IT is easy to become enveloped in the doom and gloom currently surrounding Scottish football as the national team and our two leading club sides struggle.
IT is easy to become enveloped in the doom and gloom currently surrounding Scottish football as the national team and our two leading club sides struggle.
However, let's not forget the days when Scotland boasted some of the best players and teams in Europe and were admired across the Continent.
M. MOAL (France) says: I am a great fan of Scottish football, especially your international team. My favourite time was the 1960s and I wonder if you could tell me if Brown, Law, St John, Henderson and Collins played in the same team on any occasions?
- The only time that these five players appeared in the same Scotland side was in the match against England at Wembley on April 10, 1965.
The Scotland team was:
Brown, Hamilton, McCreadie, Crerand, McNeil, Greig, Henderson, Collins, St. John, Law and Wilson.
England went into a 2-0 lead through goals from Bobby Charlton (25mins) and Jimmy Greaves (35mins), but a goal from Denis Law (41mins) and an equaliser from Ian St John (59mins) meant that the final result was a 2-2 draw.
THE FIR PARK FOUR (via email) -While watching the Liverpool v Manchester United game on television we had a difference of opinion. When Motherwell played Liverpool in 1986 to celebrate the club's Centenary year, the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Two of us maintain that Liverpool played a full-strength side while the other two say that they came to Fir Park with what was largely a reserve team. Can you please settle?
- The match was played at Fir Park on November 3, 1986, and Liverpool celebrated Mother-well's 100th anniversary by providing a very strong side.
The Liverpool line-up was:
Grobbelaar, Gillespie, Beglin, Venison, Wark, Hansen, Dalglish, Nicol, Rush, Molby and McMahon. Subs: Mooney, Walsh, Whelan and Ablett.
A crowd listed as 11,500 saw the Merseyside giants take a first-half lead through John Wark, but a late equaliser from Steve Kirk gave the Well a creditable draw.
JACK AND VICTOR (Stepps) - Can you tell us how many goals Jimmy Toner scored for Dundee, and how many medals he won. Also, I'm sure Dundee played with hooped tops back in the 1950s, can you confirm?
- Jimmy Toner scored a total of 22 goals for Dundee, 14 in the league, seven in the League Cup and one in the Scottish Cup. He won two League Cup winner's medals with Dundee in seasons 1951-52 and 1952-53.
In April, 1952, Dundee lost the Scottish Cup Final 4-0 to Motherwell, but Jimmy was not named in the Dundee XI , so it is unlikely he would have received a runners-up medal .
We can find no evidence of Dundee playing in hooped tops back in the 50's.
SPIDERMAN (Cathcart) - My friend remembers a teenager scoring a hat-trick on his Queen's Park debut in 1953. Can you give me more details?
- The youngster was 17-year- old Maxwell Murray. The Falkirk High School boy scored a wonderful treble and helped Queen's Park overwhelm Cowdenbeath 7-1 at Hampden.
The other Queen's scorers that day were Omand (2 pens), Dalziel and Church. Young was the Cowdenbeath scorer. Murray went on to play for Rangers and scored 121 goals in 154 games.
JIM HARE (via email) - In regards to last week's question about the Oaks, you are correct that the horse race is run in June. On June 4, 1977, Scotland played England at Wembley Stadium. This game was part of the Home Internationals and normally took place in May. However, as part of the Queen's Jubilee Year celebrations, the match was put back until June and Scotland won 2-1. That same day Willie Carson won The Oaks on the Queen's horse, Dunfermline.
