Scotland's surprising Cologne history - 8-1 game, soldiers on the pitch, tough nights for Celtic and Rangers

The death of the celebrated full-back Karl Heinz Schnellinger only last month aged 85 was a reason to reflect on the relationship between Cologne, his hometown club, and Scotland, where he played for the first time in 1962.

Although he played in many memorable matches including one dubbed “the game of the century”, he wasn’t likely to forget coming to Dundee as a German champion and losing 8-1 at Dens Park. The second leg, too, was notable. Cologne came close to retrieving the situation and a group of Scottish soldiers ran onto the pitch to protect their compatriots at full-time amid angry scenes. As John Rafferty reported in The Scotsman, it was a game of “appalling crudeness”.

Battalions of Scots are currently making their way to the city of course. Tomorrow night’s Euro 2024 clash between Scotland and Switzerland in Cologne, at a stadium built on the site of the one where Dundee almost came to grief, is further excuse to review previous Scottish experiences by the Rhine. It’s a tale of mixed fortunes.

Scotland take on Switzerland in the Cologne Stadium in their second group stage match at Euro 2024 on Wednesday. (Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images)

A 4-0 defeat in Cologne would prove ruinous to Scotland’s hopes of progressing to the second stage. However, losing by this margin was something to celebrate for Dundee, since it meant thy qualified for the first round of the European Cup. Cologne's 8-1 defeat in the first leg of this preliminary round tie remains their joint-equal record defeat and worst-ever European defeat.

Although young at the time of these meetings, Schnellinger went on to play 47 times for Germany, including a 1970 World Cup semi-final against Italy, the aforementioned game of the century. It finished 4-3 to the Italians after Schnellinger’s late equaliser set up a hectic period of extra time in which five goals were scored.

His Cologne side needed seven, at least, to save their tie v Dundee in 1962. They came close to getting them on a chaotic night. Dundee 'keeper Bert Slater was kicked in the head and taken off before being sent back on to play on the wing, with Andy Penman deputising in goal. Cologne hit the bar from a penalty at a crucial stage.

It wasn’t the end of Dundee and Cologne’s entanglement. They met again just nine years later in the Uefa Cup, the Scots again progressing amid more drama. A narrow 2-1 defeat back in the German city was a decent outcome for the Scots.

Back at Dens a fortnight later, Dundee were 2-1 down with 20 minutes to play, meaning they needed three goals to progress. They got them, with a minute to spare. “There has never been such a night of excitement in Dundee as that stirring one last night when they stormed their old opponents, Cologne, out of the Uefa Cup,” wrote Rafferty, back at the scene for The Scotsman.

A Scottish team suffered another heavy defeat in Cologne in 1982, when Rangers went down 5-0 in the same competition. Sadly for them, they had only a 2-1 win in the bank from Ibrox in the earlier leg rather than 8-1.

In all, Rangers and Cologne have met in four European ties. They first locked horns in the second round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, with Willie Henderson striking late in extra time to secure Rangers’ passage to the quarter finals after the Scots managed to let a 3-0 first leg lead slip back in Germany.

Celtic, meanwhile, had it all to do after suffering in Cologne in the Uefa Cup in 1992, but a fine 3-0 win, with goals from Gerry Creaney, John Collins and Paul McStay, repaired the damage of a 2-0 first leg defeat.