When Scotland qualified for the World Cup... but didn't go

The April 1950 British Home Championship saw Scotland finish second to England, and qualify for the World Cup [PA Media] It's the dream scenario - lining up in front of more than 133,000 of your own fans. Qualifying for the World Cup, ready to face some of the greatest teams on the planet. That was what happened in April 1950, as Scotland finished second in the British Home Championship.

That would have been enough to secure their place in the 1950 World Cup, held in Brazil. But things didn't go to quite to plan for the squad. Bosses in charge of the Scottish FA at the time did what would be unthinkable to the modern football fan - They gave up their place at the first World Cup after World War Two.

The 1950 World Cup was the first after WW2 [BBC] The 1950 tournament was set to be the fourth iteration of the competition – and a return to South America since the first tournament in 1930. The UK nations had never previously sent teams to the World Cup, for a variety of complex reasons. There was a perceived superiority of the British Home Championship, fallouts over player payments, and a reluctance to play other European teams following the First World War.

But there was supposed to be "a lot of reconciliation" in this tournament, "albeit Germany weren't invited," says Andy Kerr, visitor attraction manager at the Scottish Football Museum. That sense of peace and harmony didn't extend to the internal politicking at the Scottish FA. The overriding feeling among bosses was that the Home Championship would be pivotal for Scotland competing at the World Cup.