Adventures in the Golden Age : Scotland in the World Cup Finals 1974-1998

The enthralling inside story of Scottish football's golden age The 2018 World Cup Finals in Russia mark 20 years since Scotland last qualified for a major football tournament. It's a poignant, painful reminder of the state of our footballing nation. Qualification has never been easy, of course, but the golden age of many memorable and nail-biting nights is well worth remembering – in the hope that one day they may come again. Archie Macpherson commentated on all 18 of Scotland's World Cup matches during that purple patch from 1974 to 1998, and now in his Adventures in the Golden Age, he tells the story of the matches and the men that raised and dashed hopes in almost equal measure at the greatest tournament on earth. Between the 1974 clash with Zaire and the defeat against Morocco in 1998, there were adventures against Iran, Peru, Costa Rica, Brazil and many others. And, throughout it all, Archie was the voice of Scottish football. He knew the players, the managers and the fans. He witnessed clashes of personality, managerial rages, nocturnal antics, BBC wranglings, the shadiness of FIFA – and that last painful evening in France. Archie Macpherson's World Cup adventures are brilliantly entertaining, capturing a golden age in Scottish football that may never be seen again. The enthralling inside story of Scottish football's golden age

The 2018 World Cup Finals in Russia mark 20 years since Scotland last qualified for a major football tournament. It's a poignant, painful reminder of the state of our footballing nation. Qualification has never been easy, of course, but the golden age of many memorable and nail-biting nights is well worth remembering – in the hope that one day they may come again.

Archie Macpherson commentated on all 18 of Scotland's World Cup matches during that purple patch from 1974 to 1998, and now in his Adventures in the Golden Age, he tells the story of the matches and the men that raised and dashed hopes in almost equal measure at the greatest tournament on earth.

Between the 1974 clash with Zaire and the defeat against Morocco in 1998, there were adventures against Iran, Peru, Costa Rica, Brazil and many others. And, throughout it all, Archie was the voice of Scottish football. He knew the players, the managers and the fans. He witnessed clashes of personality, managerial rages, nocturnal antics, BBC wranglings, the shadiness of FIFA – and that last painful evening in France.

Archie Macpherson's World Cup adventures are brilliantly entertaining, capturing a golden age in Scottish football that may never be seen again. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION THE 1974 FIFA WORLD CUP GERMANY 1 SPIRITED LIFT-OFF 2 DOUBLE TROUBLE 3 ENTER THE WITCH DOCTORS 4 BREMNER REDUX 5 ‘GROWN MEN ARE ALLOWED TO CRY’ THE 1978 FIFA WORLD CUP ARGENTINA 6 A TOUCHY CONTROVERSY 7 ALLY’S WANDERS 8 PILLS AND PURGATORY 9 TRAINSPOTTING IN MENDOZA THE 1982 FIFA WORLD CUP SPAIN 10 ENTRANCE OF A GIANT 11 MERRY MALAGA 12 TOE POKE 13 007 TAKES AIM 14 THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE THE 1986 FIFA WORLD CUP MEXICO 15 THE AVENUE OF THE DEAD 16 FERGIE’S FOCUS 17 SLUMS AND SLAMS 18 TEST OF ENDURANCE 19 ASSAULT AND BATTERY THE 1990 FIFA WORLD CUP ITALY 20 THE YOUNG PRINCE? 21 A LAST GASP 22 DOMESTIC DILEMMAS 23 THIRD WORLD TORMENT 24 PRESS POISON 25 ARRIVEDERCI THE 1998 FIFA WORLD CUP FRANCE 26 VIVE LE TARTAN 27 NERVY NAVIGATIONS 28 DAD’S ARMY 29 HONOURABLE HEROICS 30 VINTAGE IN BORDEAUX 31 SUCH SWEET SORROW