McQueen loved scoring in famous win over England and his old boss Revie

GAVIN BERRY

DON REVIE knew better than anyone the threat Gordon McQueen posed from set-pieces after signing him for his legendary Leeds United side.

And it’s why England manager Revie put so much preparation into trying to stop the defender when they found themselves on opposite sides of the Auld Enemy divide 43 years ago today.

But the plan didn’t work as McQueen planted a famous header beyond Three Lions keeper Ray Clemence and provided a kick in the teeth for his old gaffer who was pushed a step closer to the Wembley exit door.

Revie snapped McQueen up for £30,000 when the young star was starting to attract serious attention with scouts flocking to see him following his breakthrough at St Mirren.

McQueen helped to win the second of the managerial legend’s two English topflight titles in Yorkshire before Revie left to succeed World Cup-winning boss Alf Ramsey in the England hotseat.

But Revie couldn’t replicate his club sport@dailyrecord.co.uk success at international level and McQueen helped consign his England side to a disappointing third-place finish in the 1976-77 British Home Championship with that famous 2-1 Wembley win.

It was the first time in a decade that Scotland had triumphed on Auld Enemy soil, when Jim Baxter inspired the visitors to victory over the then world champions, and the Tartan Army made the most of it.

The extraordinary celebrations have gone down in history with the hordes of travelling legions dismantling the goalposts and ripping up parts of the hallowed Wembley turf. Describing the scenes, legendary BBC commentator John Motson said: “The scenes so typically Scottish ... to these people beating England is more important than doing well in the World Cup.”

Scotland would compete at the World Cup 12 months later with England staying at home and by that stage Revie had left