Country coming together to support Scotland again

[Duncan Blackheart]

I remember not bothering to go to Paris to watch us play Brazil because I had an exam on the Monday. Same story with the other two games - it would come round again. We qualified for everything, right?

23 years of mostly pish later and I have seen the national team become a bit (more) of a joke. Somewhere many players didn’t really want to be, but they picked up money and it was better to go through the motions and not get injured rather than deal with the shit you’d get if you didn’t play.

However, a major plus of all this Euros stuff is seeing people, particularly people who were the age I was in ‘98 pick up the love of the team again and genuinely get it. I hope they come back for more. Yes, nowadays a lot of people see it more as part of the general entertainment industry, but because of the football I’ve been in touch with family and friends I haven’t heard from outside of weddings and funerals on this social media thing that was invented in the last 23 years. That’s been great. At least until I remember why we don’t speak in the first place!

I also hope that those new to the joy of the national team and the footballers are more accepting now that passion is paramount but isn’t enough alone. We saw the Croats today give their all, just in a more skilful, disciplined and possibly  diligent way. Good luck to them. But that’s what we can be if we get it right throughout the system.

Anyway, too much Arran sherry cask and I’m sure someone’s made whatever point I wanted to make on a different thread without conflating punters and players, and without havering pish. It was just great to go through it all again. 
 

Alba gu boogie. Alba gu brath.