25,000 people came to Hampden Park to watch the squad circle the ground in an open-top bus prior to their departure for Argentina. Prestwick Airport was packed with supporters seeing the team off. When a journalist asked him "What do you plan to do after the World Cup?" MacLeod replied: "Retain it." This anecdote, though, is denied in some accounts of the Scottish saga at the 1978 World Cup and has been cited as one of the most popular hoaxes in British football. 1978 World Cup finals Some observers were worried by the absence through injury of full-back Danny McGrain. Opponents Peru's impressive credentials went overlooked and were not expected to provide many problems in the first match. Peru, however, won the game 3–1. Scotland took the lead but Don Masson missed a penalty and in general failed to play to their potential. Before the match journalist James McKillop had written in The Glasgow Herald that "The suggestion that we might not win is unthinkable and can be dismissed out of hand." As MacLeod himself put it, the performance against Peru was "rank bad". Plentiful excuses emerged: there had been a dispute concerning bonuses, the hotel swimming pool had no water in it, there was nothing for the players to do. It was then revealed that the winger Willie Johnston had taken a cold tablet which contained a banned stimulant fencamfamine (Reactivan). He was sent home. MacLeod, at a press conference, saw a mongrel dog approach: "I think he is the only friend I have got left", he said, stretching out a hand. The game with Iran finished a 1–1 draw, after a poor display by the Scots. They then needed to beat the Netherlands, one of the tournament favourites, by three clear goals, to qualify. The next day's The Glasgow Herald ran the result of the Iran game as their main story under the headline "Ally's night of shame". Herald reporter James McKillop described the match as "Ally's Alamo" and said Scotland had "turned disgrace into humiliation". Adding that at full-time the Scotland players "were lucky not to be lynched" he not he had "never seen Scotland supporters more angry". McKillop's report also stated that in response to the result MacLeod offered "excuses in not reasons", with MacLeod stated that "the team had been under tremendous pressure in Argentina". For the Netherlands match MacLeod gave Graeme Souness his first