestioning band of supporters had conquered Wembley and as revenge for Edward Hammer of the Scots theft of the Stone of Destiny took the goalposts and turf home.
The annual England game was the most important game in the calendar with the bi-annual trip an excuse to wave our ‘Remember Bannockburn 1314’ flags, jings it couldn’t get any better.
Scottish fitba was on a high, wee Willie Ormond had a great squad of players and had smashed Engerlund 2 – 1 the year before courtesy of a Kenny Dalglish nutmeg of Ray Clemence. Half way through the world cup qualifiers and under pressure from the SFA Willie left and was replaced by Ally Macleod, boss of the Dons and an effervescent character.
He declared himself a winner and immediately got a 0 – 0 draw in Wrexham in the first game of the ’77 Home International Championships. A victory 3 -0 against Northern Ireland set us up for the trip to London and revenge for the 5 -1 ’75 defeat.
You know when there is a feeling that it is going to be our day? There is something in the air. Well 80,000 plus Scots in the ground and we’re half way to victory. Spot the Englishman. Keegan walks out the tunnel for his warm up and he looks at us and his hair curls. He later claims to be the first footballer to get a perm , but I swear saw his hair bend and shake. It was involuntary.
The teams emerge and the terraces are a sea of Lion Rampants, here we go , here we go…….
We are up for it and Captain Rioch and Masson take control, they are peaking and this is their swansong. A year later they are past it. Jordan is rampaging and the noise is deafening. Wait, we have been here before and does not disaster always appear around the corner? Not this time!
Big Gordon McQueen nods in a 43 rd minute cross and we are singing through half time, Que era Sera whatever will be will be ……….
The second half is even better. The midfield is dominant and wee Willie Johnston races to the by line and crashes into a cameraman in slicing over a corner, the ball is back in the 6 yard box, Macari dummies , there is a scramble and Kenny stabs it in. Bedlam and I mean bedlam.
It wouldn’t be Scotland unless we give away a last minute penalty. And then the whistle goes and it’s every man for himself. I swear there are guys there with shovels.
The polis cover the expected terrace invasion and Ally’s Tartan Army swarm over from the 2 stands. The pitch is invaded, thousands are on. The crossbars break when there are too many sitting on them.
Watch the coverage on ESPN classic and the after match discussion is going on and behind Jock Stein’s head the crossbar is seen being carried back to Auld Scotia. Classic
The turf is lifted for its own safety. I later see some lads trying to get a stanchion into a bus. A goalpost is given pride of place a month later on the back of a lorry in an Ayrshire village gala day.
The team make a run for it and Ally gets into the changing room and there are fans in the team bath, and why not?
John Lennon was quoted later that year saying that Ally Macleod was more popular than the Beatles and Paul promising revenge later releases Mull of Kintyre as a punishment to the nation.
June the 4th 1977 was truly the start of the era of madness. What fun it was as well. We qualified for Argentina and were certainties to win the World Cup.
What could go wrong?
June 4th 1977 and Ally Macleod is crowned King of Scotland and the phrase ‘Tartan Army’ first hits the streets. That loyal and unquestioning band of supporters had conquered Wembley and as revenge for Edward Hammer of the Scots theft of the Stone of Destiny took the goalposts and turf home.
The annual England game was the most important game in the calendar with the bi-annual trip an excuse to wave our ‘Remember Bannockburn 1314’ flags, jings it couldn’t get any better.
Scottish fitba was on a high, wee Willie Ormond had a great squad of players and had smashed Engerlund 2 – 1 the year before courtesy of a Kenny Dalglish nutmeg of Ray Clemence. Half way through the world cup qualifiers and under pressure from the SFA Willie left and was replaced by Ally Macleod, boss of the Dons and an effervescent character.
He declared himself a winner and immediately got a 0 – 0 draw in Wrexham in the first game of the ’77 Home International Championships. A victory 3 -0 against Northern Ireland set us up for the trip to London and revenge for the 5 -1 ’75 defeat.
You know when there is a feeling that it is going to be our day? There is something in the air. Well 80,000 plus Scots in the ground and we’re half way to victory. Spot the Englishman. Keegan walks out the tunnel for his warm up and he looks at us and his hair curls. He later claims to be the first footballer to get a perm , but I swear saw his hair bend and shake. It was involuntary.
The teams emerge and the terraces are a sea of Lion Rampants, here we go , here we go…….
We are up for it and Captain Rioch and Masson take control, they are peaking and this is their swansong. A year later they are past it. Jordan is rampaging and the noise is deafening. Wait, we have been here before and does not disaster always appear around the corner? Not this time!
Big Gordon McQueen nods in a 43 rd minute cross and we are singing through half time, Que era Sera whatever will be will be ……….
The second half is even better. The midfield is dominant and wee Willie Johnston races to the by line and crashes into a cameraman in slicing over a corner, the ball is back in the 6 yard box, Macari dummies , there is a scramble and Kenny stabs it in. Bedlam and I mean bedlam.
It wouldn’t be Scotland unless we give away a last minute penalty. And then the whistle goes and it’s every man for himself. I swear there are guys there with shovels.
The polis cover the expected terrace invasion and Ally’s Tartan Army swarm over from the 2 stands. The pitch is invaded, thousands are on. The crossbars break when there are too many sitting on them.
Watch the coverage on ESPN classic and the after match discussion is going on and behind Jock Stein’s head the crossbar is seen being carried back to Auld Scotia. Classic
The turf is lifted for its own safety. I later see some lads trying to get a stanchion into a bus. A goalpost is given pride of place a month later on the back of a lorry in an Ayrshire village gala day.
The team make a run for it and Ally gets into the changing room and there are fans in the team bath, and why not?
John Lennon was quoted later that year saying that Ally Macleod was more popular than the Beatles and Paul promising revenge later releases Mull of Kintyre as a punishment to the nation.
June the 4th 1977 was truly the start of the era of madness. What fun it was as well. We qualified for Argentina and were certainties to win the World Cup.
What could go wrong?