The day has finally arrived! After a nervy night’s sleep it’s Scotland’s day to prove that we aren’t just here to party, we are here to compete.

No chance has our squad arrived with just a couple of tins of Tennents telling the rest of Europe ‘We are just here till the music starts‘.

Our men have ended an extra long wait to get here. They will now fight for every ball and they will battle for every point!

As fans; young and old, I implore you to sit back and enjoy this moment.

Growing up in the nineties I never realised how spoilt I actually was.

The first international tournament I can remember was Italia 90‘ and The Tartan Army were there. For the next decade, we would turn up to two Euros and another World Cup. We were expected to turn up, have a party and then depart before the interesting rounds took place.

Yet no international party has been the same since France 98′ as our Tartan clad foot-soldiers haven’t drank cities dry nor have they swarmed any fountains.

Now, yes this time will be different and not just because of Covid. We actually have a team coming into a major finals with some confidence.

Scotland possesses a team that includes a Champions League winner, Scottish Premiership champions, Premier League standouts, stars of European club competitions and players that have tasted success throughout the years!

In Steve Clarke, we have a superb manager that gets the most from his players and who has found a system that makes us hard to beat.

There is a hype train rolling into Hampden Park this afternoon and our fans, limited as they are, are ready to boogie!

If the Christian Eriksen incident has shown us anything, it’s don’t take life for granted. Enjoy these special moments. There’s a whole generation of young Scots that have never experienced this and us older supporters shouldn’t dull their optimism with any sad stories about our past.

For those that tell me ‘Aye but Scotland have never qualified out of the group stages’, I say to them – Yes but we’ve never played the bulk of our group ties on our own turf.

The Hampden Roar might not be as loud as usual but you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll still drive our boys on and intimidate opponents.

Be thankful wherever you watch our opening game. Whether it’s in school, at work, in the fan-zone or in the stadium. I’ll be out with pals in the pub and that will make it extra special. I’ve not been able to do that since 2019. I won’t be taking it for granted.

These days don’t come around every day, our men’s side haven’t tasted this occasion in the last twenty-three years.

So enjoy every moment and shout our team on to victory. Let’s see who will become our new heroes.

MON SCOTLAND!!!!!!!!

Posted on June 14th, 2021 by scott
Filed under: Article