TartanTon

. Ditto First time i have ever went to Wembley and had no expectations of doing anything at all. I also left after the 3rd goal and primarily so i wouldn't need to listen to the ones who would back us if it was Malta 3-0 up. I was however raging but only for a very short time. (still went back to the digs as i was in no mood to 'drown the sorrows' as some like to call it) In the wider context of replies on this thread the SFA seems to exist only to attempt to make money and seem to think they are a club and we are their fans to get money from any way possible. Long gone are the days of the STC, we are now just seen as cash cows and they have paid little attention in trying to reverse our fortunes..yes, they have put funds into grass roots but many involved in youth football state very clearly that this system is both abused and used by mainly people from certain walks of life to the exclusion of others. Thats the way Rugby works in much of Scotland and its a significant reason for Rugby's failure because they restrict their talent pool. If football is indeed going down this road, and i have no reason to doubt the ones telling me this as they give up their free time to take kids football, then instead of getting better we will if its at all possible get worse. This is our money being squandered and the finger of blame can only be pointed in one direction for that. As for the manager he has shown his stubbornness doesn't help but we can't blame him for 20 years of failure but he should have walked by now simply on the tactics he employs, which are utterly baffling most of the time. Other nations have shown us if you have proper organisation you can get results. These other nations really do mute any excuses Strachan can give. We were not unlucky, We got what we deserved. We are yet again at a crossroads and thus far we have taken the wrong turn at these regular crossroads and it was alarming to hear that a London consultancy firm are apparently the ones who would be involved in finding a new gaffer of Strachan leaves. We need football people in charge of our game. Now

I'll humour you. Yes i can hear it, would you rather i stick my fingers in my ears and loudly go lalalala? Its not designed to show anyone anything its my personal reaction to that particular anthem. Try it, it might be more satisfying than the ones screaming about it.

even though we were in the city from early doors we avoided Trafalgar all day until just before we were to get the tube. (we were holed up in a pub) By the time we passed through which was around 5 the place was a mess and there were some right nuggets making a nuisance of themselves. Time this so called 'tradition' ended i'm afraid. (and i'm no party pooper as i like a decent swally and sing song myself but if we can't behave then its time to call that particular event a day). It wasn't just one or two as alluded to, it was dozens, scores, standing pissing in full view of passing tourists etc while those showing a more respectful side went to find a toilet somewhere. The London Standard rightful roasted us for the antics, the same paper that praised us last time.

We have a duty to get behind the team, correct, but we also have the right to express our feelings should the team (or more precisely the manager) gets it wrong again. By your analogy even if we are 5-0 down we are to get behind the boys. Sorry, but i will support any Scotland team to the hilt if they put the effort in, if they don't then i'll express my disappointment, but its more likely if we get stuffed it'll be down to tactics first and foremost and that lies with the manager and again, as fans we have a right to express our feelings. No, fans should not be giving pelters after 10 mins but the eejit next to me told me to shut it when i howled my derision after 75 mins. He got told to haud his wheesht. I'm going down there as i have always went down there and thats to give the team vocal encouragement and hope we can do it....its then up to them if they put in the effort that deserves our support tbh. I've never went to Wembley anything other than hopeful in my life.

I'll respect GSTQ by turning my back on it and remaining silent.

Well, happily i can say i wasn't one of them. I'm sure the poor souls i have been going to games with for decades will vouch for my non happy clapping nature., Usually if away i head straight to the hotel if we have been pumped as the last thing appealing to me is a night out.

I wasn't singing and dancing at FT. I was slumped in my seat deflated after watching us play them off the park but just not quite good enough. Tbf, all the damage was done at Hampden when Scotland simply never turned up.

I'm just shocked at the apathy toward this man throughout our misery. Calamity after calamity and yet he seems like Teflon. If we get horsed he needs to join Strachan out the door, indeed, if we win imo he should still be exiting the SFA for being useless at his job. .

Ours is shit Paddy...although still better than theirs (or is that 'ours' when you are at work. )

just keep in mind after we are all done showing respect for the war dead we will each have a shot at singing anthems about crushing, fighting and dying to one another. Oh the irony

scrubs

I got an e-mail with a link on the 13th from the SFA. Likely random selection poll. Doubt they will appreciate my answers though.

for the past 4 years, and even though at times its utterly dejected me, i have hardly attended a home game. I will not be fleeced by the corporate nature of the SFA and refuse to be party to the expectations we will turn up no matter what. I used to be that gullible, not anymore. My biggest problem is my son is now of an age he wants to go, but after the Lithuania game i think he is changing his mind. (maybe not such a bad first game for him to attend after all) The SFA will get as little from me as i can possible hand over (including any and all merchandise). We are financing their appalling attitude toward us and even more sickening they play on that loyalty without even a hint of irony. I still want to know what Regan has on people to remain in a post after failure upon failure and not just on the park either. It stinks.

he has flipped and backtracked so many times he seems to forget what he has said before. but then again, what would us pleb fans know, we've just to pay our money and have no opinion. He will hear our opinion at Wembley just as he heard it at Hampden and in Slovakia. Time the happy clappers were drowned out (not that many are left who will admit they played their part after the self congratulating failure that kept Strachan in his job). IF we somehow manage to do something at Wembley he cannot be allowed to remain, that game should not be a game to save his skin. His comments, selections etc are utterly baffling. Him and McGhee continually talking up the opposition as well is doing my nut right in. Talk up OUR players FFS instead of telling them they are not good enough because they are not big enough, or the cherry, 'you have to be playing for your club side'. aye, ok then Gord, you stuck to that principle well.

Can we drop shouty George Bowie into the Amazon jungle. When he is eaten alive the jingle will be perfect. Bits n Pieces of Bowie. We have to put up with the tube claiming to be a Morton fan, so we get it twice. I assume everyone got the 'tell us about your Hampden experience' pash, if we are going down the route of hiding our shortcomings by trying to think of ways to 'entertain' the fans besides actually playing some fitba just lock the gates now.

I'm wearing a Russian hat and drinking vodka, the English hoolies will run like ****.

£35 tickets come with a welders mask., That'll do me.

aye, as usual. just how can they do hee haw right. do they think people have 90 mins to sit at computer. bet it crashes at 89 minutes

Back to booing. I booed. and booed loudly and i will do so again and no amount of happy clappers did or will stop me.. I wasn't booing the players but rather the ineptitude and bizarre tactics of our 'gaffer'. A man so far up his own bahookey us plebs should keep our mouths shut according to him. (and it seems some of those happy clapping fans think others have no right to express how they feel) The first half was one of one of the worst ever performances i've seen in my near 40 years going, the second half not far behind. The players lacked belief, direction and confidence. Thats the managers and coaches jobs, but is it little wonder when pre match the opposition is talked up rather than talking up our own abilities. If we somehow qualify it will be in despite of the manager. Maybe if we demanded improvements rather than this acceptance of 'being s***' we will one day start to compete again. Tonight for me is Strachans last chance. He should have went after the last abject failure but was 'persuaded' by a small chunk of our fans who lauded the failure like they were hero's. As for the club involvement (booing a player because he happens to play for a rival) are the actions of the seriously stupid.

I shall do as i always do. Turn my back when its played. As my old grandfather used to remind me. 'i never fought for King and country, i fought for my family back home' so for me turning my back is showing no disrespect to remembrance day but is showing disrespect to the blue blood's who are wrapped in posh cotton wool.

I like this thread, even if the SFA will ignore every threat. I have over the past 3 years boycotted several home games on a point of principle over the ticket prices. I still attended away games. When i wrote to them to advise the reply i got was nothiong short of a slap in the face. They really did not care either way. This is corporate greed in action, ignore loyalty for the short term financial gain. Did it hurt? Yes it hurt, Been attending home and away like most of us on here and for 30+ years but i'd personally had enough of the attitude since Regan appeared on the scene. he see's us as a cash cow, there are no two ways about this and we don't help ourself that many do not make a stand of any sort. We don't need to boycott games though or even membeship renewals, we could simply push to convince as many as possible that if we stop buying merchandise the regime will change as the companies trying to milk us would be screaming foul if the promised revenue dried up. It really is up to us, they can have their £50 for little return but they get nothing else. Lets see how Adidas etc would react if we stopped buying tops for example. We can change the SFA, in fact, only we can change the SFA.

Can someone tell me why we should never boo failure? When i was a lad the song of choice when your domestic team was playing bad was 'what a load of rubbish'. accompanied with lots of booing. It had the desired effect at times. I'm not advocating being nasty or personal but as a collective its my opinion that goruip of players and management structure did not deserve a standing ovation from some or any sort of plaudits (no matter how many it was in reality, the media have made out it was everyone and it was a lovely big group cuddle) We are the only nation that i know of who accepts failure in the manner we do. We don't need witch hunts but you can see from this thread the public perception is not whats always on the ground and many of us are sick to the pits of our stomachs of this merry-go-round. Just for once i'd like us to publicly show some 'gallus' and dare i say it, arrogance. These are the countries who qualify. Those who have the mindset of 'we tried our best' will forever fail. Strachan is taking us in the right direction, but we should be demanding more, From him, the players and the very usless incumbents of the SFA (who have completely failed football in Scotland for generations but never accept any blame for their part)

He is spot on. Been saying as much for long enough. By my own admittance i am not a good loser and i cannot stand for the happy clapping either (and i leave before that starts at any game we are duffed at, at the end of the game i may add). I am not saying deride individual players or bay for blood but football players need to know when fans are utterly despondent. As teecee states, a standing ovation and 'lap of honour' is a why? and very much an 'oh dear' spectacle and not a little cringeworthy. Maybe its because i am old enough to have been lucky enough to see us in finals or maybe its because i looked at other teams and seen that we should be fearing no one. There was nothing 'heroic' about our failure in my mind. For what its worth i want Gordon to stay, i want him to take us to a finals but i think we as fans need to take a look at ourselves in the part we play of forever forgiving and having the 'oh well, thats just us, next time maybe' attitude.

Changed her name to Frank.

Thursday morning early doors...and cannie wait.