LESSON OF ARGENTINA 78.. WHEN YOU’RE IN A HOLE, STOP DIGGING
Players and fans reflect on ill-fated World Cup campaign of Ally’s Boys
IF SCOTLAND had been digging for victory at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, we probably would have won. As reported in the Record in March that year, fans in Inverie, the main village on Knoydart peninsula, were so determined to watch Ally MacLeod’s team play in South America that they dug a five-mile trench with picks and shovels to lay their first-ever television relay cable.
The band of 15 villagers were digging away in the belief that their effort would be worth it when Scotland lifted the greatest prize in football.
It sounds implausible but it was part and parcel of the contagious World Cup fever that swept the country in 1978.
It was sparked in no small part by MacLeod, the national team’s irrepressible manager. He told TV reporters: “I think a medal of some sort will come – and I pray and hope it’s the gold one.”
His confidence and his squad, which included players such as Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Joe Jordan, launched a wave of optimism that washed over the nation.
John Murdo Morrison, one of the Knoydart diggers, was among those caught up in it. He said: “You dug and dug and dug. We were digging to see Scotland win the World Cup.”
John features in a BBC documentary, Scotland ’78: A Love Story, which tells the whole incredible saga.
Former players including the captain Bruce Rioch, Lou Macari, Derek Johnstone and Alan Rough share their memories from inside the camp.
As does Willie Johnston, who found himself in the eye of the storm when he was sent home after failing a drugs test. Meanwhile, members of the Tartan Army recall the lengths they went to in order to see their heroes. And MacLeod’s family reflect on the impact the debacle had
on him when Scotland’s dreams came crashing down to earth.
If events didn’t turn out as hoped, the warm-up to Argentina was nothing short of spectacular.
Scotland was the only home nation to qualify and that success gave Scots something to latch on to.
Broadcaster Stuart Cosgrove said: “Somehow there wasn’t the real feeling we were the complete kind of nation. And then along comes this mercurial, magic figure… Ally MacLeod.”
Summing up the manager’s appeal, Rioch recalled: “He’d introduce himself to you and say, ‘I’m Ally MacLeod and I’m a winner.’
“It makes you think that we’ve got someone here that is going to take us in the right direction.”
The nation agreed. Getting out of the group stage was presumed to be a formality when Scotland were drawn with Peru, Iran and Holland.
The Lion Rampant flew high and proud. Morecambe and Wise were advertising Tennent’s on billboards.
AC/DC, led by Scots trio Bon Scott and brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, were playing on stage in Scotland strips. Even Blue Peter presenters were supporting Ally’s boys.
Journalist James Naughtie said: “There was a tangible feeling of excitement about the expedition to Argentina. It was an adventure for people to a place most of them had never seen or imagined before.”
People like 18-yearold Rae Finlayson, who hitched a boat ride to South America. He said: “I was at work when my dad phoned me. There was a grain boat loaded going out to Argentina – we can get across on that. In about four hours, we were on our way.” In a moment of glorious hubris, MacLeod and his team set off from Hampden in an open-topped bus. Goalkeeper Rough remembers legions cheering them on from viaducts and flyovers on their way to the airport. When they arrived in Alta Gracia, their base 20 miles from Cordoba, 30,000 welcomed them. But in a sign of things to come, the team coach broke down three times en route to their base. The players had to get out and push it up a hill. Their hotel wasn’t finished. There were no mattresses and no water in the swimming pool. Macari said: “I can’t describe what it was but it wasn’t a hotel.” The training ground was so hard, the players suffered a succession of ankle injuries. MacLeod focused on his own team rather than the opposition and admitted he hadn’t seen Peru, Iran or Holland in action. It didn’t seem to matter when Scotland were 1-0 up against Peru after 14 minutes… but they lost 3-1, with Don Masson missing a penalty. Things couldn’t get any worse. Then they did. Winger Johnston was sent home after testing positive for a banned stimulant – two hay fever tablets bought over the counter in a chemist.
He was escorted to the airport by soldiers from Argentina’s military junta.
Johnston recalled: “When I was on that bus on my own, with two soldiers with guns, I was thinking this was it. They are going to get me to the end of the runway and shoot me.”
The Iran game gave the players an opportunity for redemption. But they drew 1-1 with the supposed no-hopers.
As they left the ground, Rough once again saw Scotland fans on a viaduct. This time, they weren’t cheering.
He said: “There must have been about 100, 200 supporters and they were just throwing things at the bus.”
Back home, the nation had also turned. MacLeod’s children were kept off school.
Andy Cameron, who had sung on the World Cup song Ally’s Tartan Army, was playing a gig in Bannockburn when the Iran game was on.
He said: “This big, big guy got up and says, ‘Wee man, see if you sing that song, you’re right out that f ****** windae.’”
Despite it all, the team almost made it out of the group. Needing to beat Holland by three clear goals, they were up 3-1 courtesy of Archie Gemmill’s wonder goal. But a Johnny Rep thunderbolt put paid to Scotland’s Argentina ’78 dreams.
When they landed back at Glasgow Airport, barely anyone was there to greet them.
MacLeod died in 2004 having suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. In 2015, he was inducted in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.
His widow Faye still points with pride to a plate from Argentina ’78 which hangs on her wall.
She said: “There’s a lot of happy memories, so try and remember the happy ones.”
Scotland ’78: A Love Story, BBC1, Wednesday at 9pm.
When I was on that bus, I thought the two soldiers were going to shoot me WILLIE JOHNSTON ON BEING SENT HOME