Scotland supporters who travelled fruitlessly to Estonia for the "phantom" World Cup qualifier 18 months ago are to be rewarded with tickets for all three of the team's first-phase matches in the finals.

In October 1996 the Estonians, claiming that there was no time to alter their arrangements, failed to appear for the game in Tallinn when FIFA switched the kick-off from evening to afternoon.

The Scots were obliged to kick off against no opposition before the referee signalled the end of the bizarre proceedings and travelling supporters aptly chanted: "One team in Tallinn, there's only one team in Tallinn".

The match was replayed in Monaco in February of last year, yielding a scoreless draw, but some of those Scottish supporters in Estonia have since pursued legal cases against the world governing body for reimbursement of expenses. Now the Scottish FA have guaranteed them tickets for the games against Brazil - which is like a pools win - Norway and Morocco.

Scotland's friendly against Finland at Easter Road next week is the last chance for fringe players anxious for a place in the World Cup squad.

The only two preparatory matches remaining after Wednesday are against Colombia in New Jersey and the United States in Washington, both next month, and the national team manager Craig Brown will take his group for France on that trip.

Brown, who named a 23-man pool for Finland yesterday, is concerned over two areas of the team he would want to face Brazil in the World Cup opener in Paris on June 10th. The first is a replacement for the injured Gary McAllister in midfield and the other is in attack, where only Blackburn's Kevin Gallacher and Rangers' Gordon Durie are certainties.

The Finland match should offer more opportunity than last month's game against Denmark to strikers such as Scott Booth of Borussia Dortmund, Eoin Jess of Aberdeen and Celtic's Simon Donnelly.

Ally McCoist, the born-again Rangers veteran, is in the B squad for the game against Norway at Tynecastle on Tuesday, as is Dundee's goalkeeper Robert Douglas and Dunfermline's unheralded striker Andy Smith, the Scottish Premier Division's leading scorer with 25 goals.

Scotland (squad to face Finland at Easter Road on April 22nd): A Goram (Rangers), J Leighton (Aberdeen), N Sullivan (Wimbledon); T Boyd (Celtic), C Calderwood (Tottenham), C Dailly (Derby), M Elliott (Leicester), C Hendry (Blackburn), D Weir (Hearts), D Whyte (Aberdeen), C Burley (Celtic), J Collins (Monaco), S Donnelly (Celtic), S Gemmill (Nottingham Forest), E Jess (Aberdeen), P Lambert (Celtic), S McCall (Rangers), B McKinlay (Blackburn), J McNamara (Celtic), S Booth (Borussia Dortmund), G Durie (Rangers), K Gallacher (Blackburn), D Jackson (Celtic).