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Scotland Qualify: Bottle This Moment!

Date: 12th November 2020

Earlier this week, I asked our men’s national team to become heroes and make their own history.

Tonight after a gruelling topsy turvy one hundred and twenty minutes in Belgrade, Scotland have now qualified for their first international tournament since 1998. 

In that time very good players like Barry Ferguson, Darren Fletcher, James McFadden and Scott Brown didn’t manage to represent the Tartan Army at a finals. 

There’s a whole generation that have never seen Scotland take on the best at a Euros or at a World Cup. My nephew is twenty-one years old and he’s never seen it. That gap has created apathy amongst some of our support. They’ve witness failure after failure and start to think club football is the be all and end all. 

Yet in Serbia as our wonderful goalkeeper David Marshall saved Aleksandar Mitrovic’s penalty; as a nation we cheered, screamed and cried for joy. Our kids, teenagers and young adults in that moment of euphoric energy finally have that feeling of what it’s like to support Scotland at our best. There’s no better feeling than watching your own nation seeing out a game and getting to a major tournament. 

I remember Italia 90, Euro 92, Euro 96 and France 98. I now know how privileged I was. Every time I watched us there, I was always super excited and proud to watch our lads battling for us on foreign soil. 

There is absolutely no party like a Tartan Army party at a Euros or at a World Cup. 

I am delighted for the players who, like us supporters, were dancing and crying in jubilation at their triumph. I thank our manager Steve Clarke for all the great work that he has done bringing back the self belief and getting us to that promised land once again. 

It wasn’t an easy going affair, it never is when it’s Scotland.

We played so well for eighty nine minutes and then we switched off in the dying moments and we conceded an equaliser in the final seconds. We were then we were out on our feet as Serbia looked the better team in extra time.

But we once again won on penalties, England what’s all the fuss about? 

I really hope that 2021 is a better year for the football fan and that the Tartan Army can watch the boys live,  whether that be at Hampden and at Wembley or in Russia I don’t really care just now as long as we can get into the stadium. 

For the younger generation, enjoy this moment. As you know this doesn’t happen all that often. This is your moment to enjoy being Scottish and being part of best party that you’ll ever experience in your life!  

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