All To Play For: The Home Nations' Football Adventures

Chapter 1: Fancy Seeing You Here (FIFA World Cup 1954)
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All To Play for

The Home Nations' Football Adventures
Written By QTXAdsy

Chapter 1: Fancy Seeing You Here
The 26th June 1954, a corridor of two teams line up as the prepare to head out to play a game of Football. One team is dressed with white shirts, navy blue shorts and white socks, the other team is dressed in dark navy shirts with white shorts and socks. They are England and Scotland respectably and are the oldest two footballing nations in the world. Although they have faced of each other many times before in the British Championship, this certain game isn't part of that and is in fact something of arguably greater importance.

Andy Beattie, Scotland's first full time manager casts a glancing eye over at his English counterpart, Walter Winterbottom and the two men give each other a knowing smile at how they managed to get this far.

"Fancy seeing you here," Beattie says.

"You too," Winterbottom replies. "You have to say this isn't like back home, this whole thing is truly something."

"Aye true," Beattie nods before going quiet again. He won't lie, but there is tension in that corridor as they all wait to head out onto the pitch. Of course these England/Scotland games have always been about build up and bragging rights being at stake, but the game in question is a knock out game. No second chances, just a one off were only one team can go through.

The players especially know this, many of which are veterans of these sort of games, but know that at the end of the day, they'll either be heroes or villains by the time this game is over. Some of the players are jogging on the spot as they wait impatiently for Carl Erich Steiner, the Austria referee for this game, to lead the teams out. The nature of these games means that often players from the same club would be playing against each other and this game is no exception with Scottish Defender Tommy Docherty looking over at his Preston North End teammate Tom Finney and wonders to himself how'll they get on after this match is over.

Finally after what seems like ages, the referee motions the teams to come forward and move out onto the stadium and awaiting crowd.

"Good luck," Tom Finney suddenly calls out to Docherty, who mutters his best wishes to his teammate as they walk out.

As the teams step out into the open, they are greeted by a crowd of thirty thousand souls. A small crowd than what both teams are use to when either playing at Wembley or Hampden Park, but the thing is, this isn't either of those stadiums. The game itself isn't even be played anywhere in the British Isles but rather in the unlikely surroundings of the St. Jakob Stadium in Basel, Switzerland where the crowd isn't all waving Union flags, Scottish Saltires or Lion Ramparts but is rather filled with curious locals with some smatterings of the occasional British supporter scattered around in the crowd.

The game is in fact the Quarter-final of the 1954 World Cup being hosted in Switzerland, and it's Scotland vs. England with the prize being a place in the Semi-final. Two teams in a far away land prepare to battle for pride and the prize.

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Here it is! My second TL in which is a sequel to this TL in which marks as the POD. So yeah, it'll be about the adventures of the Home Nations teams at the World Cup and European Championships and the butterflies they might do. The next chapter on this will be on the two team's performance at the start of this World Cup and how they got to the Quarter-final. Stay tuned for a future update!
 
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Chapter 2: Making A Start
Chapter 2: Making A Start

Following their return from Brazil four years ago, the FA and SFA took note of the new techniques that were starting to appear at that World Cup and had began to adapt them for the British game in order so that they would be ready for the next World Cup in Switzerland. One of the new things they had brought with them was the new lightweight shirts and comfortable boots the South America teams had worn and which had helped them along the way, the heavy cotton tops and heavy leather boots were never going to have a future in this new world of football.

As well as their great success and feeling grateful for Scotland coming to Brazil at the last minute after many nations dropped out, FIFA had once again allowed for the 1953-54 British Home Championship to act as a qualifying group for the World Cup. With their experience of Brazil and wanting to get back the thrill and atmosphere of the World Cup, England and Scotland would run over their Welsh and Irish rivals and although England won the group and the Scots finished second place like before, this time there would be no tantrums of not going as both teams were on their way to Switzerland.

The Scots would be placed in Group Three along with former group rivals Uruguay, along with Austria and Czechoslovakia while England would go in Group Four along with Italy, Belgium and hosts Switzerland.

Scotland had a very troublesome preparation as Rangers had been planning a tour of America during the Summer and wouldn't allow to let any of their players to go, thankfully after much protesting from George Young, Sammy Cox and several of their Rangers teammates who made the journey to Brazil last time pleaded with the board which caused Rangers to cancel their tour of North America and reluctantly allowed their players to go to Switzerland, much to relief of Scotland Head Coach Andy Beattie.

As the first British nation to play on the 16th June (England would play a day later), all eyes would be on the Scots to see how well they would get on in their first game against Austria being played at the Hardturm Stadium in Zurich. The crowd is mostly full of Austrians who've made the short journey over the border to cheer their team on, however what the Scots might lack in support is helped by experience in their team with George Young returning as team captain. As the referee blows his whistles, the game proves to be a tussle between the two teams as they try to break the deadlock with both defences proving to be rock solid. However in the middle of a frantic game, Allan Brown is brought down in a tackle by Karl Stotz and Scotland are awarded a free kick and rather than kick the ball over the wall, Newcastle United Midfield player Frank Brennan kicks the ball over to the left deceiving the Austrian wall and before they know it, Willie Waddel charges in to kick in a fiery volley that rockets past Kurt Schmied, the Austrian goalkeeper, and put's the Scots 1-0 up in the twenty fourth minute and leaving the Austrian supporters is dismay. The Scots then try to put themselves further ahead with an attempt on target shortly afterwards by Alan Brown, but this time it is saved by Schmied in quite dramatic fashion. During this time up in the crowd, the SFA secretary George Graham attempts to get head to the toilet and get past the amount of SFA officials watching the game. To his annoyance, many in the SFA have brought along their families to the World Cup in thinking that Switzerland would be a good holiday for them, however the cost of seeing to them has nearly made the SFA out of pocket and he can only hope that the team can help recover some of their loses. However just as he has his back turned heading to the corridor, a great cheer from the crowd is heard and knows immediately a goal has been scored, but in his horror, it is the Austrians who have equalised in the thirty third minute thanks to Erich Probst and causing a sea of Austrian flags being waved around the ground. He doesn't go to the toilet until the end of the first half in which during that time the Austrians batter the Scots who in turn somehow managed to keep the game at 1-1 at the end of the half.

Second time comes around and this time both teams seem rather cautious as it seems like one false move could decide the game, even the crowd seems subdued by it all. On the pitch however, Beattie calls out to the players to stop holding back and get a goal. Thankfully for him, Waddel gets the message and decides to put the game to bed. The sudden burst of speed from the Rangers player catches the Austrian players off guard and after reaching outside the penalty box, Waddel hammers the ball home (while falling over after losing his balance) into the bottom right corner and puts his team 2-1 up in the seventy sixth minute. The Austrian players and their lose confidence and the Scots slowly start to take the game by the scuff of it's neck, but disappointingly, they can't add more to their dominance as they game ends 2-1 and the large group of Austrian fans make their feelings known in a almighty jeer and the Scots race off down the tunnel hoping not to get attacked.

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Just a day later in the same stadium, it is England's turn to play in their first game at this World Cup against Belgium. After hearing about Scotland's victory, the English know that they have to get not only a victory, but a far more convincing one too. However the game at first doesn't go the plan as they find themselves going 1-0 down in just five minutes and sending the small number of Belgium fans happy to get in front so soon. However the English don't buckle, they have a secret weapon they 'acquired' from Brazil, their new comfortable boots and lightweight shirts, which the later proves useful in the unusably warm climate in Switzerland.

Ivor Broadis fools a Belgian defender and makes another lose his balance all before he punts in the equaliser in the twenty sixth minute and the smile is soon wiped of the faces of any Belgian there. Ten minutes later, things get worse for the Belgians as Bolton Wanderers' Nat Lofthouse strike puts the English 2-1 up and turn the game on it's head as they begin to show their dominance. Even though the Belgians are lucky to keep the game at 2-1 by the time half time comes around, that will be all they can do. The second half is truly one-sided that it either laughable or cringe worthy with England starting to showboat around the Belgian players and in the sixty third minute, Broadis strikes again putting England 3-1 up. Although the Belgians attempt a few chances, it is no good as the game ends in a victory that England were wanting. For both teams, it is a good start.

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There you go, going for a mix of what happened in OTL and what could've been. Scotland lost and England drew in OTL but do better here thanks to gaining experience in Brazil and using to their advantage. Sorry I didn't give much detail in the England game, but hopefully I'll do better in future. Stay tuned for the next chapter!
 
Chapter 3: You're Not Going Anywhere!
Chapter 3: You're Not Going Anywhere!

When Andy Beattie was given the task of being Scotland's first full time manager, his task given to him by the SFA was to get Scotland to the World Cup, it didn't say anything that he had to win the tournament. Even after that victory against Austria, the Scottish Manager had been thinking about his future and if it was worth all this. His lukewarm feelings on the job were due to the overbearing SFA selectors, Graham, Reid and Cook who had stated to him that they picked the players and all that Beattie had to do was oversea the players and make sure they were feeling ok. Oh, how wished he can choose the players he wanted too. "I bet Walter doesn't get this," he would mutter to himself thinking about his English counterpart

Even as they had arrived in Switzerland, he had been clashing heads with his superiors and it had come close at one point in the hotel lounge in Basel, prior to the Uruguay game the next day, that it nearly came to blows with Beattie and the SFA selectors over who was in charge of the team with only the Swiss staff, in their usual neutral fashion, to watch the scene in bile fascination. It took Scotland captain George Young and several of the players to try and defuse the situation and hoping they wouldn't wreck the hotel and be forced out of their accommodation.

An hour after that scene, Beattie had calmed down in a corner of the bar having a drink while Young and several of the players kept him company. "I want to leave," Beattie sighed. "Can't stand those idiots, especially that George!"

"We know," Young replied. "Think we had to move Heaven and Earth just for us to make the trip to Brazil four years ago. But you can't leave now, we've got a big game tomorrow against the World Champions."

"I do agree the SFA have been daft," adds Bobby Evans. "They only wanted to bring thirteen players for this trip while everyone else had like twenty two players."

Beattie eyes his nearly empty drink. "They said it was 'money problems', all it was that they thought it was the bright idea taking their wives, pet goldfish and mistresses with them thinking it'll be a load of fun...even after I convinced them to bring a full squad, they weren't happy at splashing out more money. Oh God, you see why I don't want to deal with this."

"Look, please just stay on for at least after this World Cup has ended, please," Young pleads to the manager.

"Face it, we need you right now," Willie Fernie adds. "Like it or not, you're not going anywhere! Plus we can get Kirkwood to back you, only one out of that bunch we can turn for help."

Beattie sighs and looks round at the pleading looks of his players, as much as he hates the head honchos in the SFA, he can't leave the players hanging like this when they need a leader. The manager sighs and sinks back into his chair. "The things a man has to do..."

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The 19th June in the St Jakob Stadium see's a large crowd of thirty four thousand, a handful of which are Scots seen wearing their tartan bonnets or waving Saltires, preparing to watch Uruguay take on Scotland for a place in the Quarter-Final. The Scottish players know they have to win this game in order to get through as rumours have some how got out in the British press over the rift between Beattie and the SFA and the that is all the team need right now. As the teams walk out, the South American players soon notice that their Scottish counterparts are wearing boots suspiciously similar to their own and that their shirts look awfully lighter than what the Scots had last time in Brazil.

However, they have no time to point this out as the Italian referee blows his whistle to begin the game. The South Americans start begin on the offensive as they send wave after wave of attack against the Scottish defence which much to the relief of any Scot watching, holds firm. Then in the seventeenth minute, Carlos Borges races past Bobby Evans and fires the ball on target, only for Aberdeen Goalkeeper Fred Martin to make a quite incredible save which the locals in the crowd applaud in admiration and keeps the game level at 0-0. Slowly and surely, the Scots start to get into the game and the new comfortable footwear the Scots have is doing them wonders. In contrast the heavy leather boots the Scots had worn in the last World Cup which in hindsight affected them, these new boots makes the players feel like they have been unleashed their shackles which their old boots were in some ways and start to play in ways they never thought could perform. Disappointedly, neither side score and the score remains 0-0 as the teams walk down the tunnel.

After the interval, the second half begins with the Scots not attacking the Uruguayan defensive, but rather hold the ball and frustrate the South Americans. This has been Beattie's half time team talk as he has noticed a growing frustrating in the first half with the Uruguayan players in seeing that they haven't had the chance to get a goal despite being the better team. Then a chance comes in which Doug Cowie passes the ball to Bobby Evans and then to Jimmy Davidson, the Scots start playing a passing game that was traditional to the Scottish game that many of their great-grandfathers would've adopted in their game's earliest days. This goes on for a while and the Swiss crowd get bored of this sort of play and so does the South Americans in which Julio Abbadie runs towards Cowie, who has received the ball and tricks Abbadie by pulling a fake kick which makes the Uruguayan player to lose his footing and falling over.

He has taking the bait and the Scots start playing a more faster game which catches the South Americans off guard and after some quick passing further into the Uruguayan half, Willie Ormond low cross the ball over to Ernie Copland who takes his chance by taking a blunt volley shot to fly past Julio Maceniras' fingertips and into the back on the net. In the seventy fifth minute, the Raith Rovers Forward has put the Scots up 1-0 and the small traveling Scottish support in the stand celebrate wildly. On the touch line, Beattie simply gives the player a thumbs up as Copland is immediately swamped by his teammates congratulating him.

The Uruguayans start to get more frustrated at going a goal down and try everything to get back into the game with some vicious tackles on the Scottish players and the game is halted a few times because of this. Beattie checks his watch many times hoping the game will finish and is horrified when the Scottish defence is blown open and Óscar Míguez scores an equaliser in the eighty eight minute and the South Americans celebrate their comeback...only for the referee to rule it out as it was apparently offside. The angry Uruguayans surround the Italian referee complaining that it was a goal but it remains 1-0 and the Scots are lucky to get by the skin of their teeth there.

The final whistle blows and Scotland have finished the top of their group and into the Quarter-Final. The South Americans leave the pitch in disgust while the crowd applaud the Scottish players in their remarkable win over the World Champions. Later on to make matters worse for Uruguay, in the other group game with Austria and Czechoslovakia ended with the Austrians winning 5-0 and with them snatching the second spot in the group on goal difference and sending the World Champions out of the World Cup.

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A day later after their remarkable win, it would hope that the victory would help improve Beattie's image with the SFA members, however they had been lukewarm and the poor manager sat in his hotel bedroom reading a newspaper that had been shipped over which mainly went into detail over their victory over the World Champions. He starts to wonder that even if he does win the World Cup, it'll make little effort in improving his image. Just then an excited knock is heard at the door and Beattie gets up to answer it.

"Alright I'm coming," he groans as he opens the door, there he is greeted by Bobby Evans. The Celtic Defender looking like a child a Christmas. "What is it?"

"Have you heard the news?" Evans asks.

"What news?"

"The England result, they won 2-0 against Switzerland!"

Beattie looked visibly confused, he really hadn't been following other results taking place. "What's this got to do with us?"

"Everything!" Evans exclaims. "They are in the Quarter-final, to face us!"

And that was how Beattie start planning his tactics for the next game in his hotel room while his players celebrated the next England encounter.

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And so there is an update! I know I haven't got the England game written here but I have decided that as England won the game in OTL, there is no need to write out some results unless there is some exceptions. Also, the part regarding Beattie wanting to leave is true as the planning for Scotland's trip to Switzerland was something of a farce with the SFA wanting to bring their wives over rather than players. It is worth looking into at just how daft the planning was. But yeah, Uruguay are out and England and Scotland will face each other in the next chapter, who will win? Have a guess...!
 
Chapter 4: The Battle Of Britain...In Switzerland
Chapter 4: The Battle Of Britain...In Switzerland

The 26th June would see two Quarter-finals with two sets of close boarder rivalry countries, the first being Switzerland vs. Austria and the other being Scotland vs. England, though the latter was the one many in Britain was wanting to watch. Not only would this be the first encounter between the two nations away from the British Isles, but also the first true competitive encounter between then that wasn't related to the British Home Championship and one that FIFA and UEFA recognised, the later part being something that annoyed both teams that after playing against each other so many times that only now they'd even notice.

That all said, the news of the encounter brought many folk to make the journey to Switzerland by either flying or driving the whole way and some even hitchhike their way across the continent to support their respected teams. However in the city of Basel, both sets of supporters have to quite literally support each other as they try to make their way through a strange land that is unknown to either supporter.

Nonetheless, a large crowd inside the St Jakob Stadium made up of mostly Swiss with motley groups of English and Scottish supporters scattered around the stadium which leads to a strange atmosphere that neither team are familiar with. Carl Erich Steiner, the Austrian referee for this game, blows his whistle and Scotland start the game with the first kick off and the two teams begin to battle over who not only gets bragging rights, but a place in the Semi-final.

The two teams have got about wearing their lightweight kits and comfy footwear which leads to a very exciting opening few minutes in the game with the action going from end to end. For the English, they know they have to be careful as the Scots will want to win this, especially as for the Scots, the memories of the 4-2 home defeat by England in the Home Championship is still fresh in their minds and they'll want revenge. After ten minutes, the game remains goalless and the British press sitting in the press box begin to wonder who will break the deadlock with many of them keeping one eye on the game and the other in their notebooks writing down moments in the game, though the latter part has very little to report on for a while until the sixteenth minute when Tommy Docherty brings down his Preston teammate Tom Finney and the referee calls for a free kick for England. The two men look at each other knowing that pride is at stake and that anything to do at Preston North End is out of the window for now. Jimmy Dickinson takes the free kick and despite Dennis Wilshaw's best efforts, the ball goes past the post and out for a goal kick.

The game carries on at a cautious pace with the Swiss crowd, after hearing from their British visitors of how special this game really is back home, are so far left unimpressed of how much of the game has started to lose it's spark from it's promising start. Both English and Scottish supporters start chanting to try and lift their players and get a goal

Both managers are seen with their arms crossed while both thinking of a plan to get something out of this game, it hasn't been a difficult start for both managers. The twenty first minute then see's Ernie Copland, the hero in Scotland's last game, attempts to back pass the ball to Allan Brown waiting to catch it, however Copland's pass is too slow and it is quickly caught by Roger Byrne and runs with it to get it out off the English half and attempts to take a long kick, however he is quickly caught by George Young who takes him out in a well timed tackle and kicks it back to Brown and volleys into the top right corner of the net out of Gil Merrick's clutches and putting the Scots up 1-0 and breaking the deadlock.

The small Scottish entourage in the crowd celebrate wildly at getting ahead of their English rivals. Walter Winterbottom yells at his players to get back into the game while Andy Beattie yells out to keep it together. Despite going a goal down, the English don't lose confidence and immediately start to fight back and the Scottish players still look like they are already thinking of the Semi-final much to Beattie's annoyance. "Focus!" He cries out to them hoping they snap out of their trance.

England start to torment the Scottish defensive and seven minutes after that first goal, Finney misses a great chance to get England level, but instead it is caught by the hands of Scottish Goalkeeper Fred Martin. After his goal kick the game becomes a Midfield battle with both teams trying to get a hold of the ball, Sammy Cox attempts to pass the ball to George Young to get it to safety but he miscalculates his kick and it flies off to his left and right into the path of Dickenson who goes on the run with it before taking a long kick with the ball and finding the feet of Finney and this time getting it right by scoring a screamer that makes the game 1-1 in the thirty second minute.

The travelling English supporters are delighted with the response from their team and now the Swiss begin to see what their British visitors are on about with this certain game, though many Swiss are probably more interested in knowing what's going on in the other game with their team and Austria. The game has now started to light up and the travelling supporters feel grateful that the trip feels like it has been worth it and those listening back home on Radio will have to wonder what's happening.

The forty third minute approaches and England are awarded a corner kick which they quickly take, many of the players jump up trying to direct the ball in and one player does get it in the direction he wants, and it's Ivor Broadis who scored at Hampden Park not long ago headers in the ball to make the score 2-1 for England, a truly amazing comeback to say the least. After some more pressing from the English forward line, the Austrian referee blows his whistle to end the first half as the players head off to the dressing rooms. Andy Beattie looks up at where the SFA selectors are and gives them a glare, they are like vultures waiting for an chance to pounce on him. He has to somehow turn this game around.

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The two dressing rooms have two very different atmospheres, the English one is full of optimism and the Scottish one is filled with dread and frustration. The fact that England are now suddenly leading the game after being behind for most of the first half makes the sting extra painful. Andy Beattie looks at his players and shakes his head, he has an idea how they might've lost their way in this game.

"Look lads," Beattie explains. "Let's not get down on how we're in this position, however I must point out that after we scored, we were already thinking of winning the game and letting them score."

He pauses. "Get a goal back then who knows, we can win this, just don't let them score anymore goals."

"We will," Young replies. "We can't let them win or we'll never hear the end of it."

"What are we waiting for then?" Beattie asks. "Let's give it to them!"

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The second half kicks off and the crowd hope for another exciting half. The Scots surprise the English by taking the game to them and the English now look uncomfortable and the Scottish start to push the English back and suddenly they find themselves with their backs against the wall. Copland then attempts a dummy shot over the Brown which confuses the English defensive and volleys a shot into the top left corner and putting the Scots back into the game at 2-2 in the fifty ninth minute.

The Scots celebrate but this time they don't let it get to their heads as what Beattie wanted from his players. The game then takes on a frantic pace yet again as both teams seem to throw everything in order to find another and hopefully winning goal. Neither side seem to budge and the game seems like it'll end in a stalemate, then in the seventy six minute, Scotland are awarded a free kick just thirty yards outside the penalty box with Allan Brown taking it and sending it over to Cowie before he decides to take it himself and sends in a rather scrappy goal that makes it 3-2 to Scotland.

Quite a comeback in every sense of the word.

The English are stunned as Scotland try to look out for another goal but the English keep the Scots back to prevent them scoring. In the eighty fourth minute, Finney goes on the break and it seems like he can get England back on level terms, however he fires the ball past the goal and kicks himself knowing of what a good chance he had to save his side's chances.

After a few more minutes of heaving and huffing from both sides, the Austrian referee blows his whistle to end the game and Scotland have won 3-2 and are through to the Semi-final of the World Cup. Beattie let's the players celebrate their moment of glory and goes over to shake Winterbottom's hand to give his regards over an exciting game.

The celebrations also include a handful of delighted Scottish supporters running onto the pitch to congratulate their team, a photo that goes on the front page of many Newspapers back home, especially in Scotland shows George Young being crowded round by two of the supporters celebrating wildly and becomes an iconic photo for the album of Scottish football.

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The hotel bar in Basel is a hearty atmosphere with the Scottish players drinking to their victory and their thoughts on their Semi-final game with either Brazil or Hungary, many of the hotel staff celebrate the team's victory. It is noted that Beattie isn't here with the players but none of them take any notice of this as they know he is likely in his hotel room and plan the next game plan.

Just then Bobby Evans runs into the bar looking like he has just seen a ghost and his teammates take note that something is wrong.

"Hold on," Young calls out to the Celtic Defender. "You look like a bat out of hell."

"It's the manager!" Evans exclaims. "He's gone!"

The rest of the team now look both confused and concerned at what's happened to their manager.

"What'd you mean 'gone?'" Cowie asks.

"He's left! Gone back home, we have no manager!"

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Oh snap! Beattie leaves the role like in OTL, but later and probably at a far worse time. This might not end well for Scotland despite beating England...Stay tuned.


 
Boooooooo, not happy with that turn of events.

I'll begrudgingly root for the Scotland side still, but boooooo.
 
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Boooooooo, not happy with that turn of events.

I'll begrudgingly root for the Scotland side still, but boooooo.

Don't worry, England will have moments of glory, just have to be fair and share moments of glory around the Home Nations. ;)
 
How do they cope without a manager, why would he quit after winning against England and now has a place in semi against probably Hungary.....
 
Chapter 5: Rudderless
Chapter 5: Rudderless

Why? That was the question that every Scotland fan, sporting commentator, press folk and general followers of football in general could ask when the news came of the departure of Andy Beattie from the Scotland job. For many, it was just baffling and even stupid just why Beattie had chose to leave at the time he did for he had not only beaten England but had also gotten Scotland in a Semi-final with Hungary, so why had he left? However for those in the know, it had been something that had been brewing since the team arrived in Switzerland. Although Beattie had been chosen to lead the Scotland team which was something new for the SFA who had been use to the old ways of having a selector committee choosing the players for a game and sadly, that was what the stubborn individuals in the SFA wanted to do.

Beattie and the SFA seem to clash constantly on the team sheet as both wanted the team to play in a way they wanted to. Despite all this, Beattie had managed to get Scotland out of the group stage and had managed to beat England in the Quarter-final and reach the Semi-final where they would play Hungary and he would've thought that after the England game he could finally play the team in the way he wanted. So while the players were celebrating their great result in the hotel, Beattie pulled the SFA officials to a private room in the hotel where he hoped they'd grant his request. But in his horror, they didn't and wanted him use the players they had lined up for him, no one knows what happened next and those who were there have remained quiet about it to this day, but a shouting match lasted for about five minutes before Beattie would leave the room, the hotel, the country and the team behind.

It had been the final straw for him and the player's celebrations become sombre after hearing the shocking news but in contrast, the SFA selector members didn't seemed that fuss ball it all, in fact, they seemed rather relieved by Beattie's departure.

The press back home become venomous to the SFA and sorry for Beattie and all this drama was the last thing any of the Scottish players wanted on the 30th June as they sat in the dressing room in Lausanne as they waited to hear the all clear to make their way to the tunnel. Just then a knock on the door was heard and Robert Kirkwood, the SFA treasurer, came in to greet the players. They were surprised to see him as he had always taken a backseat through this World Cup and didn't really get involve with the players.

"What you doing here?" George Young asked suspiciously.

"Given the team selection," Kirkwood replied to a dumbfounded Scottish team. "I know it's not my job to do this but they think it would be best if I was here as I know very well you'd want to give it right to Graham and his bunch right now."

"Bloody right we would," Jimmy Davidson replied in which several members of the team muttered in agreement.

Kirkwood sighed. "Look gentlemen, we can't focus on what's just happened, we have a game out there to win. Go out there and enjoy yourselves..."

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Despite the player's foul moods, they can agree that the Olympique de la Pontaise Stadium is an impressive stadium with Lake Geneva's far shore the Alps form a stunning backdrop for this match up, the new stadium has already seen a thrilling 7-5 game in the Quarter-finals in which Austria won and the locals in the stadium are hoping for yet another thrilling match.

The Hungarians have proven to be one of the favourites of the game and there is a noticeable swag of confidence as they kick off the game in contrast to their weary looking Scottish opponents. Almost from the start, they start showing what they are made of and push the Scottish players around like ragdolls and it is clear that even without a goal being scored, the British press seem to realise that the fate of this match is sealed.

Their judgement proves to be right as Ferenc Puskás outwits Sammy Cox and swings in the ball right past Fred Martin who has no chance to grab it as that goal puts Hungary up 1-0...and they are only seven minutes in. To their credit, Young rallies the players to try and defend the box as Hungary sends not only waves of attacks, but what feels like an ocean hitting the Scottish defence. However in the sixteenth minute, Willie Ormond goes on the break with the ball against the run of play and tries to get something back, but he tries too hard as his volleys at the goal as the ball goes wide over the crossbar.

The twenty third minute comes around and a corner is awarded to Hungary, it seems to be a well trained move as Sándor Kocsis jumps higher than the other Scottish players and headers it in to put them 2-0 up, there are fears now this could be a rout.

The poor Scots can't seem to put their passing game into play as the Hungarians seem to stop any chance the Scots seem to try out, they are completely Rudderless. Once again, the men in red prove their dominance as after a brief strong defense from Scotland, Puskás attacks again with the ball hitting the left hand goal post before it bounces into the back of the net, the Scots are down 3-0 in only the thirty fifth minute and the small number of Scottish supporters in the crowd are so gutted they can't seem to find the voice to jeer their team's performance. Thankfully the first half ends with no more goals scored and the Scots leave the pitch looking battered and dizzy from the highly impressive performance from Central Europe as they look surely good contenders for winning the World Cup.

Even after the break of the interval, nothing really get's better for Scotland as Graham and the rest of the SFA look on with anger at what they feel is mutiny for Beattie leaving while Kirkwood sits there with his arms crossed and keeping quiet over this, at least he knows the players can trust him.

In the forty ninth minute, Puskás get's his hat-trick as he chips the ball over Martin who falls back trying to catch it making the game 4-0 and surely putting another nail in Scotland's coffin.

The Scottish players don't seem to have any energy to fight back and seem to accept that they've lost this game and would rather hope the game would be finished now. In the end, Cox does make a tackle, but it is a horrendously timed tackle in the penalty box and gives Hungary a penalty in which Nándor Hidegkuti steps up to take it and makes the keeper go the wrong way and putting the score 5-0 for Hungary in the seventy first minute.

By now, the Hungarians take their foot of the pedal and let the game wheeze along and the Scots are grateful for this as in the end, no more goals are scored as the final whistle is blown and Hungary are well and truly in the final, the Scots are out but have the additional annoyance of playing in the Third-place game. But no one really cares, Scotland's hopes are over.

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No hope for Scotland there, can't decide if TTL is worse or better than what happened to Scotland in OTL, either way, one more chapter to follow and then we move on to Sweden for the '58 World Cup. Let's be honest, Scotland had no chance against Hungary.


 
Chapter 6: Let's Go Home
Chapter 6: Let's Go Home

To say the players and staff wanted to get home would be an understatement. The utter mauling by Hungary in the Semi-final had really sent the Scottish players into a state of shock but they had to play in the dreaded Third-place match against group rivals Austria (who had lost 6-1 in a similar mauling fashion to West Germany in the other Semi-final), and all of this wasn't including that they were without a leader in the form of a manager who had grown tired of the SFA's antics.

Nonetheless, here they were in the dressing room, on the 3rd July with just ten minutes before kick-off thinking over the highs and lows of the World Cup. They were in a more depressed mood as they visiting Austrian supporters had been shouting abuse at the players as they were training earlier as they were after revenge for Scotland beating them 2-1 in the group stage and in a more bizarre twist of events, this game would be played in the same stadium where they first met, the Hardturm stadium in Zürich.

George Young as the captain was trying all he could to get the team to at least improve their confidence, most of them were all sitting on the benches with their backs up against the wall not looking good in the slightest. "Come on lads last game, we'll be going home after this then we can get back to normal after this."

Some of the players give him a bored look, Willie Ormond is however is jogging on the spot and looking oddly keener than his fellow teammates. "He's right guys, there's no pressure on us, we have nothing to lose out there."

"He's right," Young replies. "Those Austrians are still sick that we beat them and seem like they want to win the wooden spoon award, who'd want to win that now?"

A few players chuckle and this does slightly ease their worries, but still not fully putting them in a good mood.

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As the game starts, it is clear as Young mentioned, the Austrians are wanting to win this badly as too the crowd in the stadium who are cheering on their team dressed in white shirts and black shorts and socks. The Scots find it strange why the Austrians are determined to win what is in their mind a rather pointless game. Indeed, it seems that everyone is more interested in the Final the day after this game.

Theodor Wagner tries to open the scoring with a volley in the eighteenth minute and while it goes past Fred Martin, it goes off the crossbar and ends with a goal kick for Scotland. Already, the Scots are playing better than what happened in the Hungary game and for some of the players, it becomes rather amusing to see how desperate Austria want to win this game. The Scots hold off the Austrians and the mostly Austrian crowd boo and hiss at their own team's squabbling of taking their chances which are far greater than the Scottish's attempts, then Willie Ormond goes on the break with the ball and stuns the Austrians after forcing the Scots into their half which Ormond catches off guard a rather bored Kurt Schmied and lobs in the ball into the back of the net in the forty first minute.

However, his celebrations are cut short when it is shown that he was offside and the Austrians are very lucky to get away from that. The first half eventually ends goalless and the Austrian supporters let out an almighty boo for their team's performance for failing to put this game to bed and the Scots end up walking of the field as strangely the happier team.

After the interval, the second half begins and the Scots start to play a better passing game that is in their style. The Austrians are now looking rather desperate as they attempt to get a goal and Bobby Evans outwits a charging Probst to pass it to George Young and attempts to get it more up the field. Sadly this great play from Scotland adds to nothing as the Austrians begin to get back in the game as they start playing the game as it was in the first half. In the fifty fourth minute, Evans makes a desperate tackle on Probst as he get's close to the penalty box, but his mistimes it as the Austrian falls down and the referee points to the spot for a penalty.

Heartbreak for the Scots follow as Ernst Stojaspal scores the penalty and the Austrian supporters have finally something to cheer about. Oddly after however, the Austrian players don't try to add to their lead and the game becomes rather stale afterwards, so much so that Bobby Evans would later say he swear he saw George Graham, with the SFA staff, fast asleep as no doubt he had found the game that boring.

There are no free kicks, tackles, penalties, fouls or even fights as the game rolls along with seemingly no end in sight. Finally, the Swiss ref blows his whistle and the game ends 1-0 for Austria who win Third-Place.

As the Scots leave the field, their thoughts turn to home and what happens next. Some have already gotten their minds set on what's next...the next World Cup four years from now.

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And so that concludes the '54 World Cup with the next World Cup to follow and I will say it would be nice if some of you can give me ideas of what I can include for that tournament as I already have some ideas of how it'll play out but it is nice to listen to what others might say.

Look out for the next update!

 
Enjoyed this, yet again.
Glad to see it's not stopping here.

Presuming domestic football has been roughly analogous to OTL so far, an obvious alteration could be the Munich air disaster not occurring and England's squad not being weakened by the loss of players.

Scotland not being rubbish, results wise, could be another one.

Pele getting injured before the final, if Brazil were to reach it, maybe.
 
Please find some way for the Munich Disaster not to happen or at least there be more survivors. Duncan Edwards alone would make a great difference to England in 62 and 66 even if not fit enough to play in 58.
 
Please find some way for the Munich Disaster not to happen or at least there be more survivors. Duncan Edwards alone would make a great difference to England in 62 and 66 even if not fit enough to play in 58.

No Munich Disaster causes butterflies not only for England, but for Scotland too as Matt Busby was given the task of being the Scotland manager for the '58 World Cup but had to step down due to his injuries, interesting to think how better Scotland could've been too if he had been there. Needing to think for writing the next one what might happen next, the next World Cup will certainly have butterflies in one way or the other.
 
Chapter 7: Out Of The Ashes (FIFA World Cup 1958)
Chapter 7: Out Of The Ashes

The 1958 World Cup would take place in Sweden and once again there would be a British presence there, however, it wouldn't be restricted to just England and Scotland. As a matter of fact for the first time and rather not using the British Championship as a qualifying group, all four British teams had qualified for the finals and the British press machine would've been surely having a field day on proudly predicting that the World Cup would be heading back to the United Kingdom.

Sadly a few months before, tragedy struck the England team in Munich where the Manchester United team were on their way home when their plane crashed shortly after take off due to slush on the runway. Of the forty four that were there on that flight, twenty two would lose their lives either players, crew members and journalists. Matt Busby's team was practically destroyed.

For England, they were weakened by the loss of two international players, Tommy Taylor and Roger Byrne, however in a moment of luck, Duncan Edwards, although injured in the crash survived his ordeal and was willing to join the England team in Sweden, even if he wasn't at his full best.

His survival was by pure chance thanks to some words of advice from Matt Busby in which the Scottish manager had mentioned to him that when the Scotland team were on a plane home leaving Switzerland at the last World Cup that some of the players weren't confident flyers but a cabin steward had said to the players that sitting at the front would help their confidence. Wherever or not this steward was telling the truth or not, Edwards took Busby's advice and would sit near the front while many of his teammates went to the back, a choice that was to have fatal consequences for them as several of those players would die.

But it wasn't England were affected by this, Scotland were rocked by it too. Prior to the World Cup, Matt Busby had been appointed as the new Scotland head coach on a part time basis and was indeed the right man for the job, the crash however had injured him and it was a worry that his injuries were that bad that Dawson Walker, the trainer, would have to manage Scotland in Sweden. But spurred on by the determination by Edwards, Busby made a recovery with just before the tournament would start, but like the Manchester United player, he was shaken by the disaster.

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Late into the night on the 7th June, just a day before the tournament would kick off, Edwards was on the phone in the hotel lobby speaking to his Manchester United teammate and North Irish Goalkeeper, Harry Gregg.

Edwards had been eternally grateful for the Irishman as Gregg had been regarded as the hero in the disaster as he'd saved several trapped passengers from the burning wreckage including Edwards. "Still can't stop thinking about what happened," he mentions sadly.

"Same here," Gregg replies equally sad. "But I've been thinking, we're still here and I'm sure they would want us to try our best not matter what has happened to us, we can put this behind us and make them proud."

A small smile appears on Edwards' face. "You're right, like a phoenix out of the ashes, something beautiful can grow."

"Let's do for them," Gregg says with hope. The say a little extra boost of confidence can go a long way...

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So we almost begin our look at the '58 World Cup and although there are no matches here, some serious butterflies have happened here in which Edwards survives the crash and Busby is just fit enough to manage Scotland. Interesting to speculate where each Home Nation might end up, until then, keep guessing...


 
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