Andy Gray's International career

[buckie]

have just been reading about Andy Gray. (yes i am bored but theres no interesting football on today)

Andy Gray despite being a regular 20 goals a season striker at the top level of English football for over ten years was never selected for Scotland's world cup campaigns of 1978,82 or 86.

can anyone explain why this was as it seems odd?

who were his rivals for a spot upfront?

obviously Dalglish was a cert to play but who kept out Andy Gray?

[Stu]

Joe Jordan used to get his pick at the earlier end of that period.

[snoots]

Saw Gray a few times for Scotland, always impressive. One friendly against Finland sticks in the mind. However Jordan was an outstanding internationalist, Dalglish too.

[buckie]

cant believe he didnt even mertit a place in any world cup squad.

when you think that England took Walcott to the world cup and he hadnt ever kicked a ball in the premier league.

[Hampden_Hibby]

Originally Posted by buckie

have just been reading about Andy Gray. (yes i am bored but theres no interesting football on today)

Andy Gray despite being a regular 20 goals a season striker at the top level of English football for over ten years was never selected for Scotland's world cup campaigns of 1978,82 or 86.

can anyone explain why this was as it seems odd?

who were his rivals for a spot upfront?

obviously Dalglish was a cert to play but who kept out Andy Gray?

Unfortunately for years with the Scotland squad it was always the case that once you were in you were in. Take the 1986 World Cup for example. We went into our three games with Nicholas and Sturrock in game 1, Bannon and Archibald in game 2 and Sharp and Sturrock in game 3. That lot couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo.

Needless to say we managed only one goal in the tournament and from a midfielder at that, wee short arse Strachan.

To make matters worse, we go to Mexico with scoring difficulties and the top 5 scorers in the 1985/86 Premier League just finished all watched the tournament in their living rooms! Bloody Alex Ferguson!

For the record, the five who were scoring for fun but stayed at home were

Brian McClair (Celtic)
Mo Johnstone (Celtic)
Ally McCoist (huns)
Stevie Cowan (Hibs)
John Robertson (Hearts)

[buckie]

Originally Posted by Hampden_Hibby

Unfortunately for years with the Scotland squad it was always the case that once you were in you were in. Take the 1986 World Cup for example. We went into our three games with Nicholas and Sturrock in game 1, Bannon and Archibald in game 2 and Sharp and Sturrock in game 3. That lot couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo.

Needless to say we managed only one goal in the tournament and from a midfielder at that, wee short arse Strachan.

To make matters worse, we go to Mexico with scoring difficulties and the top 5 scorers in the 1985/86 Premier League just finished all watched the tournament in their living rooms! Bloody Alex Ferguson!

For the record, the five who were scoring for fun but stayed at home were

Brian McClair (Celtic)
Mo Johnstone (Celtic)
Ally McCoist (huns)
Stevie Cowan (Hibs)
John Robertson (Hearts)

he didnt pick Alan Hansen either for that tournament did he?

[Hampden_Hibby]

No, wasn't picked. According to wikipedia...

Hansen won his last of a paltry 26 Scotland caps in 1987. The reason given for his lack of caps by Scotland coaches of the late 70s and the whole of the 80s was that a formidable partnership had formed between Miller and Alex McLeish at the dominant Scottish side Aberdeen (managed at the time by Alex Ferguson) and it made sense to keep them together at international level. Indeed, Ferguson (in temporary charge after the sudden death of Jock Stein) dropped Hansen from the squad for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, sighting Hansen's poor international form and reluctance to play international friendly games in the warm up to the World Cup as the reason.