Scotland's Game

Thirty years ago Scottish football was riding high, producing many world-class players and regularly qualifying for international tournaments. But the social landscape was changing fast with a new political doctrine placing money above everything - resulting in one fifth of the work force in Scotland losing their jobs, fracturing the industrial communities that supported many of the football clubs. The game badly needed modernisation and a new direction. Emerging was a new breed of leaders with new skills, with the ability of keeping one eye on the ball... and the other on business.

Football had become a global brand and Scotland was keen for its share of the action, and the cash. But the new money came at a price, top players demanded higher wages, kick-off times were changed and TV now called the shots. Clubs desperate to compete in this new world were vulnerable to hare-brained schemes, mavericks with deep pockets and ego-driven illusions. Almost overnight the dual drivers of money and media transformed the game - but left Scottish football struggling to forge an identity that would carry it into the future.

The third episode of Scotland's Game, the series that tackles the last 30 years of Scottish football, turns the spotlight on the nation's performances and standing on the international stage. Three decades ago, the national team was a force to be reckoned with when it came to qualification for the major tournaments. Star players for the national team were feted and the country's appearances against the giants of world football in the European Championships and the World Cups were eagerly anticipated. But this episode, The World Stage, charts the decline of the national team and examines the failings on and off the pitch that have marked this slide in fortunes. Contributors offer compelling insights into the high points that temporarily raised hopes and also into the darker moments of Scotland's international forays. They also give their thoughts on the structural and cultural reasons behind the downward trend and where improvements might be made. Among those interviewed are former players John Collins, Graeme Souness, Steven Pressley and Murdo MacLeod, ex-Scotland managers Alex McLeish, Andy Roxburgh and Craig Brown, historian Tom Devine and former first minister Henry McLeish.

The final part of this series looks at possible ways forward for the troubled Scottish game, new solutions to long-standing problems and questions which the national sport needs to face up to. It also charts the evolution of the women's game, the fanzine movement and the rise of messageboards and social media as drivers of how fans make their voices heard.