Steve Clarke repeatedly said the team would get to this point, but there was a wall of reinforced cynicism he needed to break through first.Įarly in his reign the crowds fell and fell and fell, from 32,432 for the Russia game in September 2019, to 25,524 for Belgium a few days later, to 20,699 for San Marino a month after, to 19,515 for Kazakhstan almost two years ago to the day.įrom there to here. 'Hampden alive with noise, colour and happy chaos' The biggest battles are yet to come in March next year, but the fans should bask in this for a little while.
Scotland's best performances - where did Monday rate? In the wake of a Georgia or a Faroes or a Kazakhstan we've all played the dreary game of drawing up a list of Scotland's worst-ever performances. Nobody but nobody thought that Scotland would do it with such ease. Rarefied air.ĭenmark were missing some of their main men on Monday, but they still had to be put away. Right now, there's Portugal and then, on goal difference alone, there's Scotland. They rank ahead of Italy, Russia, Sweden and Poland. Scotland will have a home semi-final in the World Cup play-offs. What stands between Scotland and World Cup?.'Euros was catalyst for Scotland's run'.Scots stun Danes to secure home semi-final.Six competitive wins in a row for the first time since 1930.
Would they ever get to know the mad beauty of following Scotland on a roll? They'd heard about it, but they'd never felt it. Through the failures, the younger ones must have wondered if they'd ever get to experience what the previous generations experienced.
Through the dog days, the older ones must have thought the feelgood had gone forever.