England vs Scotland – Joe Jordan: People say this game means more to Scots than English… they are wrong
Scottish hardman played nine blockbuster battles with Auld Enemy - and says next week's clash is most important in years
IT COULDN’T happen today. It’s hard to believe it ever happened at all.
A Scottish striker, playing for his club in the final of a European club competition, but not picked by his country.
But that was how Joe Jordan started his Scotland career — as a late call-up to play at Wembley.
Jordan, then 21, played for Don Revie’s Leeds in the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup against AC Milan in May 1973 and, three days later, made his Scotland debut against the Auld Enemy at Wembley.
Jordan recalled: “I went on to play in nine Scotland v England games but in the first one I wasn’t in the original squad.
“I was a kid at Leeds and I played in the final against Milan and did quite well, so when we came back from Salonika me and Peter Lorimer got called in.
“I came on as a sub for Colin Stein in the game for my Scotland debut.
“It seems strange now but there was fierce competition for the Scotland squad back then. I used to look at midfield players who couldn’t even get in the squad and there were some top players amongst them.
“But that got my nose in, and I played friendlies against Brazil and Switzerland immediately after Wembley.”
Jordan won twice and lost twice in four Wembley games for Scotland, with his second visit seeing him pick up an injury in characteristically brave fashion.
He says: “We won the ’77 game, which was what mattered. I had to go off before half-time — I dived to head a ball, Viv Anderson cleared it and he cleared me as well.
“In ’79 John Wark scored but they won 3-1. Then in ’81 Robbo scored from the spot and we won.
“So there were good and bad results but they were always close games. There was never much in them.
“Playing in England was a factor. That came home to me after we beat Czechoslovakia in ’73 to qualify for the World Cup and Billy Bremner and I went back to Elland Road the next day and trained.
“Billy couldn’t get back down quickly enough. He made sure we were there nice and early. Leeds had trained and we went in for a warm-down and cuppa and he made himself heard when we arrived!
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“That was a Leeds dressing room with Paul Madeley, Norman Hunter, Allan Clarke, Paul Reaney — all international players.
“So there was an edge to it. But they’d have been the same to us, of course.
“The one thing about the Scotland v England game is that, having been in dressing-rooms down south, people always think it meant more to Scotland. But it meant a lot to the English guys as well.
“I’ve still got friends who were international players and, for people like Bryan Robson, it was a huge game.
“At the time I played, there were two games that were on the calendar, the FA Cup Final and Scotland v England, because they were always on the telly. As a kid, you knew you’d see them.
“As a player, if you’d had a good season you’d be in the squad for the England game and if you hadn’t you wouldn’t. It was a barometer of how you’d done all year.
“The supporters looked forward to Wembley as much as the players.
“In those days, Scotland fans saved up over the two years between the games, in miners’ welfare clubs and the like, putting money away to pay for Wembley. And that happened throughout the country.
“The game next week is as important a Scotland v England game as there’s been for many years. Ordinarily Scotland getting a draw would’ve been a good result but we have to win the game.
“But that’s possible. I’m like everybody else — I’m a wee bit disappointed in how results have gone but I’m sure the players are too, and that puts responsibility on them to get the result. It would be fair to say England have something to correct as well. They went to the Euros in the summer and we didn’t but they know they didn’t live up to the hype.
“With Scott Brown coming back, I don’t know the whole story. Gordon knows the man as well as the player so if they’ve come to an agreement, get on with it.
“If Gordon has his players and they’re in the right positions they can give other teams a game. If one or two are out it becomes more of a task for him — he’s putting round pegs in square holes.
“But if he thinks his captain is an influence, then go for it.”
Joe Jordan and Graeme Souness will discuss their careers in an event at Glasgow Concert Hall on Thursday November 3.
See for details.