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.'
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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.
