How Scotland almost won a World Cup at Hampden in 1989

[theonlywayisup]

Imagine losing a World Cup final at Hampden on penalties having led 2-0 and missed a penalty with 18 minutes to play. Typical Scotland.

I was one of the sold out capacity crowd at Tiny - remains the only win I've ever witnessed there.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47903212

It's hard to comprehend that Scotland were a well respected international team during the 80s.

[Tarrahib]

I was at the final at Hampden.Men against boys,

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Imagine losing a World Cup final at Hampden on penalties having led 2-0 and missed a penalty with 18 minutes to play. Typical Scotland.

I was one of the sold out capacity crowd at Tiny - remains the only win I've ever witnessed there.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47903212

It's hard to comprehend that Scotland were a well respected international team during the 80s.

[AltheHibby]

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I was at the final at Hampden.Men against boys,

I was at Hampden too. The accusation throughout the tournament was that it literally was men against boys. If memory serves me right, FIFA congratulated Scotland and said that as the Saudi passports said that the players were the correct age there was nothing they could do.

[Big_Franck]

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I was at the final at Hampden.Men against boys,

Look at the age of the boy lunging in on Paul Dickov on that BBC link! He looks mid 20s at least! I'd heard about this before but never seen any images of the Saudi Players.

[fat freddy]

I was at Tynie for Portugal game. I heard years later that Figo was playing that night. Not sure if it's true though. What is true is most of the Saudi team will be in their 50's now.

[bringbackbenny]

Does anyone remember, earlier in the tournament, the double header of games at Tynecastle starting early evening? And a Portuguese player getting a bit upset with some crowd banter and dropping his pants with associated 'rude'! gestures 😮

[Tomsk]

Scotland were 2-0 up in the final, missed a pen to make it 3-1 and SA had a player sent off.

We were very unlucky, but from what i can remember of the game both sides were blowing out their holes in extra time, and while the SA players looked older (and some of them probably were) there was no notable difference in physicality or fitness between the teams. It was a close game and someone had to lose. Unfortunately, it was Scotland.

[Kojock]

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Look at the age of the boy lunging in on Paul Dickov on that BBC link! He looks mid 20s at least! I'd heard about this before but never seen any images of the Saudi Players.

The Saudi players had hair in places that most of the young Scottish team never had places yet. 😂

[Tomsk]

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Does anyone remember, earlier in the tournament, the double header of games at Tynecastle starting early evening? And a Portuguese player getting a bit upset with some crowd banter and dropping his pants with associated 'rude'! gestures 😮

I went to a few games at Tynecastle, including the semi. The crowds were very good. I think the semi kicked off about an hour late. Huge queues outside.

[theonlywayisup]

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I was at Tynie for Portugal game. I heard years later that Figo was playing that night. Not sure if it's true though. What is true is most of the Saudi team will be in their 50's now.

Squad lists can be found on this page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_F...#_Saudi_Arabia

Top players who played included:

Mark Schwarzer
Claudio Reyna
Victor Ikpeba
Luís Figo (pretty sure he did play at Tiny)
Abel Xavier

[Kojock]

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I was at Tynie for Portugal game. I heard years later that Figo was playing that night. Not sure if it's true though. What is true is most of the Saudi team will be in their 50's now.

You are correct Figo was part of the Portugal team.

[Kojock]

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Look at the age of the boy lunging in on Paul Dickov on that BBC link! He looks mid 20s at least! I'd heard about this before but never seen any images of the Saudi Players.

Ernie Walker SFA president later said.

"We were cheated. I mean, it was so obvious - the Saudi keeper looked like Peter Shilton.

"I was told by a coach that one player was married with three children and was a captain in the Royal Guard - yet he was playing in the Under-16 World Cup."

[greiggy]

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Does anyone remember, earlier in the tournament, the double header of games at Tynecastle starting early evening? And a Portuguese player getting a bit upset with some crowd banter and dropping his pants with associated 'rude'! gestures

I do remember it. It was their goalie who was sent home in disgrace the next day. Crowd were very much supporting Guinea so he got quite excited when Portugal equalised late on to secure their place in the next round. Hilarious. I think the same guy played for Braga later on in his career and returned to the scene of the crime!


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[theonlywayisup]

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Ernie Walker SFA president later said.

"We were cheated. I mean, it was so obvious - the Saudi keeper looked like Peter Shilton.

"I was told by a coach that one player was married with three children and was a captain in the Royal Guard - yet he was playing in the Under-16 World Cup."

The winning team was accused of fielding several over-age players, but no formal investigation was conducted. Maybe our friends in the media could do one now.

Saudi squad

1 GK Khalid Al-Suwaileh 7 August 1972 (aged 16)
2 DF Salman Al-Geraini 10 September 1972 (aged 16)
3 DF Sulaiman Al-Reshoudi 3 September 1972 (aged 16)
4 DF Adnan Abdulshkor 11 August 1972 (aged 16)
5 DF Abdullah Al-Ahmadi 14 August 1972 (aged 16)
6 MF Fuad Al-Anoud 13 October 1972 (aged 16)
7 DF Aref Burshaid 29 August 1972 (aged 16)
8 MF Abdullah Al-Hamdi 18 August 1972 (aged 16)
9 FW Khalid Al-Roaihi 15 December 1972 (aged 16)
10 MF Saud Al-Hammali 19 October 1972 (aged 16)
11 FW Mansour Al-Mousa 29 October 1972 (aged 16)
12 MF Jabarti Al-Shamrani 29 November 1972 (aged 16)
13 FW Waleed Al-Terair 23 November 1972 (aged 16)
14 MF Salem Al-Alawi 21 August 1972 (aged 16)
15 MF Mohammed Al-Temyat 24 October 1972 (aged 16)
16 DF Abdullah Al-Theneyan 8 October 1972 (aged 16)
17 GK Mohamed Al-Deayea 2 August 1972 (aged 16)
18 GK Shaker Al-Shujaa 2 August 1972 (aged 16)

[Big_Franck]

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The winning team was accused of fielding several over-age players, but no formal investigation was conducted. Maybe our friends in the media could do one now.

Saudi squad

1 GK Khalid Al-Suwaileh 7 August 1972 (aged 16)
2 DF Salman Al-Geraini 10 September 1972 (aged 16)
3 DF Sulaiman Al-Reshoudi 3 September 1972 (aged 16)
4 DF Adnan Abdulshkor 11 August 1972 (aged 16)
5 DF Abdullah Al-Ahmadi 14 August 1972 (aged 16)
6 MF Fuad Al-Anoud 13 October 1972 (aged 16)
7 DF Aref Burshaid 29 August 1972 (aged 16)
8 MF Abdullah Al-Hamdi 18 August 1972 (aged 16)
9 FW Khalid Al-Roaihi 15 December 1972 (aged 16)
10 MF Saud Al-Hammali 19 October 1972 (aged 16)
11 FW Mansour Al-Mousa 29 October 1972 (aged 16)
12 MF Jabarti Al-Shamrani 29 November 1972 (aged 16)
13 FW Waleed Al-Terair 23 November 1972 (aged 16)
14 MF Salem Al-Alawi 21 August 1972 (aged 16)
15 MF Mohammed Al-Temyat 24 October 1972 (aged 16)
16 DF Abdullah Al-Theneyan 8 October 1972 (aged 16)
17 GK Mohamed Al-Deayea 2 August 1972 (aged 16)
18 GK Shaker Al-Shujaa 2 August 1972 (aged 16)

Nobody in the 18 man squad was born January to July? What's the odds of that? Strange.

[Keith_M]

I'm sure one of the commentators at the end of that game said the Saudi's were running to the Main Stand to wave to their wives and children in the crowd.


Everybody and their dog knew that the Saudis were just a bunch of cheatin' bassas at that tournament.

[FilipinoHibs]

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I was at Tynie for Portugal game. I heard years later that Figo was playing that night. Not sure if it's true though. What is true is most of the Saudi team will be in their 50's now.

Yes true. It was Portugal's golden generation. Went to a group match at Tynie with Portugal. Parents are Portuguese,, so second team after Scotland.

[BS44]

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I went to a few games at Tynecastle, including the semi. The crowds were very good. I think the semi kicked off about an hour late. Huge queues outside.

Grew up right next to stadium and that semi final is the busiest I have ever seen Gorgie for a match

Went through to Glasgow to meet my brother and watch the Final in a pub through there. That game was a couple weeks of before Mo Johnston signed fro the hun, my brother had got wind that Johnston was going to be signing for them and not celtic. There we were in a pub in Glasgow city centre telling a few old boys we were sat beside that Johnston was going to Ibrox, we never managed to convince them though!

[Mibbes Aye]

I had forgotten about this semi but we were part of a reasonably large group who were admitted on the McLeod Street side, then escorted round the pitchside to the Wheatfield side because there was more room. It was absolutely mobbed for that game.

[Eyrie]

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I had forgotten about this semi but we were part of a reasonably large group who were admitted on the McLeod Street side, then escorted round the pitchside to the Wheatfield side because there was more room. It was absolutely mobbed for that game.

I have a vague memory of not being able to get in.

[CraigHibee]

I can remember being taken there by my dad, would have been 8/9 at the time

[Sammy7nil]

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I'm sure one of the commentators at the end of that game said the Saudi's were running to the Main Stand to wave to their wives and children in the crowd.


Everybody and their dog knew that the Saudis were just a bunch of cheatin' bassas at that tournament.

I believe three of Saudi team now live in an old folks care home.

[green with envy]

I attended the QF at Fir Park (the team we played escapes me) The SF against Portugal and the Final at Hampden. All great games even though we got cheated in the final.

[Cool_Hand_Luke]

saudi.jpg

[1875STEVE]

The one reason il never forget it, is it was my uncle and auntie's wedding day, I can remember being in a building down Leith somewhere, 10 years old. all my uncles kept running down from the reception upstair to check the score on the tv in the bar downstair.

[1875STEVE]

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Grew up right next to stadium and that semi final is the busiest I have ever seen Gorgie for a match

Went through to Glasgow to meet my brother and watch the Final in a pub through there. That game was a couple weeks of before Mo Johnston signed fro the hun, my brother had got wind that Johnston was going to be signing for them and not celtic. There we were in a pub in Glasgow city centre telling a few old boys we were sat beside that Johnston was going to Ibrox, we never managed to convince them though!

My uncle was Johnston's personal security guard for the first year or so after he made that move.

It was that bad for him through in Glasgow, he had to live with Greame Souness that whole first year, in a big house up at Bonaly.

[GreenNWhiteArmy]

This was the day I was born. My dad tells me about it every single year

I believe he was at the game as I was born

[Keith_M]

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This was the day I was born. My dad tells me about it every single year

I believe he was at the game as I was born

Was your Dad one of the Saudi players?

[JimBHibees]

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Nobody in the 18 man squad was born January to July? What's the odds of that? Strange.

Also that there were no players under 16 you would have thought there would have been a couple of promising 15 year olds. No doubt they had a significant overage representation in their squad.

[TrinityHibs]

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Was your Dad one of the Saudi players?

That was funny