MARGARET Thatcher is to blame for Scotland not qualifying for World Cups, according to Sir Alex Ferguson.

The former Manchester United and Scotland boss says in his new book that the former Tory Prime Minister, who died in 2013, “destroyed British football”.

In his book ‘Leading’ he says in the 1980s Scotland and Britain stopped producing a “disproportionate share of the world’s best players”.

He laid the blame on the consequences of a teacher’s dispute and the influx of foreign players with TV money following the creation the premiership which his United teams went on to dominate for 20 years.

He said “I don’t know whether Margaret Thatcher consciously sought to destroy British football because obviously (and correctly) she was vocal about her disdain for hooliganism and crowd violence, but that’s what she managed to do.

“Following an industrial dispute with the Government many teachers stopped organising extra-curricular sports activities. It had disastrous consequences.”

He said the discipline instilled by teachers was lost and the influence of family members increased.

He said: “My experience was that young boys paid careful attention to their school teachers and many of them became acquainted with the need to train and acquired substantial skills, discipline and youthful experience playing in front of critical and demanding eyes.

“Much of that evaporated and school teachers were replaced by fathers, uncles and grannies.”

Ferguson said they were well meaning but competitive school football was lost and with boys clubs there were too many games played each season.