WE'RE SCOTLAND – we don't really do sporting reality and that's a fact. In the wake of our elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the group stage and the subsequent resignation of Stevie Clarke, I've been crunching the numbers over our history in the competition. My conclusion, we've been kidding ourselves on for the past 76 years.
In this post, which comes into the Long Read category, I looked at our record in each of the tournaments since our first entry, in 1950 and I fear, the fuck-up the Scottish Football Association's High Heid Yins perpetrated back then has been the template for every subsequent tournament.
For the benefit of those too-young to remember Thomlinson T-balls and Manfield Hotspur football boots, having totally ignored FIFA and its World Cup when the competition was held in 1930, 1934 and 1938, the four British Associations kissed and made up with FIFA in 1947, even arranging a now legendary game at Hampden and agreeing to enter the World Cup, to be held in Brazil in 1950.
An Own Goal
The 1949-50 British International Championships would double-up as a World Cup qualifying competition with the top two nations travelling to Brazil in the summer of 1950. All reasonable enough, but, in a display of petulant arrogance which still defies explanation, the SFA Blazers decided, they would only go to Brazil as British Champions, before a 0-1 loss to England gave the men in white the title and meant Scotland has to be content with a short end-of-season European Tour, which brought a 2-2 draw with Portugal in Lisbon and a 1-0 win over France in Paris.
Still better than the fate that befell the English, who did go to Brazil, but managed to lose 0-1 to the USA and were home before their postcards.
For the 1954 tournament, in Switzerland, the Home Internationals again doubled-up as a qualifying group, Scotland again finished second behind England, but, this time, they did travel.
Mind you, the SFA still managed to mess-up big time.
The qualifying group results were: a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland in Belfast, before a 3-3 Hampden draw with Wales and a 2-4 loss to England at Hampden. In the Belfast win, East Fife's Charlie Fleming marked his solitary cap with two goals, not quite the same as club-mate Henry Morris, who, in his only Scotland appearance, against the Irish back in 1949 (in our first World Cup qualifier) scored a hat-trick.
In the Welsh game at Hampden, Willie Telfer, first called into the national squad back in 1949, finally got on the park for his only cap. He was never picked again after refusing to pull down the great John Charles as the Welsh star ran through to score a late equaliser for the visitors.
But, that wasn't the last piece of selection madness in 1954. Rangers had arranged a North American Tour for the end of the season, which meant Scotland regulars, Captain George Young, stand-in Captain Sammy Cox, centre-half Willie Woodburn and regular outside right Willie Waddell would be in North America rather than Switzerland.
Then, to add further embarrassment, the SFA ordered heavy winter-weight woolen shirts, for a tournament played in a high summer heatwave.
The SFA had to register 22 players with FIFA, but, they only took 13 of them to Switzerland, that group included only one goalkeeper – Aberdeen's Fred Martin. Back-up 'keeper Jock Anderson of Leicester City was back home in Barrhead for the duration of the tournament.
After the loss to England, the SFA Selectors, who picked the team, adopted their default position and dumped most of the team. Of the 20 players who had featured in the three qualifying games, only five: Bobby Evans, Doug Cowie, John-Archie Mackenzie, Allan Brown and Willie Ormond were on the flight to Switzerland and Evans, the most-capped player in the squad, wasn't used in either of the two games in the Alps.
The media hadn't come up with the Group of Death notion back then, but Scotland were paired with Austria, then one of the top nations in Europe and defending Champions Uruguay.
A 0-1 loss to the Austrians was not a bad result, but the subsequent 0-7 mauling at the hands of the South Americans was an unmitigated disaster. It didn't help that Andy Beattie, Scotland's first National Team Manager, who didn't get to pick the side, had had enough of the SFA Selectors' interference and resigned mid-tournament – it should have been red faces all round, except, the SFA High Heid Yins don't do embarrassment. Austria and Uruguay, who eliminated England, went on to finish third and fourth respectively.
Aye, in a foretaste of things to come – Scotland had got The Group of Death.
The Selectors again took charge, but, after Scotland saw off Spain and Switzerland to qualify for the 1958 tournament in Sweden, the SFA persuaded Manchester United Manager Matt Busby to manage the team at the tournament. Unfortunately, he was still recovering from the serious injuries he sustained in the Munich Air Crash in February, 1958, and team preparation had to be left to trainer Dawson Walker of Clyde.
After only taking 13 players to Switzerland, the SFA decided to take all 22 registered players to Sweden. They had been criticised for not taking enough players four years previously, this time, the press criticised them for taking too-many players. Still, a 1-1 draw with Yugoslavia was a promising opening.
Tommy Docherty and Archie Robertson hadn't played in that game, instead they were sent to spy on next opponents – Paraguay. The Doc, who would go on to have a spell as Scotland boss, always insisted, the SFA Selectors totally ignored the report he and Robertson submitted – Scotland lost 2-3 to the South Americans and now had to beat France, who had been the most-impressive of the nine European nations to qualify for Sweden, to remain alive. It was a task too far for the Scots, who again failed to get out of the group.
As you can see, a pattern is emerging; when it comes to the World Cup, if it can go wrong for Scotland, it will. Here, leaving aside the own goal of 1950, is a breakdown of our World Cup record:
1954 – Qualified 11 of 11 European nations – finished 15 of 16 finalists
1958 – Qualified 8 of 9 European nations – finished 14 of 16 finalists
1962 – Did not qualify – finished 12 of 28 European entrants
1966 – Did not qualify – finished 14 of 29 European entrants
1970 – Did not qualify – finished 12 of 29 European entrants
1974 – Qualified 6 of 8 European nations – finished 9 of 16 finalists
1978 – Qualified 6 of 9 European nations – finished 11 of 16 finalists
1982 – Qualified 5 of 13 European nations – finished 15 of 24 finalists
1986 – Qualified 13 of 13 European nations – finished 20 of 24 finalists
1990 – Qualified 12 of 13 European nations – finished 18 of 24 finalists
1994 – Did not qualify – finished 22 of 36 European entrants
1998 – Qualified 10 of 14 European nations – finished 27 of 32 finalists
2002 – Did not qualify – finished 26 of 50 European entrants
2006 – Did not qualify – finished 24 of 52 European entrants
2010 – Did not qualify – finished 27 of 53 European entrants
2014 – Did not qualify – finished 34 of 53 European entrants
2018 – Did not qualify – finished 20 of 54 European entrants
2022 – Did not qualify – finished 16 of 55 European entrants
2026 – Qualified 12 of 18 European nations – finished 35 of 48 finalists
Over these 76 years and 20 World Cups, we have only once, in 1982, qualified as one of the top European qualifiers. In the other nine successful qualifying campaigns (including 1950), we have either got in as a second-placed nation, or as one of the least-impressive group winners.
OK, today the Tartan Army styles itself as the game's ultimate party animals, Scotland games are party central, but, up until reality set in over the first quarter of the 21st century, we definitely had delusions of adequacy, a failing still to an extent evident in our support – including our Fans with lap tops.
Our perennial weakness as a footballing nation is our inability to score goals. Might this be a mental thing? As evidence of this, I submit the legendary story of the 1967 Wembley Wizards' pre-game planning. The Scottish squad, to a man, did not rate the English World Champions they would be facing; legend has it, pre-game planning focused on how they would approach the game.
Problems Finding The Net
Denis Law, scarred by the memory of losing 3-9 in 1961 wanted Scotland to put as many goals as possible on the Saxons, but, he was over-ruled by a combination of Jim Baxter and Billy Bremner, who allegedly wanted to: “humiliate them 1-0.”
The reality was, Scotland's win was 3-2 going on 6-2, but, if you look today at the BBC highlights edit, you might think Scotland were fortunate to win. But, that's our way – win with a bit of swagger. Never mind piling on the goals.
A look at our goals for and against for our 20 World Cup qualifying campaigns demonstrates where our inability to put the ball in the net has handicapped us:
1950 – average goals scored per game against goals conceded: 6.33 – 1 Q
1954 – 2.66 – 2.66 Q
1958 – 2.5 – 2.25 Q
1962 – 2.4 – 2.2 DNQ
1966 – 2.3 – 1.6 DNQ
1970 – 3 – 1 DNQ
1974 – 2 – 0.75 Q
1978 – 2.5 – 0.75 Q
1982 – 1.12 – 0.5 Q
1986 – 1.25 – 0.5 Q
1990 – 1.5 – 1.5 Q
1994 – 1.4 – 1.3 DNQ
1998 – 1.5 – 0.3 Q
2002 – 1.5 – 0.75 DNQ
2006 – 0.9 – 0.7 DNQ
2010 – 1.325 – 1.25 DNQ
2014 – 1.2 – 1.1 DNQ
2018 – 1.7 – 1.2 DNQ
2022 – 1.63 – 0.9 DNQ
2026 – 2.16 – 1.16
The 1950 average is somewhat skewed by that big 8-2 win in Belfast, while the 1970 figure is also skewed by the 13 times we scored in two goal feasts against Cyprus. However, until the 2026 campaign, we hadn't averaged better than just over a goal a game in almost 50 years of qualifying campaigns.
In attempting to qualify for World Cup Finals, we have played 142 games, over which we average 1.633 goals per game scored – 1.077 gpg conceded.
Our record in the Big Show, on the nine occasions we turned-up is as follows:
1954 – 0 goals scored – 8 conceded: average 0-4
1958 – 3 goals scored – 6 conceded: average 1 – 2
1974 – 3 goals scored – 1 goal conceded: average 1 – 0.33
1978 – 5 goals scored – 6 goals conceded: average 1.66 – 2
1982 – 8 goals scored – 8 goals conceded: average 2.66 – 2.66
1986 – 1 goal scored – 3 goals conceded: average 0.33 – 1
1990 – 2 goals scored – 3 goals conceded: average 0.66 – 1
1998 – 2 goals scored – 6 goals conceded: average 0.66 – 2
2026 – 1 goal scored – 4 goals conceded: average 0.33 – 1.33
Overall our record in finals tournament is:
9 tournaments – 26 goals scored – 45 goals conceded: average goals per game: 1 – 1.73
Frustratingly, we haven't scored a goal per game in each of our last four tilts at the final tournaments, it's now 44 years since we bettered that benchmark, and the 1982 figures have undoubtedly been helped by sticking 5 goals on New Zealand in our opening game.
In all, both qualifiers and final tournament games, we have played 168 World Cup games, in which we have scored 258 goals – an average of 1.5 goals per game. We have conceded 198 goals in these matches, an average of 1.18 gpg.
A total of 166 players have scored for Scotland in World Cup games, either qualifiers or final tournament matches; 51 of these players have scored more than one World Cup goal and the top ten (actually 11) Scottish World Cup goalscorers are;
Maurice Johnston – 9 goals
Kevin Gallacher – 9 goals
Kenny Dalglish – 7 goals
Joe Jordan – 7 goals
Jackie Mudie – 6 goals
Denis Law – 5 goals
Ally McCoist – 5 goals
Robert Snodgrass – 5 goals
John McGinn – 5 goals
Che Adams – 5 goals
Lynden Dykes – 5 goals
Our 26 goals in Finals tournaments have been shared amongst 20 players, of whom 16 have scored only one final tournament goal. The players who have scored more than once for Scotland in the Big Show are:
Joe Jordan – 4 goals
Kenny Dalglish – 2 goals
Archie Gemmill - 2 goals (in one game)
John Wark – 2 goals (in one game)
Jimmy Murray, Jackie Mudie, Bobby Collins, Sammy Baird (1958), Peter Lorimer (1974), John Robertson, Stevie Archibald, David Narey, Graeme Souness (1982), Gordon Strachan (1986), Stuart McCall, Maurice Johnston (1990), John Collins, Craig Burley (1998) and John McGinn (2026) are the single goal scorers.
When it comes to consistently scoring – that goals per game ratio – you obviously get regular outliers. For instance, his hat-trick in his only international, that first-ever World Cup qualifier back in 1949, makes East Fife's Henry Morris, statistically our top marksman, with a 3-00 goals per game average; just ahead of his club-mate, Charlie Fleming, who bagged a brace in his only international in 1954 and there are anomalies too when we look at the scorers of our 25 goals in finals (I discount the own goal in the Iran game in 1978).
Here the averages read, in descending order:
1.00 gpg - Sammy Baird (Rangers) – (1 game, 1 goal, 1958)
0.66 gpg - Archie Gemmill (Nottingham Forest) – (3 games, 2 goals 1978) : John Wark (Ipswich Town) – (3 games, 2 goals 1982)
0.57 gpg - Joe Jordan (Leeds United, Manchester United, AC Milan) (7 games, 4 goals 1974, 1978, 1982)
0.5 gpg - Jimmy Murray (Heart of Midlothian) – (2 games, 1 goal, 1958) : David Narey (Dundee United) – (2 games, 1 goal 1982)
0.33 gpg - Jackie Mudie (Blackpool) – (3 games, 1 goal 1958) : Bobby Collins (Celtic) – (3 games, 1 goal 1958) : Peter Lorimer – (Leeds United) - (3 games, 1 goal 1974) : Stuart McCall (Rangers) – (3 games, 1 goal 1990) : Maurice Johnston (Rangers) – (3 games, 1 goal 1990) : Craig Burley (Celtic) – (3 games, 1 goal 1990) : John McGinn (Aston Villa) – (3 games, 1 goal 2026)
0.25 gpg – Kenny Dalglish (Celtic, Liverpool) – (8 games, 2 goals 1974, 1978, 1982) : Steve Archibald (Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona) – (1 goal, 4 games 1982, 1986) : John Collins (Hibernian, Monaco) – (1 goal, 4 games 1990, 1998)
0.17 gpg Graeme Souness (Liverpool, Rangers) – (1 goal, 6 games 1978, 1982, 1986) : Gordon Strachan (Aberdeen, Manchester United) (1 goal, 6 games 1982, 1986)
For the purposes of this piece, I have categorised Kenny Dalglish as a midfielder rather than a striker, some might argue about this, however. Any way, the five strikers in my list: Messrs Jordan, Mudie, Lorimer, Johnston and Archibald scored goals at a median average of 0.4 goals per game – just below the 0.5 benchmark for a top-class international striker.
The 12 midfielders on the list posted a median average of 0.35 goals per game, which is around the expected average for an international-class midfielder. All I can say about the one Scottish goal scored by a defender in a World Cup finals game: David Narey's “toe poke” against Brazil in 1982 is – great strike as it was, as was noted at the time – it was a clear case of poking a slumbering bear with a stick.
My conclusions – well, given our midfielders score at almost the same level as our strikers, perhaps, in a Scottish International context, Craig Levein's 4-6-0 formation wasn't stupid.
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