Welcome to Issue 39
You can order it here
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Teenage kicks
By Daniel Gray
Brasil v Escocia. Seville, 18 June 1982
Fitbatweets
Glorious mayhem: an oral history of Scotland 4 Denmark 2
Scotland’s stunning win over Denmark not only ended almost 30 years of World Cup exile – it created a global media sensation. Nutmeg catches up with some of those who helped make it such a hit.
By Scott Fleming
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World Cup stories
52 caps. Three Finals. Four Goals. One life saved. It’s Super Joe
Joe Jordan scored in 1974, 1978 and again in 1982. But Scotland’s Mr World Cup had his finest moment in Madrid Airport.
By Stephen McGowan
Surreal mundanity of Craig Brown’s video tasty
An obscure fly-on-the-wall film on Scotland’s France ’98 features an oddly remote Scotland boss, Leighton’s under jersey, Hendry’s blisters and Tony Blair.
By Daniel Gray
Toe meets ball
When just 12-years-old, I spent a summer holiday at the 1982 World Cup. Spain’s mesmeric street scenes and stadiums are fixed in my memory. So too is Scotland’s footballing blend of majesty and mayhem.
By Gordon McIntyre
Basel Faulty
Ancient kit, SFA dim-wittedness, inferior skill, technique and preparation – all these contributed to Scotland’s crushing World Cup debut in Switzerland.
By Harry Pearson
How Costa Rica left me out on my ear in Genoa
Refusal to make commentary ‘more encouraging’ forced my departure from the BBC after World Cup 1990.
By Archie Macpherson
My rough guide to scoring for Scotland at a World Cup
Always chip the goalkeeper. Never dye your hair on a night out before a big game. Try not to get sent off in the group decider.
By Craig Burley
How Scotland came so close to besting Brazil
No one gave Ormond’s side a prayer when they took on the post-Pele champions at West Germany ’74. Watching the game back shows that, in fact, the national team almost pulled off the greatest result in their history.
By Adam Clery
Fear and loathing at Mexico ’86
Scotland’s World Cup ended in all-too-familiar fashion but the campaign itself, and the experience at the finals, played out like a Hunter S Thompson novel.
By Richard Winton
Danny and the champion of the world
Whisked from Perthshire to Provence as a teenager, the remarkable tale of the Scot who came on as a substitute for Kylian Mbappe.
By Neil White
Gala days watching Braw Lad in France
When John Collins stepped out to face Brazil in the 1998 World Cup, his hometown came to a standstill. Here the deft midfielder recalls Scotland’s campaign and its meaning 28 years later.
By Moira Gordon
McCall ready for eclipse of his historic moment
Scotland’s last win at a World Cup belongs to another era. One of the two men who scored against Sweden recalls his only international goal and looks forward to travelling to the opener against Haiti.
By Andy Ross
With friendlies like these, are we our own worst enemy?
Our World Cup warm-up games have thrown up some bizarre fixtures down the years, from fourth-tier Portuguese clubs to South American dictatorships.
By Colin McPherson
Punch-ups, Deadlines and darts with Dele
Attending World Cups as a journalist is an immense privilege. Three decades of press access has meant being privy to the glorious and the surreal, from sublime play to fists flying in the media room.
By Jonathan Northcroft
Odes to joy
Glorious moments in matches. The players we fell for. Splendid kits. Watching random fixtures at strange times. Adopting a favourite national anthem… World Cups bring many joys, often unexpectedly. We asked a panel of people for theirs.
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People and places
Altered States
Fans of the Scottish game might be pleasantly surprised by the depth and breadth of engagement in football, Stateside. The World Cup will take that up a level or two.
By Paul Forsyth
Boston: more than a feeling
Sport flows through the veins of Boston. Despite soccer’s low place in the pecking order, there could be no finer place for the Tartan Army to call home this summer.
By Hugh MacDonald
Haiti’s heroes unite divided nation
Forced by domestic turmoil to play home games 500 miles away, Les Grenadiers’ qualification for the World Cup is something of a miracle. Scotland will face impassioned opposition when the teams meet in Boston.
By Paul Watson
Milk floats, Aztec psychedelia and Trojan horses
Played out in glorious technicolour sunshine, USA ’94 transformed over its course from an unwanted oddity into a tournament of unique charms.
By Daniel Gray
Doubt of Africa
The astonishing end to the AFCON final between Senegal and Scotland’s World Cup opponents Morocco did not erupt in isolation. It was the result of long-held mistrust – and the North African nation’s desperation to succeed.
By Jonathan Wilson
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Scotland at World Cup ’26
How will Scotland get out of their group? Insurable value, of course
A unique data modelling system has been pretty accurate for more than a decade. On that basis, get ready for a group qualification party. By Nick Harris
Scotland’s No. 1 problem – and why it’s a nice one to have
One keeper has the X-factor, the other is an experienced all-rounder. Michael McGovern gives the inside track on two of his former teammates, Craig Gordon and Angus Gunn.
By Martin Greig
Scotland’s road to the World Cup: Traitors, team spirit and travel
A club mentality lies behind the national team’s success and the work that went into setting up our tournament HQ in North Carolina.
By Steven Naismith
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The Fans
Postcards from the front line
Seeking to tell the people’s story of Scottish World Cup adventures through the years, we asked for readers’ words and pictures. From allotment kipping in Dortmund to being told to shut up by James Bond, here is a selection of them.
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Four at the back
1. A stylish history of the World Cup in eight kits
From concealed plackets to plunging V-necks, and classic wing collars to wrap-over crew necks, Scotland have always been remarkably well attired on the biggest stage.
By John Devlin
2. Record appearances
A sweep through the national team’s World
Cup music. By David Pollock
3. By the way…
My mate McTominay
I don’t want to brag or anything but the Napoli and Scotland legend and yours truly share a special relationship. Sort of. By Liam Kirkaldy
4. Poetry
No Fans. No Party. By Aengus O’Dagda
Steve Clarke’s American Dream. By Stuart Kenny
A DM Fae thi Group o Death. By Andy Jackson
A Song For Argentina. By Martin Goldie