The oldest international fixture in football was first played in 1872, at Hamilton Crescent cricket ground in Glasgow. The match finished in a nil-nil draw.
The next time the match finished scoreless was in 1970, the final clash in the Home International Championship that season before the Scots headed off on holiday and England departed to make their defence of the World Cup in Mexico.
Hampden was windswept and dreich, but was illuminated by a good performance from the Scots, manager Bobby Brown having been pressed in to using some younger players – like Billy Dickson, Willie Carr, Davie Hay and John O’Hare – due to the unavailability of more established players.
“Makeshift” was how some newspapers described the Scotland team. Oh for a similarly makeshift bunch this week.
Days before the Auld Enemy clash, Jimmy Johnstone had tormented Terry Cooper in the European Cup semi-final, but with no Leeds United or Chelsea players available (due to the FA Cup final replay), Emlyn Hughes faced Jinky. It was a no-contest; however, it still didn’t assist the Scots in making a breakthrough.
Scotland should have had a penalty when Colin Stein drove in to the box, only to be unceremoniously upended by Brian Labone, a blatant penalty. However, referee Gerhardt Schulenberg of West Germany dismissed the claim. No hint of home bias from him, even though he was wearing a Scotland change shirt due to a clash between the hosts and the traditional black officials’ kit.
Scotland Cruickshank (Hearts), Gemmell (Celtic), Dickson (Kilmarnock), Greig (Rangers, captain), McKinnon (Rangers), Moncur (Newcastle), Johnstone (Celtic), Hay (Celtic), Stein (Rangers), O’Hare (Derby County), Carr (Coventry City). Substitute Gilzean (Spurs) for Moncur
England Banks (Stoke City), Newton (Blackburn Rovers), Hughes (Liverpool), Stiles (Manchester Utd), Labone (Everton), Moore (West Ham, captain), Thompson (Liverpool), Ball (Everton), Astle (WBA), Hurst (West Ham), Peters (Spurs). Substitute Mullery (Spurs) for Thompson
Stewart Weir’s reflections
This was the first Scotland-England game I went to (I still have the ticket) and even though Hampden then would have swallowed three-times more fans than it houses today, I was still considered a lucky boy to be attending such a prestigious game.
Three things are still vivid in my mind even now. The first was disappointment. I had so wanted to see Bobby Charlton. I’d been a fan of his since watching his goal take England to the World Cup final and when he won the European Cup for Manchester United, but he was injured missed the game.
The second thing I remember was just the noise and, despite so many people being there, being completely fine during the game, shoved down the front beside all the other weans.
And lastly, Jimmy Johnstone. Emlyn Hughes’ after-dinner routine would always include a mention of this game and how Bill Shankly had come out at half-time to unscrew him from the pitch after trying to halt wee Jinky!
Oh, and there is a fourth thing. I got a ticket for the game, my younger brother got a Johnny Seven. Look it up.
Talking about Hampden, over two trips in the space of 10 days that month, I had stood with over 270,000 fans. Think about that.
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