GaryWood34 Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 What a year! Naturally as the nights draw in and you look outside and see the darkness you like to reminisce about the good times this year … and what a year it’s been for Scotland. Whats been your best moment? So many to pick from. For me personally it’s probably being in the stadium when the team bus arrived for Czech at home in the Euros. The Euro music on and the it dawning on me that history was hours away. But I struggle.. I was inside Wembley and that was the best I’ve ever felt at full time in terms of pride. There there was Mcgregors goal at Hampden (I didn’t celebrate I just stopped and watched the scenes). Israel at home.. Denmark at home. Austria away? Whats yours and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tartan blood Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 15 hours ago, GaryWood34 said: What a year! Naturally as the nights draw in and you look outside and see the darkness you like to reminisce about the good times this year … and what a year it’s been for Scotland. Whats been your best moment? So many to pick from. For me personally it’s probably being in the stadium when the team bus arrived for Czech at home in the Euros. The Euro music on and the it dawning on me that history was hours away. But I struggle.. I was inside Wembley and that was the best I’ve ever felt at full time in terms of pride. There there was Mcgregors goal at Hampden (I didn’t celebrate I just stopped and watched the scenes). Israel at home.. Denmark at home. Austria away? Whats yours and why? As you say, so many amazing moments, but the one that I think that will really stick with me was the Israel game. The last minute goal aside, it was honestly one of the most thrilling games of football I've ever seen. At the end of the day, football is entertainment, and that was the epitome of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 I'd maybe go for the England game. Lets remember we went into that game deflated after the Czech debacle facing early elimination if we lost. We were heading to Wembley to play an England side fancied by many to go far in the tournament who had their tails up. We flung young Billy into the side and we more than held our own and came close to pinching a famous win. It restored pride and earned us praise even from the English pundits watching and it kept us in the hunt to make it out of the group stage. It also showed us as a team that can go up against a top notch side and more than hold our own. It gave that final evidence of how far we have come over the last 12 to 18 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkm_vancouver Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 Austria game for me. The realisation that we can win away from home against a higher ranked side to me means real progress and much more of a likelihood we can expect to make the top tournament again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceudmilefailte Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 1 hour ago, Tartan blood said: As you say, so many amazing moments, but the one that I think that will really stick with me was the Israel game. The last minute goal aside, it was honestly one of the most thrilling games of football I've ever seen. At the end of the day, football is entertainment, and that was the epitome of it. Same with me, I always thought the Euro's was totally overhyped as an achievement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 Torn between the team walking out in the Czech game and the final whistle at Wembley. Playing in a major tournament was starting to feel like something we'd never do again so seeing it happen was an absolute joy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tartan blood Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 2 hours ago, ceudmilefailte said: Same with me, I always thought the Euro's was totally overhyped as an achievement. I don't think it was overhyped. It was our biggest achievement this millennium. However, in retrospect, I hope we are looking back at it decades from now as one of many tournaments we attended and see it as the marker of the beginning of our new golden generation. (I know, I know, but a laddie can dream) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weekevie04 Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 I've always liked Clarke as a person - no nonsense, and obviously well liked by the squad. After the Euros, at the start to qualifying I was starting to get a bit itchy feet about him though and more so, because we had seen it all before under Levin, Burley, Berti of making a pig's ear of a start to qualifying especially at home, and TBH, maybe 20 years of this, after that 2-2 with Austria at home and that draw in Israel, that it was going to be another long way off second battling it out with Israel for 3rd finish. Key moments 1. Winning in Austria - I went in to that thinking a draw would be a fairly decent result (considering Israel had beaten Austria) but to win, against a very good side (they pushed Italy all the way in the Euros) was a huge result. When did we beat a higher seed away in the last 5-10 years? 2. Getting over the line against Israel. We were rank in that first half, and just thought it was going to be another draw. We also shot ourselves in the foot by equalising and then Israel going ahead almost straight after it. But to win in the last minute and by a bit of a flukey goal too, was amazing. The sort of thing you see other teams do! Not us! And if we ever did that it was against Liechtenstein FFS. 3. That Denmark performance. Just magic. They had injuries, they had won the group, but they were going for a 100% record and not many smaller (population) sides have done that in qualifying, so they had a huge incentive. We were well up for it, and EVERY single player was superb. 4. Moldova away - wasn't pretty, and the closer it got to half-time I was fearing a draw, but we were the better team and a 2-0 win was deserved. We are on a roll, but we have a very tough game in March, but Ukraine are beatable. Have a feeling it'll go to ET. If, and that's a big IF, we get past them I am really undecided on who I would want to play Wales - they have done well of late, and well worthy of their second place finish as well. I think we are just the better side on paper, but it's a derby, and they often find a way of beating us. Losing there would be awful, but winning there would be simply AMAZING. Austria - we did well there. I refuse to believe they have become a poor side in the space of 3-4 months after the Euros. They'll be well up for it and so will their fans. We did it in Serbia, we could do it again ; but I reckon I'd roll the dice and take the game in Cardiff hopefully with 10k of Scotland fans sneaked in around the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotlad Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 There have been a few magic moments this year: beating Austria in Vienna and the whole 90 minutes against Denmark being two contenders. I think, though, big McTominay crashing in the winner against Israel just pips them. Seeing Scotland appear in a major finals was great as well, although, if I'm honest the fact that two games were at Hampden made it slightly underwhelming for me. They almost felt like a qualifying games rather than tournament games (although the outcomes felt very like tournament games where Scotland are concerned!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotlad Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 20 hours ago, weekevie04 said: We are on a roll, but we have a very tough game in March, but Ukraine are beatable. Have a feeling it'll go to ET. If, and that's a big IF, we get past them I am really undecided on who I would want to play Wales - they have done well of late, and well worthy of their second place finish as well. I think we are just the better side on paper, but it's a derby, and they often find a way of beating us. Losing there would be awful, but winning there would be simply AMAZING. Austria - we did well there. I refuse to believe they have become a poor side in the space of 3-4 months after the Euros. They'll be well up for it and so will their fans. We did it in Serbia, we could do it again ; but I reckon I'd roll the dice and take the game in Cardiff hopefully with 10k of Scotland fans sneaked in around the ground. I was thinking the same the other day. I wasn't very impressed by Ukraine during the Euros - I think they were lucky to get by Sweden and England beat them comfortably without getting out of second gear. But they've shown in the qualifiers that they are a very difficult team to beat. It wouldn't surprise me at all if our game went to ET. Most of Wales' best players are aging but even an aging Bale and Ramsey are superior to anyone we've faced in the qualifiers outwith Denmark. They are a well-organised team who can get results when they have to. However, they are beatable, and I actually think Austria are capable of doing just that. On paper the Austrians are a much better side than they showed in the qualifiers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romanticscot Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 This year has began and ended on a high. We started 2021 with the excitement of looking forward to the EURO's, which sadly for me seemed anti-climatic. I am going to stick to the premise and chose only one but my choices are - the EURO excitement, the six game unbeaten run, the win over Denmark securing a World Cup pay off - all great moments but for me I am going with the 3-2 win over Israel. It was for me, my favorite match even surpassing the penalty win over Serbia last year. It's a combination of seeing the fans in Hampden, the game was around my birthday, the entire drama of the game with a 94 minute winner - that was just pure magical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 McCoists "Aw nawh!" When he thought we were about to get a third against Denmark 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bzzzz Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 Got to agree with above, whilst it was great to be at the tournament there have been many better achievements on the pitch. Israel and Denmark at home were up there as far as atmosphere and performances go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggis_trap Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 Moment of the year? Surely Rahem Sterling asking to swap wings because he was getting no joy out of O'Donnell at Wembley 😅 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fringo Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 7 minutes ago, Haggis_trap said: Moment of the year? Surely Rahem Sterling asking to swap wings because he was getting no joy out of O'Donnell at Wembley 😅 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelonehutch Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 The Israel game was magic. It was great to a have a full house and it was bouncing. Brilliant drama, the game had everything. The fans stayed with the team for 90 minutes and the atmosphere was superb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccaughey85 Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 On 12/16/2021 at 6:19 PM, Haggis_trap said: Moment of the year? Surely Rahem Sterling asking to swap wings because he was getting no joy out of O'Donnell at Wembley 😅 Swap wings or swap teams? Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 14 hours ago, mccaughey85 said: Swap wings or swap teams? Lol Too late to switch onto the Olympic diving team surely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exile Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 It's a tough call, the late must-score winners against Israel and even Faroes were full of drama. I don't forget also the tension waiting for Lyndon Dykes' goal against Israel to be allowed had somethign about it too - remember we were behind at the time, we'd gone behind twice, and failed to score a penalty. It seems as if we were hanging by a thread - either it was going to be a hard luck story confirmed, or somehow a goal so deserved and the momentum with us to keep pushing for the winner. But maybe in tems of sheer enjoyment, Che Adams' goal against Denmark, having outplayed the top team in the group, and maybe against the run of the play striking on the break with a superbly worked goal knowing when it it the back of the net it must be the winner, and being able to ejoy the rest of the match, a rare joy in recent years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exile Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BraveheartGordon Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 (edited) McTominay winner against Israel. Felt like a moment that put decades of “glorious failure” in the bin and made our new thing to get the job done no matter what. I love this Scotland team and they made me believe in football again in 2021. Edited January 2, 2022 by BraveheartGordon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParisInAKilt Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 Feels like every game we won or came back to draw had great moments in the World Cup qualifying campaign. The wait for the Dykes goal away to the Faroes sticks out for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tartan blood Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 1 hour ago, BraveheartGordon said: McTominay winner against Israel. Felt like a moment that put decades of “glorious failure” in the bin and made our new thing to get the job done no matter what. I love this Scotland team and they made me believe in football again in 2021. Well said! I don't know if it's just me, but I'm totally disenchanted with the repetitive nature of club football. Although some fairytale stories do happen e.g Leicester, St Johnstone, it is so rare to see the non-elite winning anything. International football removes that element. I also think the fact that we only get 10-15 games per year makes it even more special. The anticipation and delayed gratification make it all the more meaningful. (Though this 4 month wait for a game is absolute torture) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bzzzz Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 1) Che Adams goal v Denmark for me, just put the icing on the cake, no often we get tae feel like that, 2 up against "a better team" having played them off the park to qualify for a WC playoff, outstanding atmosphere back at a full Hampden, nowhere comes close. 2) Lyndon Dykes goal v Israel came pretty close, was a fantastic piece of fitba/VAR theatre, just brilliant. 3) John McGinn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo `81 Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Hadn't been to a Scotland game Home or Away since 2005 when bought tickets for Moldova game on a whim, that was good But taking my 7 year old nephew to his 1st game of football ever for the Israel game and being a few rows from the front behind the corner flag that McTominay scored into and seeing his reaction was my moment of the year - full stop. Never mind football Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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