We have a dream

“The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft agley. An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, For promis’d joy!”

So said the legendary Robert Burns, a sentiment echoed by a generation of Scotland fans who have never witnessed their national team reach a major tournament.

What impact shall this have on their young psyches, that they see their nation fail time and time again? We once were the nation of Kenny Dalglish and Denis Law, a powerhouse punching well above our weight. To quote Trainspotting, “Where did it all go wrong”.

It is almost beyond belief for my peers and I that we were once a country who truly believed we would “really shake them up when we win the world cup”, as Andy Cameron put so passionately before the 1978 tournament hosted in Argentina. A chant that was once belted across the Hampden terraces with genuine belief and excitement has now succumbed to nothing more than a song of folklore from a mythical battlefield, sung with tongue firmly placed in cheek as we sit in the pub cheering on whatever team England are playing against, in whatever tournament it is that we’ve not qualified for.

Long gone are the days in which our manager would speak with such confidence that he would clear a place in his wardrobe for the World Cup Winner’s medal, as Ally Macleod did in ’78. A team travelling to the world cup like royalty, as they received an open bus parade to Prestwick airport. With King Kenny leading the lines of a star-filled squad which spanned across the UK’s biggest clubs, including European cup winners John Robertson and Archie Gemmill, Graeme Souness of Liverpool and Lou Macari of Manchester United. Scotland were not hoping for a respectable showing in the group stages of the World cup, they were expecting to bring the trophy back. Just three games later and Ally’s army were on the march back home via Córdoba Airport. As the nation got one of its first tastes of bitter disappointment that we are now all too familiar with, it marked the first and last time our country could collectively believe in such an achievement. However, Scotland still reached the group stages of 6 more international tournaments following the heartbreak in Argentina. There was pride among the public regarding the national team as we continuously competed with the best in the world.

Archie Gemill celebrates Vs Netherlands in the 1978 World cup, after scoring what many consider the greatest goal in the tournament

Here we are now, two decades, two recessions, one pandemic, five Olympic games, and one Ryan Porteous later and Scotland have yet to reach another major tournament since the World Cup in France 1998. There is a definite possibility for this to have a hidden effect on Scotland’s youth. A generation watching their country give embarrassing and uninspiring performances for years is a generation uninspired. In this day and age, there are countless alternatives for kids to do in their spare time other than going out and playing football, especially with councils taking down the goals of local parks during the summer and sport centres charging extortionate hourly rates for football pitches – however that is a completely separate issue. It is so easy to just sit on your Xbox as a kid and have a great time with your friends. Watching World cups and European Championships are where many found their passion for the sport, is there a case to be made for young Scottish people not truly uncovering their passion due to decades of lacklustre performances and lack of motivation from the national team?

I spoke to Greenock-born John McKenzie, who boasts over 14,000 followers on Twitter (@JohnMcKenzie88) on the topic, he had this to say:  

“Speaking from a personal point of view, I think Chicago Town pizzas and general lack of ability were always going to stop me becoming a footballer regardless. But there’s definitely a case to be made in terms of mentality. I mind when Andy Murray won Wimbledon, Tennis clubs and courts across Scotland were meant to be seeing record numbers of kids going out and picking up a racket. Football is our national sport, so kids are always gonna go out and play it. But seeing Scotland playing in the summer at major finals could be the sort of thing that doesn’t just make them go out and play, but believe.”

After growing up with a national side that has given me little other than false hope, despair, and sorrow – with small bouts of euphoria, for example coming back from 2-0 down against World Champions Spain to make it 2-2 (Until Spain scored the winner late in the game), Leigh Griffiths’ unforgettable double free-kick in the last minutes of the game to put us 2-1 up against the Auld enemy at Hampden (until Harry Kane equalised in the fourth minute of injury time), and a 97th minute winner from Stephen McManus to put us 2-1 up against Liechtenstein – I am wary of getting too excited at being 90 minutes from a major tournament. However, the prospect of Scotland qualifying for a major tournament and the impact such a thing could have on our country is impossible not to get excited for.

Harry Kane wheels away in celebration as he equalises late into injury time Vs Scotland, June 2017

McKenzie had this to say regarding the fixture on Thursday,

 “I was born in ’97 so obviously I don’t remember France ’98. My first experience of a national buzz around the Scotland team was the qualifying campaign for the Euros in 2008, and in particular the week leading up to that Italy game. It was something unlike I’d ever experienced. Even my Maw was looking forward to it and she doesn’t give a toss. We didn’t get the result, but I didn’t anticipate it would be another 13 years before we’d be in a similar situation.

Now I’m 23 and have seen all the glorious failures Scotland have conjured up over the last decade and a bit and it finally feels like it’s time to end the wait. There’s a buzz just now among my group of pals for this game and I’m sure that’s similar to most groups of a similar demographic. If Scotland do it on Thursday night, it’ll be a moment that will feel like it’s been coming our whole lives. People will immediately start to look forward in excitement, and in a year that’s been filled with so much dread it could be exactly what we need.”

Steve Clarke’s men are on an impressive four match unbeaten run, including an even more impressive stat of winning their last three games with only two shots on target, guaranteeing a thrilling game for neutrals as well as the fans come Thursday. With a couple Serbians out for the fixture due to Coronavirus regulations, a playing style that the players believe in, and God-willing a heap of good luck, it doesn’t seem too impossible for Scotland to manage a result against a strong Serbian side and make history on Thursday night.