England under Don Revie reached a high point on this day.

Don Revie succeeded Sir Alf Ramsey as England’s full-time manager in 1974 but he and his team were to miss out on qualifying for the European Championship Finals in Yugoslavia and ultimately, following the ex-Leeds boss’s controversial departure, for the World Cup finals in Argentina.

Arguably the high point of his 29-match reign was a 5-1 thumping of the Scots at Wembley on this day in 1975.

On a grey, lifeless Saturday afternoon a 98,000 crowd saw England quickly into their stride. They were ahead in five minutes, Gerry Francis playing a one-two with Mick Channon and letting fly with a 25-yarder that sped past Scottish ‘keeper Kennedy.

Two minutes later it was 2-0 as Kevin Beattie roared in to head home from Kevin Keegan’s cross to the far post. The visitors were visibly shaken.

England, full of confidence, played some great football. Francis, Colin Bell and skipper Alan Ball ran the show in midfield and it was the outstanding Francis who set up Bell for a rising shot that made it 3-0 five minutes before the break.

But before the half-time whistle was blown Bruce Rioch had scored with a penalty, after Colin Todd’s handball, to give Scotland a glimmer of hope.

The Scots were much improved in the second period, McQueen and McGrain tightening up the defence considerably, but there was another England goal to cheer midway through the half.

Ball put a free-kick between Bell’s legs and Francis beat Kennedy with another long-range effort. Then David Johnson completed the scoring in a scramble after Keegan had hit the bar.

It was the last match of Revie’s first season, one in which England had remained unbeaten and kept six clean sheets.