Our blind ambition for glory
A deaf ear. A blind eye. Sealed lips and selective memory.
That’s been the physical reaction to the ethical question of whether or not it’s right for us to play in the World Cup finals in Qatar next Winter.
The Tartan Army, along with Steve Clarke and his players, just want to be there regardless of any other considerations. That’s fair enough.
It’s between you and your conscience how much human rights violations encroach on your hunger to play at a tournament you haven’t visited for 24 years.
If anybody had any serious conscientious objections they could always refuse to go there or play there.
If not, then the same deaf, dumb and blind act must apply to the means of qualification for Scotland.
From November 12, 2020, when we reached the Euro finals on a penalty
shoot-out against Serbia, to November 12, 2021, when we play Moldova to confirm, or concede, qualification for a World Cup play-off place, we have had a calendar year of none-toospectacular success.
Twelve months of narrow squeaks and wide-of-the-mark performances.
Now the same terms and conditions apply to Chisinau on Friday night.
All critical faculties, like ethical concerns, must be put out of mind in the national interest.
If you get conjunctivitis watching Scotland’s display it doesn’t matter – so long as they win.
Nothing will be too awful to be embarrassed about if the greater good is served on the night. Artistic merit is an irrelevance, or a bonus, depending on the circumstances.
The only downside to all of this is, if those are the rules you live by, there’s no room for complaint if you boss the game and the other side wins in the end.
Indifference to everything but the score works both ways.
Be prepared.