THE HAIL HAIL BLAZER

Pioneer Paul grabbed fame in Spain, outscored King Kenny and suffered racist pain in his illustrious career

-  PHIL GORDON

WHEN Scotland played in Spain on another Euro mission for glory 48 years ago, Paul Wilson came off the bench and stepped into a piece of history. 

The Celtic forward became the only player of colour capped by Scotland in the 20th century. Paul was born in Bangalore, India, to a Dutch-Portuguese mum, Elaine, and a Scottish dad, William, who moved back to Glasgow when Paul was one.

The Parkhead star came on for Kenny Burns for the last 15 minutes in Valencia, in the Euro qualifiers on February 5, 1975, and was asked by manager Willie Ormond to try to get a winner after Joe Jordan’s early lead was cancelled out by Spanish sub Alfredo Megido.

Paul was 24 years old and on fire that season. In 1974-75, he would finish Celtic’s top scorer with 29 goals, outscoring his friend, Kenny Dalglish, who was already on the pitch and a Scotland regular since 1972.

In a small house in Milngavie, Wilson’s three younger brothers, Jerome, Brian and Locksley, had a deep sense of family pride as Paul walked on in his Scotland shirt. Even more so, for Elaine, who tragically died from cancer just months later. William had already died in 1972.

“I nearly scored,” recalled Paul – who passed away in September 2017 at the age of 66 – in an interview in 2011.