Hello and welcome to this episode of the Witness History Podcast from the BBC World

Service with me, Matt Pintas.

Today I'm bringing you the story of one of the most bizarre matches in football history.

Scotland needed three points on the road to the 1998 World Cup, but a scheduling route

meant that their opponents Estonia were nowhere to be seen.

This is one team in Tallinn.

It's the 8th of October 1996 in the Estonian capital city of Tallinn.

Inside the cramped changing rooms at the tiny national Cádreau Stadium, Paul Lambert

and the rest of his Scotland teammates are eagerly awaiting to hear who'll start against

Estonia in the following days match.

For Paul, it's a massive moment.

It could be his debut.

When Craig, the manager, told me that I was going to start against Estonia, it was like,

OK, bring it on, because I was never phased by anything.

And it wasn't until later on that day that the kind of rumours started where they weren't

going to turn up, but at that point you never know, especially in the morning or afternoon,

you think, well, they've got to turn up, they've got to play, they can't turn up.

As the day goes on, the rumours of an O-Show are getting stronger and stronger.

Estonia aren't happy.

That much Paul and his teammates know, but as for the reason, it's anyone's guess.

There was many different rumours going around at that point where it was a financial thing

or where it was the time of the kickoff or where they didn't want to play in the stadium

...