"Had Scotland contrived to bring home the World Cup, then perhaps the nationalist cause would have gathered even greater momentum. As it was, enthusiasm melted away like snow in the summer sunshine. When the government held a referendum on Scottish devolution the following March, only one in three people voted for it."

In Episode Fifty Four we look back at "My Name is Ally MacLeod and I am a Winner" by Dominic Sandbrook, first published in Issue Five in June 2012.

It looks back on the summer of 1978, the feverish anticipation of the Scottish squad as genuine contenders at the Argentina World Cup, and the ensuing debacle on the pitch, through the hubris of the Caledonian Clough, Ally MacLeod.

Did the result help derail the course of Scottish nationalism? Could a different result on the pitch have changed the course of the referendum the following year?

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