World Cup 86: Slumming it with Souness, Smith and Sir Alex in Mexico's original Group of Death

Maurice Malpas made it to TWO World Cup finals with Scotland. And those indelibly-marked memories of his first exposure to the competition amid the original group of death in Mexico 1986 make him the perfect subject for the latest of our One-on-One World Cup specials. The Dundee Utd one-club man - who made a cool 830 senior appearances - was a 'young buck' back then, having been called into the national team set up by Jock Stein and keeping his spot following his sad passing at Ninian Park, Cardiff on the very night Scotland booked their play-off spot. And it's a fascinating listen as Malpas recalls how this star-studded Scotland squad were left slumming it 'out in the sticks' in Mexico with one phone call a day if they were lucky and a 'hotel' with a swimming pool so dirty it was rendered unusable. Despite some creditable performances in a brutal section with Denmark and West Germany, things weren't much better on the pitch - as a Uruguay side described as 'Scum' by Ernie Walker strongarmed us out of the competition. Big characters like Graeme Souness and Walter Smith crop up regularly - both of whom would soon be leaving their previous roles to front up the Ibrox revolution at Rangers. Events then flash forward to Italia 90 where the surroundings were far more to Malpas' liking but the outcome was still the same - and a certain Jim McLean wasn't slow in calling him up the morning after his role in Scotland's ill-fated group opener against Costa Rica. https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/   / scottishsunsport   https://x.com/scotsunsport #oneonone #football #scotland #exclusive #mauricemalpas #worldcup2026