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The Scotland Team that Never Played


Arbroath1320

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Players we lost because of booze, bad luck and bad attitudes. And... are we the best in the world at this?

1. Bob Wilson. He was Arsenal's No. 1 for ten years but was not good enough for the 1974 World Cup squad because of those goalkeeping greats Thomson Allan, Jim Stewart and David Harvey (who was about to be dropped by Leeds).

2. Darren Anderton. Scouted by Andy Roxburgh but deemed not good enough, he was at least compensated by 30 caps for England and was part of the England team that beat Scotland in Euro 96.

3.  David Robertson. Yes, if you want to be a world class full-back, it helps if your name is Robertson. He fell out with Craig Brown and never got near a Scotland squad again.

4. George Connelly. Scotland's Beckenbauer. A world-class centre-back who seemed to suffer from mental health problems and kept walking out on Celtic. His career was over, aged 25.

5. Willie Young. He played for Aberdeen, Tottenham and Arsenal and would have been the obvious replacement for Gordon McQueen in the 1978 World Cup had he not been banned for life after a riotous night in Copenhagen.

6. Alex Cropley. He got his first cap for Scotland, aged 20. A series of injuries meant he got his last cap for Scotland, aged 20.

7. Ralph Milne. Scotland's George Best. Yes, he could drink a bottle of brandy for breakfast and have another for lunch. He nearly got Alex Ferguson the sack because Fergie signed him for Manchester United not realising his legs had gone.

8. Ian Durrant. Arguably the  most promising midfielder of a generation that included Paul McStay and Paul Gascoigne. Then came that robust tackle from Neil Simpson...

9. Gary O'Connor. Capped for Scotland, age 18. Now more famous for cocaine and running away from policewomen.

10. Peter Marinello. Scotland's George Best. Have I heard that before, somewhere? A record-breaking transfer to Arsenal induced him to take the high road to London and, well, disappear...

11. Eddie Gray. The best left-winger ever to play for Scotland? He had the skill of John Robertson and the physique of Oliver Burke. He would have played in the 1974 and 1978 World Cups but for a bad tackle on his knee. Instead, Tommy Hutchinson played in 1974 and Willie Johnston got one game in 1978 before being sent home in disgrace. 

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My step dad was a St. Johnstone fan and when I was about 7 or 8 I mind him taking me to a Fakes game against Celtic at Parkhead. 

That day I saw one of the best players I’ve ever seen in my life. George Connelly. What a player. What a sad waste. 

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5 hours ago, Burj_Alba said:

Duncan Ferguson,up there with O'Connor at centre forward, we would have got to last 16 in 1998 if Ferguson played and could be arsed.

This is the one that stands out for me . The big man would have made a massive difference . We needed him at that time 

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3 hours ago, noctonjock said:

This is the one that stands out for me . The big man would have made a massive difference . We needed him at that time 

Continental refs never gave him much slack. Constantly had fouls given against him when playing his usual game.

 

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15 hours ago, Arbroath1320 said:

 

1. Bob Wilson. He was Arsenal's No. 1 for ten years but was not good enough for the 1974 World Cup squad because of those goalkeeping greats Thomson Allan, Jim Stewart and David Harvey (who was about to be dropped by Leeds).

 

Bob Wilson only became eligible to play for Scotland when the rules changed in 1970 at which time he was approaching 30 and way past his best

In 1974 he was 33 and about to retire

 

Edited by Ally Bongo
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13 hours ago, noctonjock said:

This is the one that stands out for me . The big man would have made a massive difference . We needed him at that time 

From what I remember, the games he did play saw the rest of the team launch it straight up to him, which was totally ineffective.

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Ryan Gauld,-so much ability but decided he liked the Portugal lifestyle more than the chance to pursue a career in professional football.

Andy Ritchie has to be one of the most under capped players-"the epitome of the Scottish footballer – a fat, lazy bastard, but with great ball skill"as said by Chick Young. The right personal trainer and he would have been the best player the world would ever see

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There was a young guy at Celtic around the Quality St Gang time - Tony somebody I think.  Better than Jimmy Johnstone and supposedly a Glasgow Maradona, fabulous talent but just in with the wrong crowd.  Even Jock Stein couldn't do a thing with him.  Don Revie wanted to sign him for Leeds but Stein told him not to bother.

Brian McNaughton was another one at Celtic around that time.  Got his knee wrecked in a challenge during a reserve game and Stein was bawling like a bairn when he learned how bad it was and that the guy would never play again.

Willie Hamilton at Hibs - as good if not better, than Baxter according to many in the know.  Too fond of a tipple though.  Some good stories about him in Pat Stanton's autobiography.

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22 hours ago, noctonjock said:

This is the one that stands out for me . The big man would have made a massive difference . We needed him at that time 

Im sure i mind at the time Ferguson would have acutally have missed both euro 96 and france 98 regardless due to injuries.  Keeping him fit was actually the bigger issue

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5 hours ago, ceudmilefailte said:

Ryan Gauld,-so much ability but decided he liked the Portugal lifestyle more than the chance to pursue a career in professional football.

Andy Ritchie has to be one of the most under capped players-"the epitome of the Scottish footballer – a fat, lazy bastard, but with great ball skill"as said by Chick Young. The right personal trainer and he would have been the best player the world would ever see

I was thinking about Andy Ritchie. Seen him play loads of times for Morton, still a cult hero, great free kick taker.

 

Top drawer finish.

 

Edited by Lairdyfaeinverclyde
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One of the biggest omissions in the list of players capped for Scotland is Hughie Ferguson (1895-1930).

284 league goals for Motherwell between 1916 and 1925, 77 league goals for Cardiff between 1925 and 1929, and famously scored their winning goal in the 1927 FA Cup Final against Arsenal.

Ferguson was never capped for Scotland. He committed suicide aged 34.

Others that really should have been capped but never were - Jock Dodds (Sheffield Utd, Blackpool & Everton), Frank Beattie (Kilmarnock), Gordon Wallace (Raith Rovers & Dundee), John McMaster (Aberdeen).

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10 hours ago, ErsatzThistle said:

One of the biggest omissions in the list of players capped for Scotland is Hughie Ferguson (1895-1930).

284 league goals for Motherwell between 1916 and 1925, 77 league goals for Cardiff between 1925 and 1929, and famously scored their winning goal in the 1927 FA Cup Final against Arsenal.

Ferguson was never capped for Scotland. He committed suicide aged 34.

Others that really should have been capped but never were - Jock Dodds (Sheffield Utd, Blackpool & Everton), Frank Beattie (Kilmarnock), Gordon Wallace (Raith Rovers & Dundee), John McMaster (Aberdeen).

 

Looks like Jock Dodds would have got a few official caps in his prime were it not for WW2.   Had this for compensation though...

Quote

Dodds made all eight of his international appearances for Scotland during the wartime period. On 18 April 1942, he netted a hat-trick in a 5–4 win over England at Hampden park in front of a crowd of 91,000. Bill Shankley hit Scotland's winning goal.

 

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Dodds lived a very long life and passed away in 2007 aged 91.

Unfortunately the wartime internationals were usually embarrassing for Scotland with many weakened teams being fielded which England swept aside easily. We played England fifteen times between 1939 and 1945 and only won twice. We suffered heavy 8-0, 6-2 (twice) and 6-1 defeats to them during the war. The 1945 6-1 battering even took place in Glasgow.

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