THE Home International Championship would be decided at Hampden, both countries having won their respective ties against Wales and Northern Ireland.
And it would be England who struck first. Roy McFarland broke up a Scotland move in midfield and rampaged forward. Tam Forsyth managed to get in a tackle, but from the left, McFarland crossed in to the middle where an unmarked Mick Channon wrong-footed Alan Rough with a header.
Within seven minutes however, the Scots were all square. England pulled everyone back to cope with the aerial threat posed by Joe Jordan and Colin Jackson in particular. However, they failed to spot Don Masson’s late run, the midfielder ramming his header home from six yards out past Ray Clemence and three English defenders on the line.
Read more: Steven Thompson: Scotland have a fighting chance but dangerous to underestimate this England side
Scotland could have had a penalty on the stroke of half-time, Clemence appearing to clip Dalglish. The Hungarian referee said no, Clemence claimed a dive. However it was he who would be diving for cover five minutes after the break.
Jordan sped down the left and crossed, picking out Dalglish. His first touch wasn’t the best, but it gave him space to shoot, a low effort, which Clemence appeared to have covered, but somehow contrived to let the ball slip through his hands and between his legs.
It was to be Scotland’s day, but only after Forsyth had produced a game-saving challenge on Channon who had just Rough to beat having been set up by Peter Taylor.
‘The tackle of the season’ said The Herald’s picture caption on the Monday morning. Few could disagree and Scotland, under Willie Ormond, had clinched the Home International Championship outright for the first time since 1967.
Read more: Steven Thompson: Scotland have a fighting chance but dangerous to underestimate this England side
Scotland Rough (Partick Thistle), McGrain (Celtic), Donachie (Manchester City), Forsyth (Rangers), Jackson (Rangers), Rioch (Derby County), Dalglish (Celtic), Masson (QPR), Jordan (Leeds United), Gemmill Derby County, captain) E Gray (Leeds United).
Substitute Johnstone (Rangers) for Gray.
England Clemence (Liverpool), Todd (Derby County), Mills (Ipswich Town), Thompson (Liverpool), McFarlane (Derby County), Kennedy (Liverpool), Keegan (Liverpool), Channon (Southampton), Pearson (Manchester United), Francis (QPR, captain), Taylor (Crystal Palace).
Substitutes Doyle (Manchester City) for McFarlane; Cherry (Leeds United) for Pearson.
Stewart Weir’s recollections
Willie Ormond afterwards reckoned he had “26 players who are international class. If we can get them, if there’s not problems about availability and injury, then we have nothing to fear.”
Twenty-six. Oh, for a return to those good old days.
As for the game, I remember celebrating Dalglish’s goal without really knowing what had happened, and celebrated Tam Forsyth’s tackle as if it was a goal. I also remember getting absolutely drenched during a two-minute downpour that appeared to pass over just one corner of the ground.
Weird, but then it was 1976 and we had some really strange weather that summer.
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