Remembering when Hollywood stars met Scottish football greats at Hampden Park as Robert Duvall revelled in role.

In 1999, Glasgow briefly became the centre of a curious cultural collision: Oscar-winning Hollywood stars met Scotland’s football tradition. The result was A Shot at Glory - a modest football film that paired Robert Duvall with Rangers legend Ally McCoist and dozens of real players. I was there the day they turned Hampden Park into a film set before a crowd of around 30,000 extras in the stands.

Robert Duvall looked amused but slightly awkward as he was introduced to the crowd. I was standing not far from him in the centre circle of the national stadium as he gestured for the benefit of a barrage of press photographers. Returning to the stands as the staged football action began, the enthusiastic crowd entered into the spirit of things, cheering on exciting moments staged for the benefit of the cinema cameras.

Duvall was a huge star, taking a break from big Hollywood productions to make the movie he wanted to make. Tom Hagen from The Godfather, Lieutenant Kilgore from Apocalypse Now, stood in the dugout at Hampden Park as Owen Coyle, Ally McCoist, Derek Ferguson, Didier Agathe, Kenny Black and other players clashed on the pitch as various scenarios played out.

Hollywood actor Robert Duvall, who starred in The Godfather, has died aged 95. He is pictured in 2019. | Getty Images for Tribeca Film Fe

placeholder image — Hollywood actor Robert Duvall, who starred in The Godfather, has died aged 95. He is pictured in 2019. | Getty Images for Tribeca Film Fe

The boundary between film and reality blurred further when Duvall appeared with McCoist on BBC coverage of the actual Scottish Cup Final. Viewers watched the Hollywood star discussing Scottish football live from Hampden, where he had been directing fictional players days earlier. It was, as one Glasgow columnist wrote at the time, “perhaps the only occasion when method acting has extended to national television punditry”.

The film itself failed to have much of an impact and is rarely mentioned among the pantheon of classic Scottish films. It’s not without its merits, however, particularly the story written by Denis O’Neill, who had written The River Wild for Meryl Streep.

Gordon McLeod, played by Robert Duvall, is the veteran manager of Kilnockie FC, a small, traditional Scottish club sliding toward obscurity. McLeod values loyalty, local identity and collective effort over star power.

Financial crisis forces Kilnockie’s directors to sell the club to an American businessman, Peter Cameron, played by Michael Keaton, who wants to commercialise it. Cameron imposes changes McLeod resents, including signing an American-trained goalkeeper, Kelsey O’Brian, played by a young Cole Hauser, and pushing a more entertainment-driven vision of the sport.

Meanwhile, Kilnockie’s veteran star striker Jackie McQuillan (Ally McCoist) struggles to keep the team performing. When Kilnockie embark on a surprising run in the Scottish Cup, McLeod’s traditional, team-first ethos begins to gel with Cameron’s investment. The cup journey reunites McLeod with former players and rekindles belief among fans.

Kilnockie reach the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park, playing against Rangers. McQuillan, thought past his best, is called upon in a decisive moment, securing Kilnockie an improbable victory and restoring pride to the club.

Alongside the climactic end to the film at Hampden, filming also took place in Dumbarton, Crail, Dumfries and St Andrews.

Throughout his time visiting clubs and filming locations, Duvall was an enthusiastic addition to the Scottish football firmament. While promoting the film he said: "I've been to Ibrox and Celtic Park and other grounds in Scotland and, of course, I took in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park. I was at last year's big game between Rangers and Hearts as well. It's been great seeing all the matches and meeting all the different people who have been really helpful.”

He also paid tribute to the his costar: “Ally's a great guy. I knew he would be good for us the first time I met him. I wanted him immediately."

Duvall struck up a friendship with football manager John McVeigh and became an admirer of Jinky Johnstone: “John is a tremendous character and a great motivator with enormous enthusiasm. I like him a lot. Then there's Jimmy Johnstone. I watched him on video a few times and it was amazing. But, when I met him I had to ask him to talk a bit slower because I couldn't understand a word. I named my Scottie dog Jinky after him though."