Once We Were Titans

THE High Heid Yins in Hampden's coridors of power may well have designated Flower of Scotland as Scotland's national anthem - the only one in the world by the way which has become a race to finish first between the band and the fans, who usually win - but, the Tartan Army's true anthem these recent years has become: "We're Shite And We Know We Are.

But once, once we ruled global football. You simply have to take my word for this, there is nobody alive today who watched Scotland back in the late-Victorian years when we truly were The Greatest.

If the 21st century is a time of famine, the 20th was a case of one long roller-coaster ride, with Scotland usually reaching the top of the ride at the wrong time. For instance we were immense in 1967, a year late, and again in 1977, sorry, we came too soon then.

Fifty years ago today was one of these rare days when we got it right. On 14 April, 1962, the bi-annual Hampden clash between Scotland and England finished 2-0 to Scotland. Two-nil, take it from me, one of the 132,441 who was at the game: it was 2-0 going on 5-0, we moidered da bums and even if the margin of victory was by four goals fewer than England had achieved at Wembley 12 months previously - they won 9-3, lest we forget - we were even more convincing winners than the men in white had been then.

The victory sparked-off our only series of three straight wins over the Auld Enemy in the 20th century and our first such sequence since 1882-3-4. Had we been a well-run football country, we would have trained-on to greater things, World Cup victory in 1966 for instance, instead, it was the out-played and demoralised English who grabbed that minor trophy.

I can still rattle-off the Scotland team which so-thrilled Hampden, they had to come back out and do a lap of honour, an accolade never previously accorded a Scotland team, it was (in the old-fashioned 2-3-5 formation): Brown; Hamilton and Caldow; Crerand, McNeill and Baxter; Scott, White, St John, Law and Wilson. Four Rangers players (they never got injured when Scotland called back then), two from Celtic (they had Scots in their first team back then), two from Tottenham, one from Dundee, one from Liverpool and in Law, a God who was visiting from his then base in Turin.

Davie Wilson got the opener in 13 minutes, but it took until the closing couple of minutes for us to make the game safe, and only after England had had a great call for a Johnny Haynes goal refused by Dutch referee Leo Horn on the hour mark, before skipper Eric Caldow slammed home the match-clinching penalty - but hey, that's Scotland for you, we don't do easy wins.

In truth, had England 'keeper Ron Springett not had the game of his life, it might indeed have finished five or six-nil to us. England were never at the races, apart from in a five-minute spell during which Haynes had that "goal" not given.

Scotland won the game in midfield. The (John) White "Ghost" might have been a bit under the weather, but he, Crerand and Man of the Match Baxter totally dominated proceedings, while up front, St John and Law ran the English ragged, while Scott and Wilson on the wings were also in full flight.

Our back three of Hamilton, McNeill and Caldow were never in trouble, with Hamilton in particular putting Bobby Charlton on starvation rations. This team ought to have been the basis of a dominant Scottish team for the next decade, but, it never happened. That XI was never selected en bloc again. OK, we had options - the McNeill or Ian Ure debate for centre half would go on for a season or two; Dave Mackay was temporarily out of favour; Alan Gilzean was still emerging to replace St John, likewise, WIllie Henderson would soon replace Alex Scott for club and country, and whilst not even he would admit to being the Aberdonian's equal, if Law was unavailable, Ralph Brand was a more than capable replacement.

Only Brown, Caldow, Baxter and Law were automatic choices back then, unlike today when players unfit to lace Slim Jim's drinks are shoo-ins for the national team.

Fifty years ago today, the Sixties started to swing for Scottish football. The trouble is, we all finished up dizzy and disorientated and we've got worse over the years. But once, half a century ago, we were Titans.

The song hadn't yet been written, but: we sent them homeward tae think again that day.