Forget past dross and finally get job done at Hampden

BOOZEGATE. Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor axed. George Burley in the dugout.

Seem like a while ago? It was. Almost eight years. The same length of time it has taken us to win another qualifier at Hampden that mattered.

Burley’s team scrambled a 2-1 win over Iceland to stay in the hunt for the 2010 World Cup. Since then it’s been a catalogue of doom and despair at the Dreary Dome.

Sunday’s clash with Slovenia is absolutely massive for the nation and all the country wants us to win. But we’re going to have to do it in spite of our home patch and not because of it helping us.

It’ll be cold, it’ll be dull and grey, it’ll be impossible to get in and out of and unless Scotland score inside the first 15 minutes, it’ll have an atmosphere like Bellshill Library.

Talking of which, what about Easter Road on Wednesday night and the Canada game?

Hopefully the one good thing to come out of it is the days of the international friendly are over. No one is interested and frankly, it’s unfair on the punters.

Everyone within the camp said it was about Slovenia and the Canada game didn’t count. If that’s the case it’s a scandal we asked fans to shell out £22 to watch it.

Trying to make them more interesting with the invention of this Nations Cup post-Russia is just silly and another excuse for FIFA and UEFA to fleece fans and TV companies out of dosh.

That’s for the future. What matters now is going back to Hampden and trying to raise it.

The place smacks of doom and trepidation.

Think Celtic Park and a boisterous atmosphere as Ireland were put to the sword over two years ago in the last major game where we actually did the business.

Think Ibrox and the fact we beat the Georgians in front of a packed and noisy house.

Then think of Hampden. Sure, we’ve won a few games but only against section cannon fodder or when our chances of qualifying have already gone and we’re playing out dead rubbers.

Think of the sad 1-0 loss to Holland that put us out of World Cup 2010. Think of the nightmare 2-2 draw with Czech Republic that cost us a place at Euro 2012.

Think of Serbia, Macedonia, Wales and Belgium as we made a hash of qualifying for World Cup 2014.

Think of the agony of the last-gasp draw with Poland that put paid to our Euro 2016 hopes.

Try to wrestle out of your mind the abysmal 1-1 draw with Lithuania six months ago that has already put our backs to the wall in the attempts to make Russia. It’s not

You can only pray players will rise to the challenge and come out flying

an easy job but somehow the boys are going to have to lift it and the supporters are going to have to erase the bitter recollections.

The players know this is the last chance and you can only pray they’ll rise to the challenge and come out flying.

If they do the punters can get behind them and try to create the type of atmosphere that has been sadly lacking in so many of the recent endurance tests we’ve suffered at our so-called National Stadium.

This has to be the night because never mind 20 years of a tournament drought, eight years without a decent Hampden win is far too long.