Archie MacPherson's book on Scottish World Cup campaigns

[Marlow]

I know lots of people hate him, but I've just finished reading his memoirs covering the world cups we went to between 1974 and 1998 and found it fascinating.

I must admit, though, that I found it saddening, too, and for two principal reasons: frustration that we haven't qualified for a tournament in 20 years, of course, and the horrible feeling that we should have done better than we did in some of the tournaments.

His own reminiscences are interspersed with fresh interviews with a couple of dozen players.

MacPherson is pretty hard on McLeod and Roxburgh,  and very complimentary about Fergie's management in 86. 

I was intrigued to read, for instance, that Stein treated Dalglish harshly in 82. MacPherson also runs with some of his pet peeves: for example, that Alan Hansen should have been taken to Mexico (and he quotes Charlie Nicholas and Frank McAvennie in suport of this, in my view mistaken, belief). To be fair to him, though, he does outline the reasons to be anti-Hansen in 86.

Having loved "78: How a Nation Lost the World Cup" and enjoyed "1974: a World Cup Story," it's made me wish that whole books were written about 82,  86 and 90.

[Gordopolis]

Sounds good - you got the link?

I recently read Jim McLean's 'Jousting with Giants' and it was likewise intriguing and quite depressing in places. What Dundee Utd achieved in the 80s - accepted it was a totally different footballing landscape - was astonishing. Same with Aberdeen.

[LeeVanTeeth]

Just read Richard Gordon's book on the 1974 campaign but found it rather flat, so would like in particular to read Archie's version of events of the same campaign.

[Gordopolis]

4 hours ago, LeeVanTeeth said:

Just read Richard Gordon's book on the 1974 campaign but found it rather flat, so would like in particular to read Archie's version of events of the same campaign.

Was that the one where Danny McGrain was asked about how he felt before facing Brazil:

"Danny looked wistfully off into the distance before concluding 'I was absolutely shiting myself'"

[Marlow]

5 hours ago, Gordopolis said:

Sounds good - you got the link?

http://blackandwhitepublishing.com/shop/adventures-in-the-golden-age-archie-macpherson.html

5 hours ago, Gordopolis said:

I recently read Jim McLean's 'Jousting with Giants' and it was likewise intriguing and quite depressing in places. What Dundee Utd achieved in the 80s - accepted it was a totally different footballing landscape - was astonishing. Same with Aberdeen.

I don't remember ever being quite so proud of a Scottish club as I was when Dundee United beat Barcelona in the Nou Camp in 88, and I say that as a Stirling Albion supporter who was overjoyed at Aberdeen's European trophy wins.

[Marlow]

6 hours ago, LeeVanTeeth said:

Just read Richard Gordon's book on the 1974 campaign but found it rather flat, so would like in particular to read Archie's version of events of the same campaign.

I did enjoy it, but probably mainly because I enjoyed that World Cup rather than Gordon's style. It is a bit drab compared to Graham McCol's brilliant "78: How a Nation Lost the World Cup". MacPherson devotes several chapters to the 74 campaign and is much more insightful than Gordon, possibly partly because he had a good inside line to Stein, and partly because he is less diplomatic: for instance, he admits that he didn't like Billy Bremner as a person, but acknowedges he was a great player ( and a great captain in that tournament).