RALLYING CALL
I was desperate to play Israelis, admits Scotland boss Clarke, but health of the nation is far more important
IN A parallel universe, Hampden Park would have been packed to the rafters last night. Tartan Army foot-soldiers would have travelled in from far and wide to see the visit of Israel that they hoped and prayed would prove a staging post on Scotland’s journey to the Promised Land.
The Euro 2020 play-off semi-final date of March 26 had been marked in Steve Clarke’s calendar from the very minute he elected to leave Kilmarnock in May 2019 to take charge of the hopes and dreams of a nation locked out of major tournaments for the past 22 years.
But that was before the emergence of the deadly coronavirus that has changed the world and rightly wiped out the sporting calendar for the foreseeable future with the UK on lockdown.
For now, Scotland will have to wait a little longer for the chance to be at a tournament that will be part-staged on our doorstep in Glasgow with a new date of summer 2021.
However, in a note-perfect address to Scotland’s football fans yesterday, Clarke struck the perfect tone as he addressed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our national team.
‘Most of you, like me, will have woken-up this morning, looked at the date and wished the circumstances could have been very different,’ said the Scotland boss.
‘Thursday, March 26, had been circled in my wall planner from the moment I had the honour of becoming Scotland head coach.
‘Truth be told, I had hoped we wouldn’t have needed the Nations League play-off route: I believed we could have finished higher than our eventual third place in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualification group.
‘All those qualifying games seem far less important now, insignificant even, but this is the reality of the situation we find ourselves in.
‘The world has changed in recent weeks and months and football, rightly, has had to take a step back as our government and our wonderful, brave and selfless NHS staff step-up their efforts to tackle a far greater opponent.
‘This is a difficult letter to write because, as a father and grandfather, there are far greater considerations in life right now and far greater responsibilities on all of us but, at the same time, I feel it is important to recognise and show appreciation for the effort you all had gone to in ensuring our match against Israel would have been a sell-out.
‘It would have been an incredibly proud night for me and the whole team, and we would have given every ounce to be on that plane to Norway or Serbia.’
Clarke praised the Tartan Army who, despite not seeing their country reach a major finals since World Cup France ’98, had gambled by pre-booking flights in the hope of Scotland having secured a one-legged play-off final away to Norway or Serbia.
The former West Brom boss knows that kind of spirit and positivity will serve the nation well in the battle being waged against the unseen enemy that is the coronavirus.
Issuing an eloquent, passionate plea, he urged Scots to follow medical advice by staying indoors to halt the spread of the virus and speed up the return of normality.
The 56-year-old said: ‘I know thousands of you had also booked onward travel, ever the optimists.
‘By all accounts, Budapest or Berlin would have been the unwitting hosts of Scotland fans awaiting connections to either Oslo or Belgrade.
‘That sense of togetherness, loyalty and commitment is needed in our lives now, more than ever before.
‘The First Minister and the Chief Medical Officer have been clear in outlining exactly what the nation must do to combat the virus that has become a global pandemic. ‘I urge all of you to heed that advice: stay indoors, protect your family, and protect others.
‘Stay home, save lives. Simple.
‘Football is our national sport and its absence has had the same effect on me that it has had for every lover of the game in this country. ‘The sooner we all take the advice on board to stay at home, the sooner we can get back to our own normality of midweek nights and weekend afternoons among friends, at our spiritual homes across the country.
‘That is for later, as is our match against Israel, whenever the authorities consider it appropriate — and above all, safe — to resume football across the world.
‘In the meantime, I will be thinking of you tonight and imagining what might have been and what could yet be.
‘Stay healthy, stay safe, most importantly stay home.’
Togetherness, loyalty and commitment needed more than ever