It was a tense time for Scotland’s male football World Cup hopefuls back in April 1990, as boss Andy Roxburgh was about to name his squad.

“The manager is pleased with the whittling down process so far and by the end of the month he will have all but finalised the squad for the great summer adventure,” said our report, pointing out that Ally McCoist, Gordon Durie and Alan McInally were all vying for striker spots. “Undoubtedly the current build-up is the most extensive ever undertaken by the national side….”

Speed skater Craig McNicoll was also in the news, returning to competition after a broken thigh put him out of action for months. The 19-year-old from Irvine had 16 titles to his name, including Scottish, British and European junior champion.

“I’m not a very patient person and that recovery spell dragged on,” he told the Evening Times on April 14, 1990.

It obviously did him no harm – since returning to skating, he had broken four British junior records and was on course to represent Team GB at the 1992 Olympics.

Meanwhile, fourteen of Scotland’s top trout anglers were on their way from Glasgow to Eire for the Spring International Trout Fly Fishing Competition, and inspirational bowler Liz Wren, from Falkirk, was preparing for the Women’s World Indoor Singles Championship in the Channel Islands. Liz was on top form, having just become the first woman to hold both indoor and outdoor national singles titles simultaneously.