We were Scotland’s best ever team... all we got was £5 a day, a C&A suit and a Vauxhall Victor (and even that had to go back when we came home!)
Revealed, the inside story of 1974’s World Cup adventure:
THEY made history – and touched the hearts of millions – when they became the first nation to be knocked out of a World Cup without losing a game.
But now, 40 years on, members of the legendary Scotland football squad that came agonisingly close to grabbing glory at Germany 1974 have disclosed that they felt cheated – on and off the pitch.
While their rivals were showered with lucrative bonuses and sponsorship deals, it has emerged that the Scots, who even managed to humble the mighty Brazilians, were offered a mere £5 a day – plus a night out with Rod Stewart.
The sporting legends, who are now in their sixties or older, revealed their delight at being offered personalised cars vanished when they realised they could not actually keep the vehicles and were ordered to return them after the tournament.
The national team, including Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish, were promised that taking Scotland to the World Cup for the first time in 16 years would make them rich beyond their wildest dreams.
The pledge was made by US entrepreneur Bob Bain, who had been hired by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) to broker a series of high-profile sponsorship deals.
Instead, the players ended up with little more than a £5-a-day living allowance and a team suit, shirt and tie which were provided by the now defunct high street chain C&A.
Such meagre rewards are light years away from this summer’s World Cup in Brazil, where players from England, Germany and Spain will be offered bonuses of more than £500,000 a head to win the trophy.
The disclosures come in a new book by BBC Scotland football pundit Richard Gordon.
Davie Hay, who played in all three of Scotland’s games in West Germany, claimed he and his team mates were left feeling duped and deeply disappointed.
The former Celtic and Chelsea star, now 66, recalled: ‘Bain said he was going to make us millions. What we got out of it was a sponsored car, a Vauxhall Victor VX490, which you only had for a year.
‘Then there was the team record, which got us a night out in London with Rod Stewart, but not a lot of money.’
There was outrage and disbelief when the players were ordered to return the vehicles, whose doors were emblazoned with their initials.
Former Hibs defender John Blackley said: ‘It was a lovely car and I thought it was mine, but it was only for a year.’
Goalkeeper Jim Stewart also remembers the cigar-puffing businessman’s promises going up in smoke.
The former Rangers and Kilmarnock star said: ‘Bain turned up to have a meeting. They were there to do this deal and all of a sudden it came out that there were massive amounts of money to be earned. ‘It never materialised. I can’t remember getting anything out of it.’ The 60-year-old disclosed that the players took things into their own hands after discovering that sportswear giant Adidas was paying the West Germans £3,000 each to wear its boots.
The Scots demanded £1,000 per man and ended up removing the firm’s distinctive corporate logos when their bid was unceremoniously rejected.
Stewart said: ‘There was a big falling-out over the arrangement with Adidas and we ended up taking the stripes off our boots.
‘There we were, heading off to the World Cup finals picking the stripes off these boots because they hadn’t come up with the deal we wanted. We ended up with nothing.’
Former Celtic captain Danny McGrain also felt bitterly let down.
He remembered: ‘Bob Bain was a big American guy.
‘He made all these promises and we were like wee dogs just waiting to be fed.
‘Bain appeared like Aladdin’s genie out of the lamp and disappeared just as f****** quick. I don’t remember getting anything.’
Easy, Easy, the team’s official World Cup record, stalled at Number 20 in the charts, despite the players being joined in the studio by celebrity supporter Rod Stewart (although not on the song).
While the players were out of pocket off the field, they were also out of luck on it.
After defeating minnows Zaire 2-0 in their opening game, they outplayed the footballing giants of Bra- zil in a performance considered one of Scotland’s greatest – but could not conjure up a winning goal in a 0-0 draw.
They then suffered the heartbreak of being eliminated on goal difference after drawing 1-1 with Yugoslavia in Frankfurt, where they were cheered on by thousands of locals who had warmed to the team’s blend of skill and grit.
Mr Bain parted company with the SFA after the tournament and is believed to have headed back to the United States.
Scotland 74: A World Cup Story by Richard Gordon is published by Black & White at £11.99.