Scotland's World Cup draw should add to new sense of hope about football – Scotsman comment

From 1974 to 1998, Scotland qualified for every World Cup bar one. Over three wonderful decades, the Tartan Army watched their heroes pit their skills against the best teams on the planet.

Scotland's Ryan Christie scores against Serbia as Scotland qualify for the delayed Euro 2020 tournament (Picture: Novak Djurovic/PA Wire)

Admittedly, things did not go quite as well as hoped, particularly in 1978, when we really did have a team that could have won the tournament.

But there were moments of greatness: Archie Gemmell’s goal against losing finalists the Netherlands in ’78, Gordon Strachan scoring against losing finalists West Germany in 1986, and John Collins scoring a penalty to put Scotland level with the defending World Cup holders Brazil in the opening game of the ’98 tournament.

In the long wilderness years for Scottish men’s football since then, when children have been born and come of age, we have missed such moments even if they all ended in the infamous ‘glorious failure’.

But qualification for the Euros next year shows that we have a team worthy of competing on the international stage. Steve Clarke has solidified the defence, our midfield is blessed with creative flair and considerable endeavour, and we have strikers who can score goals. And that’s not to mention our new-found prowess at penalty shoot-outs.

Standing in the way of Scotland on the road to Qatar 2022 are Denmark, Austria, Israel, Faroe Islands and Moldova.

Scotland should have no fear. We should, in fact, set our sights on winning the group. We should also remember Peru, Iran, Costa Rica and all the other supposed ‘minnows’ we underestimated to our cost in World Cups past, but it is so good to be talking about Scottish football again with hope in our hearts.

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