Long journey home for the weary Tartan Army
BLEARY-EYED, they arrived at a dreary Euston station for the train home.
Some hungover, some just tired ... but all bitterly disappointed.
The grey skies and rain-laden clouds did little to lift the mood as the country stared down the barrel of another footballing failure.
Authorities have estimated 14,000 Scots made the trek south of the Border for Friday night’s Auld Enemy clash.
But in truth the figure was much higher. Yesterday many headed home. Some had bedded down for the night at London’s railway stations, escaping on the first trains out of the capital in the early hours of the morning.
But it was the services in the afternoon which carried hordes of the defeated Tartan Army back home again.
Contrasting to the party atmosphere on the trains that left Glasgow and Edinburgh on Friday morning, the mood on the return leg was understandably sombre.
There was less swagger in their kilted walk, more sheepish looks as they reflected on a heavy defeat to their greatest footballing enemy.
The Tartan Army foot-soldiers had travelled more in hope than in expectation. And so it proved. “The manner of defeat was hard to take,” said Stuart Darling, 35, from Motherwell.
“I’d been in Abu Dhabi with business in the last week and made sure to organise myself so I was home for this game.
“The only thing I really wanted was a Scottish goal to celebrate at Wembley.
“But it was disappointing to travel all that way and not get it.
“It was my first time at Wembley, but despite the result I’d probably do it again!”
That loyalty is characteristic of the travelling Tartan Army.
Home and away, they travel in their thousands.
On Friday night, many fans struggling for tickets for the Scottish enclosure ended up in the English section. But that sort of blind devotion severely tested.
With the defeat all but confirming Scotland will not play in the World Cup in Russia in 2018, some supporters on yesterday’s 1.30pm from London Euston to Glasgow insisted they’d had enough.
Adam Keown, 41, said: “When I started following Scotland, most campaigns were glorious failures.
“Now they’re just failures. A lot of the guys have had enough.”
Ross McKenzie, 46, from Kilmarnock, said: “I’ve spent a minor fortune on following Scotland over the years.
“We’re not going to go to Russia with the men’s team but the women’s team have qualified for the Euros in Netherlands next summer.
“Surely they can’t let us down as much as the men have.” With Scotland you never know. Big match special: see Sport.
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