FORGET THE GLAMOUR –SONS ROCK
SCOTLAND ...... 5 NEW ZEALAND ...... 2 I’LL SUPPORT YOU
SCOTLAND: Rough; McGrain, Hansen, Evans, Gray; Strachan (Narey 83), Souness, Wark; Brazil (Archibald 53), Robertson, Dalglish. Subs not used: Miller; Woods; Jordan.
Van Hattum; Hill, Almond (Herbert 66), Elrick, Malcolmson (Cole 77); Mackay, Boath, Cresswell; Sumner, Rufer, Woodin. and the European Cup. The tape they had for Scotland the Brave wasn’t the best quality but it didn’t matter how they played it – I still had goosebumps.”
There were other moments that got the hairs standing up on the back of the neck for all the wrong reasons.
Dalglish nabbed an early nerve settler and Wark’s double had us cruising at half-time.
McGrain’s uncharacteristic error gave the All Whites a lifeline and Steve Woodin – a Scouser who emigrated Down Under – got it back to 3-2.
John Robertson and Steve Archibald sorted it out but for 10 minutes or so the Sporran Legion were fearing another Iran or Peru.
Not Evans though and he insisted: “It was a strange game. We were coasting and then had a bit of a wobble. We created a fair amount of chances so I genuinely don’t think that we were ever too worried. We all knew about Scotland suffering shock results at World Cups and I’m sure some of the fans were thinking, ‘Here we go again.’
“But it just didn’t feel that way on the pitch. They scored a couple of goals out of nowhere. We gifted them but we always felt we had it in us to score a few more.
“When we walked off at the end we were fairly happy to get off to a winning start.
“It’s not until you looked back much later on you realised those two goals might have cost us in the end.”
It was to prove to be Evans’ only appearance in Spain and his last cap for his country.
He said: “It was a chance to establish myself but I didn’t quite manage it. I got blamed for one of the goals when I got caught playing offside but I still thought I did OK.
“I remember Kenny was dropped for the last two games and if Jock could drop him then he could certainly drop me!
“That just showed the strength of the squad.
“It was an incredible few weeks. We had the build up to the European Cup Final, I was involved in a few international friendlies and then there I was, stepping out to play in the opening game of the World Cup.
“I got four caps – and New Zealand was my last one.
“It didn’t quite happen for me after that at international level.
“We had some tough times at club level, went down and then came back up.
“Scotland never came around again but I still see myself as being very fortunate.
“Not everyone gets the chance to play at a World Cup.”