Scotland's 1950s World Cup hopes wilt as heavy shirts, heat and lavish feasts take toll
Alan Pattullo on why Scots struggled at finals in Switzerland and Sweden
Based on the evidence from the 1950s, it is a wonder Scotland did not simply draw a line under their World Cup experiences and opt for something less fraught, like playing marbles.
The opposition were too good, it was too hot, the shirts were too heavy and, as was the case in 1958 in Sweden, the hotel breakfasts were too lavish, tempting the players to overeat. Scotland also saw their first-ever manager, Andy Beattie, resign after a defeat in their opening game in 1954 in Switzerland.
The very month after Matt Busby was asked to lead Scotland into the 1958 World Cup, he was aboard British Airways Flight 609 attempting yet another take-off from Munich on the way home from Manchester United’s European Cup game against Red Star Belgrade. The Old Trafford manager narrowly escaped death, unlike 23 others, including eight first-team players.
But while Scotland held the post open, it was never realistic that he could be ready for such an onerous job. Even the prospect of flying again, Busby admitted when he left hospital in Germany that April before a long train journey home, was a case of “only time can tell.” Still, he said he “hoped” to be with Scotland that summer in Sweden, either as a manager or guest.
To say Scotland’s early forays at World Cups were inauspicious barely covers it. In the first of these tournaments, held in Switzerland in 1954, Scotland travelled with only 13 players when the permitted number was 22. The SFA international committee nominated the 13 players, including Tommy Docherty, pictured right, from Preston North End and Willie Ormond of Hibs. Although there was a team manager, appointed earlier in the year, Beattie was responsible only for coaching and tactics. He was also already the manager of Huddersfield Town.
Although Scotland might have participated in the first-ever international match, it seemed apparent, more than 70 years after that historic event v England in Glasgow, that they were not taking international football as seriously as other countries.
Club football dominated British football. The SFA theoretically had the power to demand that players be released for international fixtures. Although as Rangers director George Brown stressed to the SFA council, this agreement had been struck “before a World Cup was contemplated”.
He had a further concern about the plans to take the players away for a pre-World Cup training camp, which ended up being in faraway Ayr. “To what sort of coaching are the players to be subjected?” Brown wondered. “Is it to be based on Rangers’ tactics or Celtic’s tactics? Are we to have our players’ style of play altered?”
In recognition of their role in the game’s development, and despite the fact Scotland had snootily declined the invitation to compete in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, Fifa seemed happy for the home nations to continue using the Home International Championship as a means of qualifying for the World Cup. The top two of the four advanced.
Scotland’s rejection of the chance to appear in Brazil – they finished second in the group behind England, having declared with great hubris that they would only head to South America as British champions – was described as “inexplicable narrowmindedness” by the authors of the Encyclopedia of World Football, published in 1980.
Why Rangers players didn’t feature
After again finishing second to England in the Home International Championship, Scotland this time “condescended to enter” – to quote the Encyclopedia of World Football once more – four years later. They were missing Rangers players, however, who opted to head to North America for a club tour.
“It is well known that players prefer to pack their grips for club trips when the big issue looms ahead,” noted Alex Young in the Daily Mirror.
It meant Scotland were without Ibrox stars George Young, Sammy Cox and Willie Waddell, who were Canada-bound instead. A preliminary squad of 18 was announced before it was whittled down to 13 prior to Scotland’s opening game against Austria, who, unsurprisingly, had decided to name the full complement of 22 players. “Our boys are rarin’ to go,” said Tom Reid, chairman of the SFA’s International Committee. “They have found a fine old confidence in themselves and, take it from me, they are not the least worried about the much ballyhooed opposition.”
The Scots lost an admittedly tight first game 1-0 against the much fancied Austrians, although those wanting to tune in at home could only watch….France v Yugoslavia, which the only available channel the BBC Television Service – no BBC One and Two in those days – was showing (all four opening games started at the same time).
Live coverage of Scotland’s next game was available, although even this early in football’s relationship with TV it was a ‘watch from behind the sofa’ experience against the world champions Uruguay. The smotheringly hot conditions probably didn’t help and neither did Beattie’s resignation on the eve of the game – he told one reporter that “win, lose or draw, I am going home”. He got his wish, leaving along with everyone else in the Scotland party after a 7-0 defeat.
“Scottish football is not only packing its bags to leave Switzerland and the World Cup,” The Daily Herald opined. “It is packing up as a force of even moderate power in the world game.”
Some classic excuses emerged later: the heavy knit jerseys Scotland wore in the stifling conditions had not helped. Scots would have to re-think their priorities before the next World Cup, which they qualified for along with all four home nations. For the first time, all the British teams had to qualify from a European qualifying section with Scotland finishing top in a tough group also comprising Spain and Switzerland.
Again, they lacked a full-time manager but that was hardly the SFA’s or anyone else’s fault. Busby was still convalescing, so Dawson Walker, the Clyde FC trainer, took charge of team affairs and oversaw a first World Cup point – and goal – against Yugoslavia. Jimmy Murray’s second-half headed equaliser secured a draw.
Although he was also a prolific finisher for Hearts, The Independent referred to Murray as “the first Scottish goalscorer in the World Cup finals” in the headline of his 2015 obituary. It’s not a bad thing to be remembered for.
While the Scots were now up and running, they lost their next game by the odd goal in five against Paraguay and needed a miracle against a France side inspired by star players Just Fontaine, inset, and Raymond Kopa. Both scored in a 2-1 Scottish defeat.
Scotland were checking out early once again and criticism was merited. According to Graham McColl, in the 1998 book Scotland In The World Cup Finals, “Scotland players had overindulged at the well-stocked restaurant at their hotel”. Cooked breakfasts were the order of the day as were “Swedish cakes and sandwiches at the 10pm supper serving”. Scotland had missed the quiet discipline of the respected Busby.
Had Scotland benefited at all from their experiences four years earlier? Not according to English commentator John Camkin. “Scotland learned nothing, absolutely nothing, from the World Cup finals in 1954,” he wrote in a book about the tournament. “Every mistake made in Switzerland four years ago, was repeated in Sweden in 1958.”
Still, the future looked bright. With a world-class goalscorer emerging in the shape of Denis Law and John White flourishing at Spurs alongside Dave Mackay, who was firmly in his pomp, better things were hoped for in Chile next time out.
Scotland were now in the groove of qualifying and could look forward to making their mark on world football in the 1960s. Then again, if you want to give God a laugh, tell Him your plans ...
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