All of this has bred a sense of fatalism among Scotland fans that somehow suits the melancholic national character. I stopped taking much of an interest in the team during all those barren years – my way of avoiding what seemed like the inevitable eventual feelings of anticlimax and disappointment. I became resigned to the thought that my country would not qualify for a tournament again in my lifetime – or possibly ever.
The truth is that the supply of outstanding Scottish players such as Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law, Danny McGrain, Graeme Souness, Billy Bremner, Jim Baxter, Johnstone, Hansen and many others dried up in the early years of the new century. And the emergence of the Premier League with its TV deal riches limited the opportunities available to Scots. Many of the places in the starting line-ups of England’s top clubs which they had traditionally taken were now occupied by expensive foreign imports.
This made the lost years doubly frustrating, given the way Scotland had failed to make the most of the world-class talent it had available in previous tournaments. A sense of squandered opportunities lingered.
I attended the last match Scotland played in the finals of the Euros, against Switzerland at Villa Park, Birmingham, in 1996. It was the third of three group games, and the Scots’ campaign up to then had been a characteristic letdown. They had only one point after playing the Netherlands and England.
Nevertheless, there was still a chance that a win would see them through on goal difference. I was surprised, given the circumstances and Scotland’s past record, by how well they played. The defence, well marshalled by Colin Hendry, looked solid and reliable, and a first-half goal by Ally McCoist was enough to secure a 1-0 win.
