Having once been given a first-hand account of what occurred by Scotland midfielder of the time Asa Hartford and of an age where I can remember events unfolding, it was surprising to see a BBC documentary made about what happened to Scotland at the Argentina World Cup was titled: SCOTLAND 78: A LOVE STORY.
There is a love story woven into the documentary (and a very touching one at that) just as there is romance running through many disaster films.
But by the end of the hour-long programme, Scotland’s ill-fated participation in the 1978 World Cup Finals comes to resemble a Shakespearean tragedy. The king convinces his subjects the country has an army equipped to conquer the world, only for he and his soldiers to return beaten and bowed to a homeland where they are without honour.
The central figure of the story is Scotland team manager Ally MacLeod, an engaging man who instilled into the Scottish players and supporters a genuine hope they could win the 1978 World Cup – and in doing so galvanised the nation with a sense they were on the verge of wondrous achievement.
In the documentary this point is made by sports writer Mike Aitken: ‘People responded to him and because of that football got into people’s lives in a way it had never done before.’
Broadcaster Stuart Cosgrove describes the ‘Ally effect‘ in an even wider context:
‘At that time Scotland was looked upon as a region of England and didn’t really have a sense of nationhood. Then along comes this magical, mercurial figure – Ally MacLeod.’
Through contemporary interviews with squad members, journalists and supporters, interspersed with newsreel and interview footage of the time (a few supporters appear in past clips and the present day to provide some of the best insight), the documentary covers how Scotland approached the tournament and their triumphant departure from Glasgow.
It goes on to document the ensuing chaos, as a group described by MacLeod as ‘without doubt the best squad of footballers to have left the British Isles yet‘ are bedeviled by terrible displays and a drug scandal, before almost snatching redemption right at the death.
The comment MacLeod made regarding the strength of his squad might be sneered at in light of what transpired, but is still worthy of debate. If by inference he was claiming it stronger than the party England took to Mexico in 1970 he may have had a point, despite Scotland not having a goalkeeper or defender in the same class as Gordon Banks or Bobby Moore.
But it is also fair to say Sir Alf Ramsey did not have a Kenny Dalglish or Graeme Souness at his disposal, both of whom were European Cup winners with Liverpool in 1978. Also included in an accomplished 22-man squad were Kenny Burns, John Robertson and Archie Gemmill – all members of the Nottingham Forest team that had taken English topflight football by surprise that season in winning the First Division.
Comparisons aside, there is no doubt MacLeod had a strong pool from which to select a team capable of advancing from a group where Scotland were joined by Peru, Iran and Holland.
Yet if conveying belief and confidence was his strength, the collective failure of MacLeod and the Scottish Football Association was their woeful lack of planning for the tournament – the Scotland team arriving at their headquarters to find it had more in common with a barracks than hotel (some rooms were unfinished while there was no water in the swimming pool).
While awful training facilities caused a spate of ankle injuries, just as bad was the cavalier attitude taken by MacLeod toward the other teams in the group, none of whom were watched in the months leading up to the competition.
Such things were de rigueur in top level football even forty years ago, but the very worst calamity and far, far worse than not knowing who takes corners for Peru or the practice pitch being substandard was the failure to realise winger Willie Johnston was taking Reactivan tablets (available as a cold remedy from any pharmacy).
On a list of banned substances for sportsmen, the catastrophe came to light when he was called for a random drugs test after Scotland had begun the competition with a disheartening 3-1 defeat against Peru.
When the full extent of his (accidental) transgression became known, Johnston was sent home in an awful glare of media attention, an embarrassed Scottish FA issuing a statement saying the good name of the national team had to be protected – protection the players were unable to provide in their second fixture twenty-four hours later, producing an abject performance in being held to a 1-1 draw by Iran.
At the full-time whistle Scotland supporters, who had mobilised as ‘Ally’s Army‘ only a few weeks before (the documentary reveals the extraordinary lengths many had gone to in travelling to Argentina) voiced their frustrations – the players and manager left in no doubt of the displeasure incurred, MacLeod by now a lonely, dispirited figure.
With their dreams of World Cup glory in tatters it appeared Scotland had nothing to play for but pride in their final game, a meeting with eventual finalists Holland – who they would have to beat by three goals in order to qualify for the knockout stage.
After falling behind more embarrassment seemed set to follow, only for Scotland to rally and produce a performance matching pre-tournament expectations.
When a brilliant solo goal from Gemmill put them into a 3-1 lead it really did appear salvation was at hand, only for a late Dutch goal to finally extinguish their hopes – the players and staff making a low key return to Scotland a few days later, MacLeod and the Scottish FA parting company in the weeks ahead.
The story of how Scotland supporter Fraser Mackay met his future (Argentinian) wife in following Scotland to South America is a heart-warming tale (the couple having now been married 31 years), but overall, the documentary suffers from a lack of objectivity.
The claim that Scotland as a nation suffered a loss of self-belief after the Argentina World Cup is not borne out by performances on the football field, the Scots’ duly qualifying for the next three World Cups. In recounting the Willie Johnston affair (for whom it is hard not to feel sympathy, his annoyance at what he suffered still evident to this day), it is London tabloids who receive the blame – the point completely undercut by showing a lurid front-page headline of the Daily Record.
On the football front, either by choice or accident, a couple of important factors are also overlooked.
In extolling a very good Scotland team, the programme fails to mention qualifying for Argentina was not a mere procession, the Scots overcoming Wales in controversial fashion in the final group game, the deadlock broken when Scotland were awarded a highly contentious penalty – while five days before heading out for South America and in their final pre-tournament match, Scotland, full of anticipation for the weeks ahead, faced non-qualifiers England at Hampden Park.
When Scotland won 3-2 at Wembley in 1967, thus becoming the first team to beat England since they won the World Cup a year before, many Scottish supporters claimed for their team the title of World Champions.
By the same token when England defeated Scotland 1-0 on May 20, 1978, did they become the best team in Britain, even though it was Scotland who were going to Argentina?
For all the daring to dream, drug controversies and dashed hope, SCOTLAND 78: A LOVE STORY makes no reference to the defeat by England.
Forty years on some things are just too painful to talk about.
This article was first published on 6/7/2018;
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