Bob was part of football’s longest match in the USA
THERE’S every chance that tonight’s Euro 2016 Final will go to extra-time.
Portugal’s defeat of Wales in the semi-final was the first time they’d won a game within 90 minutes during the tournament.
France won the trophy with a Golden Goal back in 2000, avoiding the need for a penalty shoot-out.
The influence of football in America did a lot to change how games were ended. They didn’t like the idea of it being honours even at time up.
In the summer of 1975, Bob Scanlon was involved in one of the longest matches in history.
The Glasgow-born defender was spending his third season with the Boston Astros in the American Soccer League.
He recalled: “We reached the season finale and played the New York Apollos to decide the championship.
“The game kicked-off at 8pm in 90-degree heat.
“At the end of normal time the score was tied at 1-1.
“We then went into 15 minutes of overtime to try and break the deadlock.
“We went on to play nine periods of overtime without anyone scoring.
“By this time it was after midnight and players were dropping like flies with cramp.
“The game had to be stopped because of a local curfew.
“At this point, the league commissioner decided there would be no replay and the championship would be shared between the teams.
“That game brought an end to the idea of unlimited overtime.”
The following season, Bob moved to Boston Minutemen.
They were playing in the razzmatazz of the NASL and he was now taking on stars such as George Best, Rodney Marsh and Eusebio.
He went on: “One of my first matches was against the LA Aztecs.
“George Best made a rather uncomplimentary remark about me during the game, so I must have been doing something right.
“There were no hard feelings. We went into Los Angeles with him for a few drinks after the match.”
Bob took an unusual route into the world of professional football.
He said: “I was brought up in Easterhouse in Glasgow, where the local Church of Scotland minister came from America.
“Although he didn’t know much about the game, he put together a football team and it turned out to be very successful.
“In 1972, he organised for two of us to attend a boarding school in Massachusetts as exchange students.
“The other lad went home very quickly because he was homesick.
“I decided to stay on because I felt it might stop others getting the same chance if I left.
“I played soccer and was also a kicker in American football.
“That led to me joining the Astros, where the team was often myself plus 10 Brazilians.
“I was going to be a trainee design draughtsman in Scotland, but the lure of playing football in the USA was too great.
“They paid to fly me from Scotland. I was given use of an apartment and a salary that was better than what was on offer at home.
“It was amazing that a boy from Easterhouse was flying 3000 miles across the USA to play in places like Los Angeles and San Jose.”
Bob went on to play for the New England Oceaneers and the Connecticut Yankees before returning to Scotland in 1979.
Now 62, he runs studentcentral. co. uk to help young people sample sporting opportunities in the USA.