Paul Rouse: Scotland’s 1978 disaster shows life and loss are forgotten in World Cup fever

The predictions before the tournament had been that Scotland would coast through those two games and the Scottish fans who had travelled in expectation were appalled

The team lines up before the Netherlands clash. Picture: Mirror Syndication International/Mirrorpix via Getty Images

Almost fifty years ago, the staging of the World Cup in Argentina was a matter of great controversy.

The country was being ruled by a military junta, with General Jorge Rafael Videla as president. The junta had dissolved the National Congress, banned trade unions, censored the media, and brought the apparatus of state and municipal governments under their control.