SCOTLAND’S POINT MADE
Scotland battle on after brilliant Wembley draw
SCOTLAND’S Euro 2020 hopes were kept alive last night after a nerveshredding draw against England in the pouring rain at Wembley.
In what was the 115th meeting of the teams in international football’s oldest rivalry, Scotland won a hard-earned point against the ‘Auld Enemy’.
Thousands of supporters who had travelled to London, as well as Scots at home, were left biting their nails in the tense encounter as both teams threw away chance after chance.
But at the final whistle there were celebrations as Steve Clarke’s men gave the country belief again.
Scotland now need to win against Croatia on Tuesday to have a chance of qualifying for the next phase of the tournament.
And at the end of the 0-0 match, Wembley echoed to the strains of Flower of Scotland as fans celebrated the famous point at the home of English football.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: ‘What a proud and gutsy performance. We leave Wembley undefeated… and now it’s game on for Croatia at Hampden.’
And former England striker and
‘What a gutsy performance’
BBC presenter Gary Lineker also wrote on social media: ‘Game of the tournament so far. Absolute thriller.’
The performance was roared on by tens of thousands of ticketless Scotland fans who descended on London ahead of the clash despite warnings to stay away.
They took over large swathes of the capital and partied long into the night on Thursday and yesterday as police adopted a hands-off approach.
The Metropolitan Police implemented a Section 35 dispersal order on Thursday night and lasting until 3pm today. It means they have extra powers to ban people from certain areas for 48 hours to stop any ‘anti-social behaviour’.
But much of the partying appeared good-natured with Scots and England fans enjoying a happy rivalry before the game.
Officers said that, as of yesterday afternoon, only two people had been arrested.
A Met spokesman said on Thursday: ‘Due to the high-profile UEFA Euro football match between England and Scotland on Friday, 18th June at 8pm and the anticipated anti-social behaviour this may bring, a Section 35 dispersal authority has been implemented.’
He said it was ‘in an attempt to reduce the likelihood of members of the public being caused alarm harassment and distress and the occurrence of criminality in the local area’.
Chief Inspector Joe Stokoe, spokesman for the Met’s policing operation during Euro 2020, said: ‘We have contingency plans to deal with any number of potential incidents as they arise.
‘We took the precaution of issuing a Section 35 dispersal order that is in place until 15:00hrs on Saturday, 19. We have a flexible policing plan in place to reduce the likelihood of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour.’
Some of the fans that were spread across the city gathered in Leicester Square, filling the William Shakespeare fountain with washing-up liquid, causing it to bubble up. Legions of the Tartan Army also descended on Hyde Park, letting off flares and smoke bombs with one young man being arrested for indecent exposure.
The 25-year-old was photographed by onlookers and the picture was shared on social media. It showed him being dragged away, completely naked, by officers.
He was subsequently taken into custody where he was cautioned before being released.
Another fan was arrested for the attempted theft of a police officer’s hat alongside an assault charge against an emergency worker.
Police officers took the man to a police station, where he remained as of yesterday.
Ahead of the clash, celebrities, former players and politicians sent good luck messages to the Scotland players.
Presenter Gail Porter was spotted wearing a navy Yes Sir I Can Boogie T-shirt. She said: ‘Good luck tonight Scotland. Will be watching in Edinburgh.’
Former Scotland defender Colin Hendry tweeted: ‘We are actually a family. Come on Scotland!’
Meanwhile Lorraine Kelly posted a video showing her decked out in Scotland gear with her dog Angus dancing to Yes Sir, I Can Boogie.
Earlier Miss Sturgeon had warned Scottish fans to stay away from London.
She said: ‘I know these precautions are tiresome for everybody in every context and they’re particularly tiresome when people are trying to enjoy the normal pleasures of a football match.
‘But this virus, it doesn’t care about football – it’s not a Scotland fan or an England fan, it only cares about spreading from one person to another. Be respectful to our hosts in London. Enjoy the match, enjoy the occasion, we’re all hoping for a good outcome to the match, but please be careful and be safe and follow all the rules.
‘Make sure you behave in a way that shows the Tartan Army at its best.’ And at the end of the briefing, she added: ‘Good luck Scotland.
‘Come on, let’s get it done at Wembley this evening. Supporters had a ‘fantastic’ time in the Trafalgar Square fan zone, despite rain throughout most of the match.
Malcolm Gillespie, from Falkirk but living in London, said the draw was an ‘amazing’ result for Scotland and praised the setup at the central London designated key worker area.
The 41-year-old, who attended with his son Santiago, eight, said: ‘I’m happy but I definitely think we could have edged a win. They’ve played really well.
‘It’s been fantastic, a really nice atmosphere.
‘I spoke to some English fans who were really friendly. We’ve loved every minute of it.’ On the weather, he said: ‘It’s OK, we came prepared, we’re Scottish.’
‘Let’s get it done at Wembley’