News: Scotland for the Cup...in 1978

The 2008 European Championship football tournament is about to start in Switzerland and Austria, but sadly Scotland is not represented. Staff at the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) have however identified a government file which records a previous football competition in which Scotland was the UK's sole representative. It was 30 years ago, the year was 1978, the venue Argentina, and Scotland was in the grip of World Cup football fever. An all-consuming optimism about the team's chances had gripped the nation's psyche, set to the tune of "Ally's Tartan Army", the no.1 Pop single of the day.

The Argentina World Cup file (NAS ref. ED62/52) was made available a number of years ago as part of a Freedom of Information review of older Scottish Government files, when over 11,000 formerly closed government files were reviewed and their closures lifted. The particular file is available for public consultation in the Historical Search Room. This file contains papers primarily about Scottish Office concerns over Scottish football fans travelling to Argentina, their safety, behaviour and possible crowd disturbances. Also discussed were ticketing arrangements and any official representation at the finals by government ministers. The then Secretary of State for Scotland, Bruce Millan, was one of two UK government ministers who visited Argentina during the tournament. The papers give interesting insights into the popular perception of the day about the Scottish team's chances before the start of the competition, tempered by the UK government's cautious approach towards it. Concerns were also expressed about Argentina's human rights record, as the country was then under the control of a military dictatorship.