No more years of hurt

Phil Gordon looks back on Scotland’s long wait to qualify for a major tournament

This Scotland supporter could not bear the tension; on his feet imploring the referee to end the agony. And then, unquenchable joy.

If November 12, 2020 in Belgrade is the start of Scotland’s new story, the start of the old one was September 26, 1973. The best of times are the backstory to the worst.

I was fortunate to be at Hampden Park on the night when Scotland beat Czechoslovakia 2-1 to reach the 1974 World Cup finals. I was 13 but it still remains the high-water mark of Scotland occasions, even after all these years.

The noise has never been equalled. The roars of 100,000 fans pierced the Glasgow night sky, three times: first when Jim Holton headed a first-half equaliser, then again for Joe Jordan’s 75th-minute winner, and lastly, at full-time.

My father was a teacher who was not big on public displays of emotion, yet he grabbed my Scotland flag and was punching it high into the air. His generation had to wait 16 years for Scotland to reach any finals. The gap between the 1958 World Cup was long.

16 years seems now like early parole. Scotland footballers, and fans, have been stuck in Shawshank for 22 years, feeling forgotten when big tournaments dominate every summer since our last in France at the 1998 World Cup.