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Daily Record
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
The one time Eurovision came to Scotland and ended with police on the scene
As the major song competition approaches, lets take a look back to the chaotic night Edinburgh hosted the contest in the seventies. As preparations ramp up for another Eurovision Song Contest, attention turns back to a particularly memorable and somewhat chaotic night when Edinburgh stepped onto the European stage to host the competition back in the seventies. Following Monaco's victory in 1971, the UK capital found itself hosting the event after the winning nation was unable to find a suitable venue. This was a period when Britain genuinely had strong prospects of winning the contest, having previously hosted just four years prior after Sandie Shaw's triumph with Puppet on a String which earned 47 points, Edinburgh Live reported. In 1972, with the contest coming to Scotland for the first and only time, Britain was considered a firm favourite. The UK's selected performers, The New Seekers, were set to perform their entry, Beg, Steal or Borrow. The song was already popular, with 250,000 copies of the single sold before the final. On the eve of the event, bookmakers offered top odds of 7 to 2 for a British victory. Hosted by the elegant Moira Shearer, a former ballerina and film actress, the competition unfolded at the Usher Hall featuring all 18 participating countries. Other UK cities that have hosted include Brighton, Harrogate, Birmingham, and London. In a surprising twist, the UK entry failed to secure the top position. Scooping up two crucial votes of 10 points, one from the UK and one from Yugoslavia, Luxembourg ultimately beat Britain out by a margin of 14 points. Despite coming second on the night, The New Seekers went on to achieve considerable success, landing two UK number one singles, both ranking among the top 30 best selling singles of the 1970s. Luxembourg's winning performer, Vicky Leandros, admitted her surprise, telling the Daily Mirror: 'I was very surprised when I won. To be honest, I expected Britain to win.' Adding typical Eurovision dramatics, the event was brought to an early end following a series of minor alarms and one arrest. Before the contest went live on air, audiences were startled by a man shouting towards the stage. An article published in the Aberdeen Press and Journal at the time described the situation, reporting: 'He was apparently complaining that pupils from an Edinburgh school had been unable to obtain tickets. But he resumed his seat and the event began." Later in the evening, the audience were again surprised by small crackling detonations seeming to come from the floor. Officials recovered 'small percussive pellets' from the area. An Edinburgh police spokesman confirmed the events, stating: 'Following the scattering of a noxious substance upon the floor, a man has been arrested and is set to appear in court.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Perhaps the moments depicted in films like Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga are not entirely without historical precedent after all. Despite the unexpected disruptions, the contest was a major global television event. Thought to have brought in audiences of 400 million, it was watched by viewers around the world, including from as far afield as Brazil. A review of the 1972 event published by the Stage said: 'The Eurovision Song Contest is the best example in television of the massive oversell. But credit where credit is due, and let me say at the outset that of all the Eurovision Song Contests I have sat through this was, in strict television terms, by far the best.' Watch the full contest below.
Edinburgh Live
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Remembering the frenzied night Edinburgh hosted Eurovision which saw police called
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info As we prepare for another Eurovision Song Contest, we're looking back on a chaotic night when Edinburgh hosted back in the '70s. After the 1971 contest winners, Monaco, couldn't find a suitable venue - the UK stepped in and held it here in the capital. This was back at a time when we actually had a shot at winning. Eurovision had come to the UK only four years before this, with Sandie Shaw taking in 47 point for Puppet on a String. But 1972 was Scotland's time to shine, and Britain was a firm favourite. The selected performers for the UK, the New Seekers, were set to perform Beg, Steal or Borrow. Prior to the final, 250,000 copies of the single had already been sold. The night before, bookies were offering top odds of 7 to 2 for Britain. Hosted by Moira Shearer, a former ballerina and film actress, the event saw all 18 participating countries perform at the Usher Hall. Despite what Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams may have you believe, this is the one and only time that the singing competition has come to Scotland. It has been hosted in Brighton, Harrogate and Birmingham as well as London. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox In a shock twist, the UK's entry failed to reach the top spot. After voting from the jurors, it became clear that Luxembourg was likely to win. Scooping up two votes of 10 points - one from the UK and one from Yugoslavia, Luxembourg beat us out by 14 points. The New Seekers, after coming second in the competition, went on to have two UK number one singles - both listed in the top 30 best selling singles for the 1970s. Luxembourg's winning performer, Vicky Leandros, was as shocked as anyone after her win. She told the Daily Mirror: 'I was very surprised when I won. To be honest, I expected Britain to win.' In the typical dramatics of Eurovision, the event came to an early end after a series of minor alarms and one arrest. Before the contest went on air, audiences were shocked by a man shouting towards the stage. An article published in the Aberdeen Press and Journal described the situation: 'He was apparently complaining that pupils from an Edinburgh school had been unable to obtain tickets. But he resumed his seat and the event began." Later on in the evening, the audience was once again surprised by small crackling detonations that seemed to come from the floor. Officials recovered from the floor 'small percussive pellets.' An Edinburgh police spokesman said: 'Following the scattering of a noxious substance upon the floor, a man has been arrested and is set to appear in court.' Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Perhaps the dramatics of Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga aren't all that outlandish. Thought to have brought in audiences of 400 million, the contest was watched around the world - with viewers from as far as Brazil. A review of the 1972 event published by the Stage reads: 'The Eurovision Song Contest is the best example in television of the massive oversell. But credit where credit is due, and let me say at the outset that of all the Eurovision Song Contests I have sat through this was, in strict television terms, by far the best.' Watch the full contest below. This article was first published on March 23, 2022.
