Scottish Rangers players who never got a cap.

Alec Cleland.

Solid career with over 100 games for Rangers then went to Everton with Walter and played in the EPL.

Never got a sniff.
 
Trying to remember.......McNamara........McKimmie before that possibly
I’m trying to remember too mate. Alec, on form, might’ve made a squad or two. When he was playing well say 95-96, I would’ve thought that McKimmie would’ve easily kept him out. 97? Jackie McNamara? Hmmmm. I dunno.

He probably deserved some recognition for playing well, but I’d be inclined to file him as a backup needed in an injury crisis.

Nice bloke though.

Edit. Abiding memory of Alec. Header at breezeblock boulevard and booting Del Piero after he just been megged.
 
McNamara most likely. I was thinking Graeme Alexander but he was a bit later, more towards Vogts era.
Just checked the France 98 squad. McNamara was the only orthodox right back. Christian Dailly probably the other option
 
John Brown is the major stand out for me. He could play in just about any position, and you know he would have given 100% - a great utility man and you need that at international level.

However he was bypassed for the likes of Tosh McKinlay, Tom Boyd, Brian Irvine, Derek Whyte and many other diddies.
In many ways John Brown was not only the architype Scots player but an example of a great one.

As mentioned, him not being capped was ridiculous but when you look at the clowns capped, repeatedly, ahead of him you can see the fix was in for years.

Still is really.
 
Just checked the France 98 squad. McNamara was the only orthodox right back. Christian Dailly probably the other option
Craig burley was playing RB for the first two games at France 98, McNamara came on during the Norway game which released him to get the goal.
 
John Brown is the major stand out for me. He could play in just about any position, and you know he would have given 100% - a great utility man and you need that at international level.

However he was bypassed for the likes of Tosh McKinlay, Tom Boyd, Brian Irvine, Derek Whyte and many other diddies.
At a time when Brown was being selected at centre back by WS, and Dave McPherson was largely deployed at right back, McPherson was regularly called up for Scotland squads.
 
I’m trying to remember too mate. Alec, on form, might’ve made a squad or two. When he was playing well say 95-96, I would’ve thought that McKimmie would’ve easily kept him out. 97? Jackie McNamara? Hmmmm. I dunno.

He probably deserved some recognition for playing well, but I’d be inclined to file him as a backup needed in an injury crisis.

Nice bloke though.

Edit. Abiding memory of Alec. Header at breezeblock boulevard and booting Del Piero after he just been megged.

I was at the Reserve game at Ibrox v Celtic when he scored that. Gazza got the second. Listened on the radio!

Great day out!!
 
As an Aberdeen player? Then yes. Especially when you factor in Roy Aitken and his prolonged involvement in the Scotland team.
1990 Roy Aitken went to the World Cup and Neale Cooper was at Rangers, although I agree his early career with Aberdeen should have seen him capped.
 
Didn't he score against Juventus that year? Very good player, on Youtube there's footage of a goal he scored against Celtic, at Ibrox, and that was the mark of a very good player to score that type of goal.
Yes, Gordon Smith scored the second against Juve.
He says in his book he got picked for the U21s (May have still been U23s) and McLeod played him out of position, so he didn't impress.
 
At a time when Brown was being selected at centre back by WS, and Dave McPherson was largely deployed at right back, McPherson was regularly called up for Scotland squads.
To my knowledge Brown got a single call up for a match against Portugal, never seen any minutes and thus phoned the manager telling him he wished to no longer be considered.

Incredibly he never got a cap.
 
To my knowledge Brown got a single call up for a match against Portugal, never seen any minutes and thus phoned the manager telling him he wished to no longer be considered.

Incredibly he never got a cap.
Indeed, I've known JB since his Hamilton days, I think in his case he was viewed by Brown as a bit ''difficult'', not one of the team, which seems ludicrous given his standing in an all conquering Rangers side.
 
Indeed, I've known JB since his Hamilton days, I think in his case he was viewed by Brown as a bit ''difficult'', not one of the team, which seems ludicrous given his standing in an all conquering Rangers side.
It seemed the Scotland regime in those days were much against “strong characters” with a preference of guys who are just happy to be there doing what they are told.
 
It seemed the Scotland regime in those days were much against “strong characters” with a preference of guys who are just happy to be there doing what they are told.
Craig Brown and Andy Roxburgh before him were schoolteachers. The levels of contempt that people like Souness and Gough have for them is off the charts and rightly so if you ask me.

Wee Craig is currently being retrofitted with some imbued managerial greatness by BBC PQ.
 
It seemed the Scotland regime in those days were much against “strong characters” with a preference of guys who are just happy to be there doing what they are told.
A wee anecdote from that period. Scotland were playing a match at Ibrox, and as most of us know the home dressing room is much bigger than the the away in fact bigger than Hampden also. Brown taped off an area to reduce its dimensions to that of Hampden thinking it made him appear super efficient and ''on the ball'' whilst the majority of the players were thinking what a prick.
 
Craig Brown and Andy Roxburgh before him were schoolteachers. The levels of contempt that people like Souness and Gough have for them is off the charts and rightly so if you ask me.

Wee Craig is currently being retrofitted with some imbued managerial greatness by BBC PQ.
A wee anecdote from that period. Scotland were playing a match at Ibrox, and as most of us know the home dressing room is much bigger than the the away in fact bigger than Hampden also. Brown taped off an area to reduce its dimensions to that of Hampden thinking it made him appear super efficient and ''on the ball'' whilst the majority of the players were thinking what a prick.
Was it Brown that wander about the changing room with a felt tip pen, colouring in the tape players wore on their socks?.
 
Was it Brown that wander about the changing room with a felt tip pen, colouring in the tape players wore on their socks?.
According to, if I remember correctly, Frank Bon Viveur McAvennie. Although with that erse, you wouldn’t put your mortgage on it being true.
 
Once referred to as “a left back specialist” or something along those lines by Brown.

I remember a World Cup qualifier away in Greece where we got beat 1-0. After the match Brown was asked about the game and he said "we won more corners than them!"...

Brown's time was up when he let a 2 goal lead go against a 10 man Belgium team. Useless.
 
We had many uncapped players when Scotland had many excellent players. We tend to big up our players (as does every supporter of every other team).
I remember a friend going to live and work in Aberdeen. He was back visiting and we were pissing ourselves because the Aberdeen fans thought Stuart Kennedy (right back) should get capped. He got capped and was actually a good player, playing twice in 1978 WC finals.
 
Nigel Spackman :cool:

In reality, Neale Cooper is a good shout - very cultured footballer from what I’ve seen, albeit a bit ahead of my time.

John Brown was such a useful all-round player that you’d have thought he would be the ideal player to have in the squad for a tournament. Centre half, midfield, fullback or even up front - he was more than able in any position.
 
Who was keeping him out the team?
It was kind of himself after he told Craig Brown that he wasn’t joining squads if he wasn’t going to be playing!

Robertson was entitled to his stance though.

Funny to think that the public view of Robertson at that time was of a reasonably quiet guy & a bit of a homebird who just got on with playing football... now he is regarded as a hero for swearing like a trooper and coaching a team in a league that is out by the back of beyond.
 
We had many uncapped players when Scotland had many excellent players. We tend to big up our players (as does every supporter of every other team).
I remember a friend going to live and work in Aberdeen. He was back visiting and we were pissing ourselves because the Aberdeen fans thought Stuart Kennedy (right back) should get capped. He got capped and was actually a good player, playing twice in 1978 WC finals.
Stuart Kennedy was reliable and underrated imo.
 
I remember a World Cup qualifier away in Greece where we got beat 1-0. After the match Brown was asked about the game and he said "we won more corners than them!"...

Brown's time was up when he let a 2 goal lead go against a 10 man Belgium team. Useless.
I remember cringing at that. If ever a sentence sums up that amateur wee arsehole, it’s that.
 
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