WHEN WE WERE KINGS
DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW?
ENGLAND’S hopes in the ’67 clash suffered an early setback when defender Jack Charlton broke a toe. Substitutions were still not generally allowed in international matches, meaning Charlton had to limp on after being moved up front. He still played his part by netting England’s first goal. thought of meeting Law and Baxter made me nervous.
“I was a confident young lad so I wasn’t concerned ab out th e football side. But I did worry about whether these big players would like me.
“But the first meeting could not have gone any better. Baxter put his arm around me and said, ‘Don’t worry about it son, we’ll take care of you’. Denis was much the same, which was great.
“I wasn’t nervous about the THIS truly was a golden era for Scottish football. Within six weeks of Bobby Brown’s men shooting down the Auld Enemy, four members of the starting XI – Ronnie Simpson, Tommy Gemmell, Willie Wallace and Bobby Lennox – helped Celtic become the first British side to be crowned champions of Europe. Rangers pair John Greig and Ronnie McKinnon saw their club side narrowly lose to Bayern Munich in the Cup Winners’ Cup final. Celtic reached the European Cup final again three years later but lost to Feyenoord, while Rangers did win the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972. But Scotland’s run as ‘unofficial world champions’ did not last long – they surrendered the title to the USSR a month later. game at all. I knew I would be in good hands with all these big players around me and the fact the manager had decided I was good enough to play for my country.
“We certainly weren’t going to be overawed because we had a good team with a lot of class players. Obviously England had won the World Cup and were on a run of 19 without defeat so we knew it would be tough. But we were just thinking, ‘Bring it on’.
“I tried to look at the match as being a fantastic experience and great opportunity – but it was even better than I could have hoped for. I’ve only watched the match back once but I remember all the details.
“We had some party afterwards. I didn’t drink until I was 24 so I was sitting there with my wee Coca-Cola as everyone else had a great time.
“It was some night but looking back now the thing that always strikes me is when we met up the next morning, that was the last time that we were together as a team.
“Those 11 guys only played one game together – but what a match it was.”