There were a couple of reasons why I wanted to start an interview with Frank McAvennie not about Stringfellows, West Ham, court cases or putting Scotland into the 1986 World Cup, but about him knocking Italy out of the Under-21 European Championships.
When I began to be taken to Pittodrie in the late 1960’s my Dad would initially only take me to see the reserves play (in Chelsea-style all royal-blue). I would fixate on which young players I could spot and then follow as they forced their way into Eddie Turnbull’s first team.
Then, in 1973, when I was ten, someone gave me the SFA Centenary annual which contained every Scotland lineup, fixture and score. I pored over it looking for patterns – who emerged only to be dropped permanently, who disappeared for a year then came back to play 40 times… typical football anorak kid. I wanted to know their stories. I wanted to know ‘why?’ The Little Interview was carried on in my head.
But there were also details of B team games and Under-21s: I wanted to see who were the tyros who were spotted young and then made it big.
So in Spring 1982, as I was preparing to spend that summer in Spain for the World Cup, I was stunned to see Scotland go to Italy and knock the mighty Azzurri out of the Under-21 European Championship. Particularly as Aberdeen’s magnificent Neil Simpson was the dominant midfield player in that team and Jim Leighton was in goal.
Those with elephantine memories will recall that Scotland then lost a Euro semi-final to England who went on to win the tournament. Jolly well done, England.
But pre-internet and with no broadcast of that tournament, I didn’t know the caliber of footballer that Scotland team were up against. The following years would prove that Mauro Tassotti (three Champions Leagues and five Serie A titles), Franco Baresi (three Champions Leagues, six Serie A titles), Sergio Battistini (two Uefa Cups]) and Beppe Bergomi, all in the starting XI against McAvennie and company that day, were quite good.
Bergomi, Frank’s direct marker that day, was in the starting XI for Italy which won the World Cup final against Germany in Madrid only five months later. Think about that.
I’ve never seen footage of the Italy match, I’ve never read anyone talking about it and I still think it was an standout achievement – something indicative of not only how much more talented our footballers were back in those days but how much more competitive, possessed of a mentality I yearn for in Scotland teams today.
So, that’s why I started The Big Interview with Frank McAvennie, who scored the only goal of the 180-minute tie, talking about a game 34 years ago (which seems like yesterday to me) and spent the rest of the Boys of ’86 discussion wishing I could get him back on the subject of Catanzaro, the locals throwing stones and bottles at the Scottish players and three of the Azzurri’s all-time greats being put to the sword by our own boys in blue.
Cheers Frank.
