We Made Them Angry: Scotland at the World Cup Spain 1982

by Tom Brogan

We Made Them Angry is the story of Scotland's journey to and participation in the 1982 World Cup in Spain. The task for Jock Stein's men was to exorcise the demons of the disastrous campaign in Argentina in 1978. With the final squad containing some of the finest footballers playing on both sides of the border, Scotland looked in fine shape to do just that. But after a successful qualifying campaign, obstacles began to spring up. A ticketing disaster, a World Cup group draw fiasco, a threatened boycott of the tournament by the UK government due to the Falklands War, and of course there was no one better at beating Scotland than Scotland themselves. However, none of that would stop the Tartan Army from having a good time - not with Scotland stationed in the Costa del Sol. The group provided three pulsating games where the Scots faced minnows in New Zealand (who provided a shock), the world's most exciting and glamorous team in Brazil (who received a fright), and a dramatic but calamitous exit against the Soviet Union.

272 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2022

Reviews

[A D · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book sailed perilously close to a one star review. It only just managed to snatch a defeat from the jaws of humiliation. The 1982 World Cup is the first one I really remember. Scotland were in it and we were in the same group as the fabulous Brazil team of that era, probably the best team never to win the World Cup. The book is on much firmer ground when the author writes about the actual tournament itself. He’s not a great writer, certainly no Archie MacPherson, but he’s not terrible either. If he had just stuck to the tournament and Scotland’s role in it, then it would have been a better book. Instead, half of the book, that’s right HALF of the book, is taken up telling us about how Scotland got there, the qualifiers and friendlies they played and the various formations that Jock Stein tinkered with. This could have easily been condensed into 50 pages and it would have been better for it. We learn about the ticketing process, we learn about certain fans travel and accommodation arrangements, we hear innumerable stories from fans, mainly a guy called Chic Brogan, who I can only assume is a relative, spoffing on about their adventures when they are there. The kinds of stories we read about are ten a penny amongst the people who are in the tartan army. I remember two guys in our crowd managing to get themselves locked into a car park after a game in Seville. One of them could climb the fence to get out and the other couldn’t. Eventually they found some sympathetic car park attendant who opened a set of gates to let them out. We laughed like drains when we heard the story over a few beers once everyone got safely back to the hotel. Hilarious for those who were there, duller than used dish water for anybody else who reads this review. The book is full of these pointless and boring anecdotes. He even gives us the rundown on what was on the telly the night the games were being shown. I bet you didn’t know that in the lead in to the USSR game on BBC One, was the 18th episode or series of two of Triangle, the drama series set on a North Sea ferry. And if that’s not enough for you he even lets you know what was on STV that night as well. It was a Sinbad film followed by a rerun of a Sweeney episode from 1976 called ‘Visiting Fireman’. WHO CARESSSSS!!!!! No one, that’s who. When he tells you about the players and their relationships to each other and to the legendary Stein, a man who even fourty years after after his death still looms like a colossus over the Scottish game, he’s on much firmer ground. A bit more of that and a bit of less of Big Malky and his drunken exploits and he might have clawed his way to an extra star.

[Ray Smillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A, mostly, enjoyable trip down memory lane with the surreal (to me) aspect of one of the featured fans being well known to me. Unlike Iain, the fellow Pars and Scotland fan, I didn't go to Spain although I was at all the home qualification games and home friendly warm up games. Well written, well researched and the memories of the world cup matches came flooding back. The two goals conceded against New Zealand, Dave Narey's toe poke, Brazil moving up a gear and the disaster in defence that lead to the second USSR goal. *Sigh*. Oh and Iain's claim that we don't play water polo in Dunfermline. Perhaps the Dunfermline Water Polo Club, currently celebrating it's fortieth anniversary might have something to say about that?

[William Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read