game was lost 3–0 to Wolves. While at Blackburn he made strenuous efforts along with the PFA steward Jimmy Hill to help abolish the maximum wage, but when subsequently his promised wage increase was not forthcoming, while other players in the team were raised from £20 to £25 per week, he entered into discussions with Hibernian. When Blackburn realised that they were going to lose him to Hibs they matched their offer with an increase from £20 to £25. MacLeod, having already accepted Hibs' offer, felt he could not go back on his word, so left Blackburn to go back to Scotland. He played with Hibs until 1963, when he returned to Third Lanark. In 1964 he signed for Ayr United, where he finished his playing career, with no major honours won. Coaching career Ayr United He started his managerial career in 1966 when he took charge of Ayr United. He took Ayr back to Scotland's top division and turned them into well respected side. He took them to a Scottish and a League Cup semi-final and also set their attendance record with 25,225 watching a 2–1 success over Rangers F.C. In 1973, MacLeod was named Ayr's "Citizen of the Year". Aberdeen In November 1975, after nine years at Ayr, he moved to Aberdeen where he guided them to a League Cup final success over Celtic. Scotland 1978 World Cup qualification and preparation After success with Ayr and Aberdeen, in May 1977 the Scottish Football Association appointed him manager of the Scotland national team. He introduced himself to the squad with the blunt statement: "My name is Ally MacLeod and I am a winner." In his first months in charge, Scotland beat England at Wembley and qualified for the 1978 World Cup from a group containing Czechoslovakia, who had won the 1976 European Championship, and Wales. Scotland's World Cup expectations gathered momentum with MacLeod happy with the wave of massive optimism, saying to the press his team would return with "at least a medal". Scottish comedian Andy Cameron recorded a version of "Ally's Tartan Army", which reached number 6 in the UK charts just before the World Cup. Qualification was particularly sweet for Scotland since, for the second World Cup in succession, Scotland had achieved what their traditional rivals England had not. Defeat against England in the 1977–78 British Home Championship was taken to mean little. Spirits remained sky-high as