Scotland: Dalglish, Souness & Rod Stewart

At the Scotland squad hotel, Souness is talking about the players he wants to sign for Rangers. Alex Ferguson is in his room thinking about potential new employers. Thousands of miles away, Kenny Dalglish is not playing.

The Mexico 1986 campaign of the national team was not infused with intrigue.

The manager died in the dressing room before the qualification was achieved. The game has never seen a better replacement. National team bosses were on duty. Two of Britain's biggest clubs had their managers named in the squad. It was a forward from Barcelona. The Scottish FA president called opponents "scum".

You had players drinking mudslingers with Rod Stewart, hanging out of stretch limos on Sunset Boulevard, and yelling at John McEnroe at the Australian Open.

David Coleman, sunstroke & cheerio Kenny

In the second leg of the qualification play-off, there were two incidents.

Scotland's joy was stolen by the death of Jock Stein after they had set up that tie on a bad night in Wales. The side won the play-off 2-0 after a goalless meeting down under.

After a four-day trip that included a night out at a Scottish social club, drunk David Speedie had to be carried back to the hotel for a live interview with David Coleman, and the same player, goalkeeper Alan Rough remembers a good carry on on the flight home.

Ferguson left Speedie out of his squad for the finals, causing controversy. The Aberdeen manager preferred Willie Miller and Alex McLeish over Alan Hansen after he won the English double withLiverpool. Miller thinks that Alan hadn't been playing much. It is a long way to go if you are not starting.

Kenny Dalglish withdrew from the fourth finals with a knee problem. Some people said the events were not related.

'I'll never forget wee Charlie hanging out of that limo'

Steve Archibald would take Dalglish's place as the squad traveled to New Mexico for a training camp.

The two weeks started with an irate Ferguson demanding the Scottish FA give up their first class seats on the plane for the players, and ended with a two day stay in Los Angeles.

In a friendly against the LA Heat, Eamonn scored two times before a reunion with his brother. Some people tell conflicting stories about meeting with Rod Stewart.

Miller says his invitation got lost in the post, Craig Brown says Ferguson gave the players the night off on the condition they didn't go to a party at the singer's house, and Bannon thinks a select group were allowed to show face. Rough has a different recollection.

He said it was great. We didn't make Rod's house. He made us mudslingers when we met him. He vanished within an hour. We were taken home by a limo. There was a phone in the car, and I will never forget the time Charlie Nicholas hung out of the car and called his mother from the roof.

Tiny caves & Berti going undercover

Scotland took up residence in the middle of an Aztec heritage site after all that.

Miller describes it as a bit more spartan than the squad had grown accustomed to, while Bannon remembers a hairy police escort from the airport and individual rooms that were like little caves with a small window.

The focus was on the opener. They might have been among the best in Europe, but the Danes were also good at the other side of the game, as evidenced by the fact that Nicholas was hobbling out of a team meeting.

The Scots were left to rue their missed opportunities as the Danes won. Rough always thought the first game was the winner. It's important to take something with West Germany next.

After impressing from the bench, Bannon started against Beckenbauer's side in a game that was best remembered for Gordon Strachan's attempt to hurdle the hoarding.

In a game played in the midday sun, the eventual finalist recovered from a 2-0 deficit to win. Miller describes it as like playing on a different planet, while Bannon remembers being unable to muster the energy to join the celebrations for the goal.

The man had been restored to the XI. The Germans were fooled into watching a closed training session by the ruse.

Brown said that the then Germany assistant and future Scotland boss tried to get in but was turned away. He rolled his uniform in so he could watch the guy setting up the Coca-Cola stall.

'Souness said he was trying to sign Woods & Butcher'

Ferguson will have to make a decision on whether to send Scotland to the last 16 or not.

After a meeting of the coaches, it was decided that captain Souness would be left out. The manager broke the news in the middle of the night, and it was met with no fuss.

The announcement that Souness would be leaving Sampdoria for Rangers had been made a few months earlier. Five players from Mexico represent a Rangers side that would threaten Ferguson's Aberdeen side.

The man's room was two doors down from the one I was in. Chris Woods and Terry Butcher were both in the England squad and he told me he was trying to sign them. He was learning about the Scottish game.

Getting a savaging & being wired for sound

Souness would have the chance to play with seven domestic-based players in the XI if he wasn't on the bench for the final game. They would face just 10 South Americans for most of the contest, after Jose Batista was sent off for assault.

After what Miller calls a "savaging", Bannon didn't think Gordon was going to get up, while Rough says such treatment extended to the fans of the other team.

The Scottish FA president was incensed that he told the global media that they were associated with the scum of world football.

Ferguson's side were unable to get the goal they needed to advance. The Scots were out after a goalless draw with the best chance falling to Steve Nicol.

Rough would be disappointed when he got home. An imposing hi-fi, bought for a right few bob by himself and room-mate, became the winner of a series of inter-squad games. Rough took the device all the way to his son's house. He remembers that he was happy. He put it in and it blew up.