Stenny’s new manager scored the last Scottish goal against Poland
1 Jun 1958 Poland 1-2 Scotland
The first ever meeting between the nations was a World Cup warm-up match for the visitors who competed in the finals in Sweden later that month. Former Celtic and Everton midfielder Bobby Collins scored twice to put the visitors 2-0 up and they held on for what is, to date, their only senior win over Poland. They would enjoy another first later in the month when Jimmy Murray scored the first Scotland goal at a World Cup finals, though Scotland would fail to win any of their group games and exit the competition.
4 May 1960 Scotland 2-3 Poland
Another international friendly meeting saw Scotland twice fight back from a goal down only to finally succumb to defeat. Denis Law scored the second of his record setting 30 international goals and Ian St John added the other, but the home side could not respond for a third time once Ernest Pol – who, incidentally, has the most perfect name for a Polish international footballer – retook the lead.
23 May 1965 Poland 1-1 Scotland
A lot of people may not now this, but when former Scotland boss Ian McColl left to take charge of Sunderland, it was Jock Stein who was placed in temporary charge of the national side. His first match was this draw in Warsaw with Denis Law netting an equaliser. It was a creditable result in Scotland’s second match of the 1966 World Cup qualifying campaign.
13 Oct 1965 Scotland 1-2 Poland
This devastating loss cost Scotland a chance at the England 1966 World Cup. Who knows, we could have came flying out of our group and denied them their chance at history and saved Scottish football observers the annoyance of being forced to hear about it for generations to come. Either that or North Korea would have been the first of many teams to hand Scotland an embarrassing World Cup result. Either way, we never found out. Fighting out with Italy at the top of the group, this defeat put Scotland in a deficit from which they couldn’t recover. It had all started so promisingly as well with Billy McNeil’s 13th minute goal giving the hosts the lead. The score remained that way for the majority of the match before the visitors scored twice in as many minutes late in the match. The two points dropped turned out to be the exact margin of difference between Scotland and eventual group winners Italy.
28 May 1980 Poland 1-0 Scotland
Two months after failing to qualify for the 1980 European Championships and four days after losing 2-0 to England at Hampden, Jock Stein’s side slumped to another defeat in this international friendly in Poznan. Zbigniew Boniek scored the only goal of the game with 20 minutes remaining. Somehow we managed to pick ourselves off the ground to qualify for the 1982 World Cup.
19 May 1990 Scotland 1-1 Poland
The home side were poised to get the Polish hoodoo off their back after leading through a Maurice Johnston first half strike. Things were going well for Andy Roxburgh’s side until Gary Gillespie inadvertently put through his own net and the second of three Italia 90′ warm-up matches ended in a draw. The next month we would lose to Costa Rica and exit another World Cup campaign at the first stage.
25 Apr 2001 Poland 1-1 Scotland
With the 2002 World Cup qualification campaign taking a break for six months, Craig Brown put together an experimental squad for this friendly in Bydgoszcz. Seven players made their international debut in the draw – the more noted names being Gavin Rae and Kenny Miller – which was achieved with Scott Booth’s second half equaliser from the penalty spot.
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