April 1, 1987-Belgium 4-Scotland 1

April 1, 1987

Belgium 4-Scotland 1

UEFA European Championship Qualifying-Group 7      

Venue: Bruxelles-Stade Constant Vanden Stock (Brussels - Constant Vanden Stock Stadion)    

Attendance: 26,650

Referee: Michel Vautrot (France)

Goalscorers: (Belgium): Nico Claesen 7, 55, 86- Frank Vercauteren 75

                    (Scotland): Paul McStay 14

Lineups:

Belgium:

1-Jean-Marie Pfaff (Fußball-Club Bayern München e.V. / West Germany) [61 / 0]

2-Georges Grun (Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht) [26 / 2]

3- Franky van der Elst (Club Brugge Koninklijke Vereniging) [14 / 0] (14-Guy Vandermissen (Royal Standard de Liege) [15 / 0] 89th)

4-Leo Clijsters (Koninklijke Voetbalclub Mechelen) [19 / 0]

5-Patrick Vervoort (Koninklijke Beerschot Voetbal en Atletiek Vereniging) [12 / 0]

6-Frank Vercauteren (Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht) [59 / 9]

7-Stephane Demol (Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht) [14 / 1]

8-Nico Claesen (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club-London / England) [26 / 12]      

9-Erwin Vandenbergh (Lille Olympique Sporting Club -Lille Métropole / France)  [42 / 19]

10- Enzo Scifo (Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht)  [25 / 5] (15- Leo van der Elst (Club Brugge Koninklijke Vereniging) [13/0] 74th)

11-Philippe Desmet (Lille Olympique Sporting Club -Lille Métropole / France) [10 / 1]

Coach: Guy Thys

Booked: Philippe Desmet 80th

Other Subs:

12- Michel Preud'Homme (Koninklijke Voetbalclub Mechelen)

13- Michel DeWolf (Koninklijke Atletiek Associatie Gent)

16-Daniel Veyt (Koninklijke Sportvereniging Waregem)

Team Captain: Jean-Marie Pfaff

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas

Uniform Colors: Red Shirts, Red Shorts, Red Socks

Photo from: Nations of Europe, Volume I author Ron Hockings and Keir Radnedge, 1993

(Belgium squad, Top, left to right: Stephane Demol, Philippe Desmet, Nico Claesen, Erwin Vandenbergh, Franky van der Elst, Georges Grun, Enzo Scifo,  Leo Clijsters, Frank Vercauteren, Patrick Vervoort, Jean-Marie Pfaff, April 1, 1987, EC Qualifier, Belgium 4-Scotland 1)

Scotland:

1-James Leighton (Aberdeen Football Club) [34 / 0]

2- Charles ‘Richard’ Gough (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club-London / England) [31 / 3]

3- Maurice Daniel Robert Malpas (Dundee United Football Club) [15 / 0]

8- Paul Michael Lyons McStay (The Celtic Football Club-Glasgow) [20 / 3]       

5-Alexander McLeish (Aberdeen Football Club) [45 / 0]

6-David Narey (Dundee United Football Club) [33 / 1]

4- Robert Sime ‘Roy’ Aitken (The Celtic Football Club-Glasgow) [28 / 1]       

7-James Edward McInally (Dundee United Football Club) [1 / 0]

10-James Bett (Aberdeen Football Club) [18 / 1] (15-Patrick Kevin Francis Michael Nevin (Chelsea Football Club-London / England) [5 / 0] 80th)

9- Alistair Murdoch McCoist (Rangers Football Club- Glasgow) [4 / 0]

11- Paul Whitehead Sturrock (Dundee United Football Club) [20 / 3]

Coach: Andrew Roxburgh

Booked: Charles ‘Richard’ Gough

Team Captain: Robert Sime ‘Roy’ Aitken

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Umbro

Uniform Colors: Yellow Shirts, Black Shorts , Yellow Socks

Notes:

-Match number 467 for Belgium and number 490 for Scotland.

-This was the 12th meeting between the nations.

-The previous match between the nations, as well as the previous match on Scottish soil was a also a European Championship Qualifier at Glasgow’s Hampden Park on October 12, 1983 that ended in a one to one tie.

Belgium players: Pfaff, De Wolf, Vercauteren, Claesen and vandermissen and Scotland players: Leighton, Gough, Aitken, McLeish, McStay and Bett were present that day (on the field and/or the substitutes bench).

Frank Vercauteren scored for Belgium.

-Belgium’s previous win as well as the previous match in the same city, was a also a European Championship Qualifier at Brussels’ Heysel Stadium on December 15, 1982 that Belgium won 3 to 2.

Belgium players: Pfaff, Vercauteren, Vandenbergh, Clijsters and vandermissen and Scotland players: Leighton, Narey, Aitken, McLeish, Sturrock and Bett were present that day (on the field and/or the substitutes bench).

Vandenbergh scored for Belgium in that match and Scotland’s Aitken was booked.

-The next match between the nations as well as the next match on Scottish soil and next Scotland victory (and to date the last vs Belgium), was the return leg of this UEFA European Championship Qualifier at Glasgow’s Hampden Park on October 14, 1987 that Belgium won 2 to 0.

Belgium players: Preud'Homme, Grun, Vervoort, Vercauteren, Franky van der Elst, Desmet, Claesen, Vandenbergh, Clijsters, Veyt and vandermissen and Scotland players: Leighton, Malpas, McStay, Aitken, McLeish and McCosit, were present that day (on the field and/or the substitutes bench).

Ally McCoist and Paul McStay scored for Scotland.

-The next match between the nations in the same city, as well as Belgium’s next victory, would be a World Cup Qualifier at Brussels’ Koning Boudewijn Stadion on September 5, 2001, that Belgium won 2 to 0.

-Belgium was missing Captain Jan Ceulemans and veteran defender Eric Gerets.

Jean-Marie Pfaff captained in place of Ceulemans.

Georges Grun replaced Gerets in the lineup.

-Jean-Marie Pfaff would earn his last cap for Belgium in the following September in the EC Qualifier vs. Bulgaria in Sofia on September 23, 1987 (0 to 2 loss).

After that Michel Preud'Homme would be elevated as Belgium’s starting goalkeeper.

Photo From: Foot Magazine , Issue 79, May 1988

(Patrick Vervoort)

-Scotland were missing Maurice ‘Mo’ Johnston, Brian McClair, Willie Miller, Gordon Strachan, Murdo McLeod, Davie Cooper and Steve Nicol among others.

Kenny Dalglish had played his last match for Scotland at the end of 1986 and Alan Hansen had played his final match for Scotland in the previous EC Qualifier vs. Republic of Ireland on February 18, 1987 (0 to 1 home loss).

-This was Scotland’s second straight defeat in the EC qualifers following the above mentioned loss to Republic of Ireland.

-Despite the heavy loss, Scotland actually played well in the first half.

-This was Scottish James Edward McInally’s first cap.

-Scotland’s James Bett had played in the Belgian League for Lokeren.

-This was Scotland’s Paul Sturrock’s last cap.

-This was Frank Vercauteren’s ninth and final goal for Belgium.

-These were Nico Claesen’s last 3 goals and 12 th goal for Scotland.

He did not score for Belgium again.

Claesen had also scored a hat trick for Belgium on the EC Qualifier on October 14, 1986 vs. Luxembourg (6 to 0 win).

Photo From: France Football, April 7, 1987, No 2139

(James McInally, Referee Michel Vautrot and Nico Claesen)

-This was Belgium’s Leo van der Elst’s last cap.

-Patrick Vervoort joined Anderlecht the following season.

-Enzo Scifo joined Serie A’s Internazionale Milano the following season.

-Both Scifo and Vervoort played for Anderlecht and Bordeaux in their careers and also played in Italy’s Serie A. Patrick Vervoort joined Ascoli for the 1991/92 season.

Anderlecht’s Stephane Demol also played in the Italian and French Leagues by joining Bologna and Toulouse.

George Grun joined the Serie A club Parma in 1990.

Leo van der Elst also joined the French League in 1988 by joining Metz.

-Belgium’s Phillipe Desmet and Erwin vandenbergh had joined the French League that season by joining Lille.

Photo From: France Football, April 7, 1987, No 2139

(Ally McCoist and Stephane Demol)

-Ally McCoist was Scotland’s top goalscorer that season. He is the current Rangers Glasgow Manager.

He won the Scottish League Cup and the Scottish League title that season with Rangers Glasgow.

-As stated in prebvious entries in this blog, Guy Thys and Leo Clijsters have since passed on.

Vercauteren has also managed the Belgian National team.

Erwin Vandenbergh’s son Kevin has also represented Belgium.

Alexander McLeish has managed the Scottish national Team.

-Republic of Ireland qualified from this UEFA European Championship Group. The other teams in the group were Luxembourg and Bulgaria.

-Frank Vercauteren joined French club Nantes the following season and became teammates with Scottish striker Maurice Johnston who was missing for this match.

-Jean-Marie Pfaff won the Bundesliga League title with Bayern Munich that season.

-George Grun, Frank Vercauteren, Stephane Demol and Enzo Scifo won the Belgian league title with Anderlecht that season.

They were playing this match in their home stadium.

- Leo Clijsters and Michel Preud'Homme won the Belgian Cup with Mechelen that season.

-Nico Claesen was the only British based player with Belgium, he had joined Tottenham Hotspur that season and reached the FA Cup final with them, though they lost to Coventry in the Final (2 to 3 loss).

He was teammates with Scotland defender Charles ‘Richard’ Gough.

-Scotland Manager Andrew Roxburgh had been appointed as Manager that season, following the 1986 Mexico World Cup. He would stay on until the Fall of 1993.

-Dundee United’s Maurice Malpas, David Narey, James Edward McInally and Paul Sturrock reached the Final of the UEFA Cup that season, though they were defeated by Sweden’s IFK Gothenburg.

-For the first goal in the seventh minute, Desmet sent a ball upfield to the middle for Scifo who immediately sent Claesen through who one on one beat Leighton for the goal, despite claims of offside from the Scottish.

-Paul McStay tied the match in the 14^th minute after a long cross from Bett from the left was headed in by McStay.

-For Belgium’s second in the 55^th minute, Scifo sent in a cross in the goalmouth that was headed out by Gough, Demol headed it back in and Claesen controled the ball and turned and scored.

Once again there were some claims of offside by the Scottish.

-For Belgium’s third in the 75^th minute, Claesen sent a cross from the right side to the left to Desmet who then passed it to the onrushing Vercauteren who scored.

-For Belgium’s fourth in the 86^th minute, Desmet set Claesen clear on the right side, who then dribbled McLeisch and sent a low shot by the near post.

Photo From: France Football, April 7, 1987, No 2139

(Nico Claesen after scoring Belgium’s fourth with McLeisch on the ground)

Match Reports:

Le Dictionnaire des Diables Rouges / Scotland, The Complete Internatioanl Record, Author Richard Keir

Match Video / Highlights: