A pint of beer cost 62p, ‘Billie Jean’ was No 1 and wearing a seatbelt became mandatory - the last time Scotland won at Twickenham
Scotland, captained by Gala’s Jim Aitken, won the match 22-12, with players from Borders clubs having a huge impact on the game. Tries from Jed-Forest scrum-half Roy Laidlaw and Gala lock Tom Smith put the visitors in the driving seat. Peter Dods, the Gala full-back, kicked three penalties and a conversion, while Melrose centre Keith Robertson landed a drop goal.
The home side countered with three penalties from the boot of Dusty Hare and a John Horton drop goal.
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Hide AdEngland, who had gone into the Championship as favourites, ended up with the wooden spoon.
The victory at Twickenham was Scotland’s only win of the 1983 Five Nations but it was the signal of better times ahead and the Scots would go on to land the Grand Slam a year later with much the same squad.
The rivals clash in Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations match and here we recall 12 facts and events from around the last time we toppled the Auld Enemy at their London stronghold.
* Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister.
* A pint of beer cost 62p.
* Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’ was top of the UK charts.
* Larry Holmes was WBC heavyweight champion.
* The average UK property price was £23,335.
* Sega and Nintendo released their first video game systems.
* ‘Gandhi’ swept the board at the Oscars.
* British police series ‘The Bill’ aired for the first time.
* A loaf of bread cost 28p.
* ‘Octopussy’, the 13th James Bond film, was released in cinemas.
* The Brink’s-Mat robbery was staged at Heathrow.
* Wearing a seatbelt became mandatory for UK drivers.
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