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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Stephen Killen

Touching reason Sir Alex Ferguson was at Hampden Park to see Scott McTominay score for Scotland

Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has the capability and the royalty to attend whatever game he likes across the world.

Last week, he was at his old stomping ground, Old Trafford, to witness Manchester United's 1-1 draw with Everton after Andros Townsend cancelled out Anthony Martial's first-half strike.

This week it is the international break and for Sir Alex, his duties took him to Hampden Park, home of Scottish football, as United midfielder Scott McTominay scored a last-gasp winner as the Scots gained a stronger hold of the World Cup play-off position in Group F.

But he was there for a specific reason.

He made his way onto the pitch during the interval with the Scots trailing 2-1 to receive his Scotland cap, some 54 years after making an appearance on the end of season tour for the Scotland XI.

They played seven matches at the end of the 1967 season, which Ferguson featured in scoring nine goals in those matches including a brace against Hong Kong, after a tremendous goalscoring season with Dunfermline Athletic before he moved to Rangers.

Following the match with Hong Kong, they played Australia three times with the 13-time Premier League-winning manager scoring three, two of which came in the final game.

The tour finished off with matches against New Zealand under-23s and the Canada Olympic squad.

Those seven matches proved to be the first and final appearances for the Tartan Army before Sir Alex went on to have a glittering managerial career.

Winning three Scottish Premier League's and a European Cup with Aberdeen before firing the Reds to English powerhouses dominating the top flight and Europe over a spell of 1,500 games and 27 years.

The game he witnessed was a remarkable clash between the two nations as Scotland continued to push the Israeli's after falling behind twice and missing a penalty.

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