Generations of Scottish football fans have routinely been left disappointed by the exploits of the national team. From France 1998 until Euro 2020 (played in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic) Scotland didn’t qualify for a single major tournament.

There were, of course, near misses - who can forget the last-minute heartbreak against Italy in ‘07 - but, ultimately, every single qualifying campaign left fans bereft as stale mediocrity became a staple of the national game.

Even now, as Scotland have qualified for the 2 most recent Euros, and now, finally, a World Cup, no one actually expects the team to compete in the latter stages of these competitions.

It wasn't always like this, though. In decades gone by, Scotland have been considered genuine contenders. This might sound bizarre for anyone who’s only recollection of supporting Scotland was the 2000’s and 2010’s, but it’s true.

This was the case ahead of the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Scotland had an array of undeniably talented players and some bona fide world class stars. Not only that, but they had a confidence that is unrecognisable to modern fans.

Manager Ally MacLeod even went as far as to say that they’d win the tournament. Such grandiose proclamations are usually reserved for our English neighbours, but MacLeod was happy to fan the hype flames - and the fans lapped it up.

Before taking the national job, MacLeod had success with Ayr United in the lower leagues, before winning a League Cup with Aberdeen, who were a newly emerging force in Scottish football.

He was a likeable manager, who was sometimes prone to acts of bravado - when he introduced himself to the Scotland team he said: “I’m Ally MacLeod and I’m a winner”. Self-confidence is admirable (something we’re maybe not great at appreciating in Scotland), but it has to be backed up, which MacLeod did. Initially, at least.

His confidence wasn’t entirely misplaced, either: in the year leading up to the World Cup, Scotland had recently won the Home Nations Championship that concluded in 1977, and with the likes of Kenny Dalgleish, Graeme Souness, and Joe Jordan, they had plenty of talent at their disposal.

Having taken over the team in May ‘77, Scotland were already half way through World cup qualification. A loss to the defending European champions, Czechoslovakia, and a home win against a handy Welsh side left their place at Argentina ‘78 in the balance.

MacLeod quickly set about allaying any fears as Scotland beat the Czechs, and Wales again, in the return fixtures. Scotland may have gone on to lose to England in that season's Home Nations Championship, but they still had the last laugh; Scotland had qualified for 2 successive World Cups, something that England had failed to do.