The Scottish Football Association have today refuted claims that Bradford City hero Stuart McCall was axed from the World Cup finals because of fears he would use it as an excuse for partying.

Along with former Rangers team-mate Ally McCoist, McCall was the shock exclusion from Brown's squad of 22 due to the Bantams star being the only player to appear in all of Scotland's last three major finals - Italia '90, Euro 92 and Euro 96.

According to reports in a Scottish newspaper, McCall claims in his forthcoming autobiography 'The Real McCall' that manager Craig Brown had told the midfielder he would not be going to France due to concerns about the pair partying if they were not in the starting line-up.

The book is being serialised in Scotland with the City player saying he was told the reason behind his omission after meeting up with Brown during an after-dinner speaking engagement.

McCall is away on holiday at the moment but his solicitor Stephen Lownsbrough, of Nelson & Co, Leeds, has confirmed that the accusations have been taken from his autobiography.

However a spokesman for the Scottish Football Association spokesman has refuted McCall's claims.

Speaking from the squad's World Cup base in France, he told the Telegraph & Argus: "The squad was chosen on football reasons only and the whole squad are concentrating on the World Cup and that alone. Craig Brown has said all he wants to on who has been chosen."

In the serialised account, McCall said that he had told the Scottish boss that he wasn't nave to think he would play in the opening match with Brazil, but said he wouldn't be like an old pro going along for the ride with a bad attitude.

However the former Rangers ace was stunned with the reply. McCall reports Brown as saying that he feared that if McCoist and McCall were not selected then they may treat the trip like a party.

The Bantams star, who signed last week with the most lucrative contract in the club's history, said that although Brown only mentioned the word 'party' and not the word 'drink', he believes the Scottish manager was referring to a couple of incidents.

In his autobiography, McCall says the Rangers contingent had a drinks session on the flight to America before Euro 96 after winning the Scottish Cup while the squad also drowned their sorrows after the defeat by England at Wembley a couple of weeks later.

The upset midfielder added that he hoped the decision could have been made for football reasons only.

He has made 40 appearances for Scotland and scored in the famous 2-1 victory over Sweden in the World Cup finals in 1990.

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