Before Scotland play Czech Republic tomorrow - ending 23 years away from Major Finals, I want to share a personal story.
I want to tell you about my friend Jason. 💙
Before Scotland play Czech Republic tomorrow - ending 23 years away from Major Finals, I want to share a personal story.
I want to tell you about my friend Jason. 💙
Tomorrow, while Hampden will be at 25% capacity, it will be full of those who are no longer with us.
When Flower of Scotland plays, let's remember them.
Our absent friends💙
We *love* the commentary of Ian & Ally - but if you've been looking for a clip of Ché's goal from Monday with pure crowd noise - this is it! That's why they call it the Hampden ROAR 🏟️🗣️⬇️
🏴 Billy Gilmour 💪
He's 20 years old. He has 10 caps for Scotland. On this trajectory, he'll trouble King Kenny's cap record for Scotland's men at 102.
Fitness permitting, we've got potentially 15 years of watching Billy spray passes. I can't wait 🥰
In 2017 Jason was diagnosed with cancer. In 2018 he lost his fight. Our lifelong dream was to watch Scotland at a Major Finals.
It breaks my heart that tomorrow, I will achieve that without him.
It's the 96th minute. We've put *everything* into the game.
We're holding out for a two goal win.
Win the ball, do we smash it clear? Or do we spring a counter looking for a third goal?
Absolutely elite level mindset from this side.
Just when you think you can't love Lyndon Dykes anymore, you see MASSIVE new Scotland tattoo 🎨
The date - 4/9/2020?
🏴 1-1 🇮🇱 in Nations League. Dykes' Scotland debut in a behind closed door Hampden. Immortalised in ink. My hero. 🥰
🏴 ✈️ 🇩🇪 With two games to spare,
@ScotlandNT
have qualified for
@EURO2024
! 🍾
Pack your bags & book your flights - the Tartan Army are going to Germany next summer! 🙌
The first time we've qualified automatically for a Major Finals in 25 years, an incredible achievement.
Of the 55 UEFA countries, only three hold a 100% record, having won their first 5
@EURO2024
qualifiers:
🇫🇷 France (WR 2nd)
🇵🇹 Portugal (WR 9th)
🏴 Scotland (WR 30th)
💪
Part of my motivation for sharing this is my story is not unique.
Everyone will know a sibling, parent, aunt, uncle or friend who dreamed of seeing Scotland return and aren't with us to see it.
Listen to the way out rivals speak about Scotland - this is the reputation we've built across Europe. It's brilliant. We're no one's idea of an easy win.
"If Scotland can beat Spain, they can beat everybody"
Steve Clarke's opposition managers from Germany, Switzerland and Hungary give their reaction to being paired in Group A alongside Scotland at Euro 2024.
🏴 🇩🇪 🇨🇭 🇭🇺
🇮🇹 The Aaron Hickey Italian adventure continues.
Scores his second goal of the season, this time netting the 3rd in a 3-0 win over Lazio past former Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina.
✍️ 20 May 2019 - Steve Clarke takes over as Scotland manager. Results in the 3 years since:
🟩🟥🟥🟥🟥🟩🟩🟩🟨🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟥🟥🟨🟨🟩🟨🟩🟥🟨🟥🟥🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨🟨🟥
⛔ Unbeaten runs of 9, 5 & 8.
🏆 First major finals in 23 years
📈 Best qualifying campaign in 24 years
Onwards 🙌
🏴🚀🇮🇹 STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WATCH THIS SCREAMER FROM AARON HICKEY IN ITALY.
The teenager scores his fourth Serie A goal of the season. You won't see a cleaner strike this season.
Ok
#SCO
It's this simple. Beat
#CRO
tomorrow and become legends forever.
The first
@ScotlandNT
squad to make the knockouts of a Major Finals.
Be bold. Be brave. Make a nation proud.
We're all behind you 🙌
👊 99 times out of 100 the striker has a tap-in.
@kierantierney1
is the 1.
Anticipation. Athleticism. Timing of the tackle. Bravery knowing he'll clatter the post.
If Norway and Georgia draw on Tuesday, Scotland (SCOTLAND) will be the first team to qualify for
@EURO2024
. Let that sink in.
THE
FIRST
TEAM
TO
QUALIFY
Ten years ago we were the first team eliminated from qualifying for World Cup 2014 with 2pts from six games. Resurgence 💪
With England drawing against Ukraine, Scotland 🏴 is now officially the only team that can qualify for EURO 2024 this window.
They will do so if Norway 🇳🇴 draws Georgia 🇬🇪.
Quick reminder of our dream scenario this week - and how we can secure qualification for
@EURO2024
while we play England at Hampden.
Friday night IF
🏴 beat 🇨🇾 AND
🇪🇸 beat 🇬🇪
THEN on Tuesday IF
🇳🇴 DRAW with 🇬🇪
It's over. We've punched our ticket to 🇩🇪 with 3 games to spare 🙌
Best performance of the Steve Clarke era? Not for me to say, but yes 💙
This is a really, really special team. Let's cherish every moment.
#SCODEN
Which team would fancy coming to Hampden for a Playoff Semi-Final?
A campaign that started with a John McGinn overhead kick in an empty Hampden, ended with a Ché Adams wondergoal in front of a packed, raucous, boogying Hampden.
✅ Playoff secured, home Semi-Final, 180 minutes away from the World Cup. Up the road. 🏟️
Since losing to 🇩🇰 in September 2021 we have played 13 competitive games.
10 wins
1 draw
2 losses
That secured us a World Cup Playoff, promotion to League A of the Nations League & a Euro 2024 Playoff.
Productive 📈
There are simply no words for this team. The strength of character, the finesse for the goals. Unbelievable.
Hope the Tartan Army empty their bank accounts in Oslo's bars tonight.
Steve Clarke Tartan Army 🙌💪
SCOTLAND HAVE DONE IT! 🏴
Two goals in three minutes and Kenny McLean has scored what could be a historic winner 😱😱
#EURO2024
|
#NORSCO
|
@ScotlandNT
🏴 Friday 26 November, 4pm - Scotland's
@FIFAWorldCup
date with destiny.
🏟️ Thursday 24 March 2022: Scotland welcome an un-seeded side to Hampden Park for a Playoff Semi-Final.
🔟 years ago Scotland were a Pot 4 side. We became the first team in Europe to be mathematically eliminated from WC qualifying after 2pts from six games.
Today, we're a Pot 2 side, promoted to League A and on the brink of being the first in Europe to qualify for
@EURO2024
🥰
Would anyone like to hear a wild Steve Clarke stat? He's been in charge of 🏴 for
4 years
40 competitive games
24 wins*
60 win%
*Counting penalty shootouts v 🇮🇱 & 🇷🇸 as wins.
I wanted to find out how far back you'd need to go to collect our previous 24 competitive wins...
🏴 STEVE CLARKE'S BOYS JUST KEEP MAKING HISTORY! 🎉
I hope everyone in Chișinău & across Scotland is having a party tonight 🕺
It's
#PLAYOFFSBABY
#MDASCO
. This is a historic achievement ⬇️🍾
🏴 In the 2022/23 season, Scotland were unbeaten in competitive games, securing promotion to League A in the Nations League & taking us to the brink of
@EURO2024
. Tell us your:
⚽️ Goal of the season
🏟️ Game of the season
🙋 Player of the season
🤔 Would anyone like to see the Playoff picture after MD7?
As it stands, we'd be seeded for a Hampden Semi-Final in March. 🏟️
Beat Faroes (A) & Moldova (A) and the Playoff is ours... 🏴
💙 Look at what it means to the players
💙 Look at what it means to the fans
What an unbelievably special night at
@HampdenPark
.
The kind of nights that make you realise you'll be a
@ScotlandNT
fan as long as you live.
Scott McKenna has been an integral part of a Forest side that have flown up the table and have a chance of getting automatic promotion to the EPL.
Plays LCB in a back three. If Tierney isn't available in June, he gets my vote.
He's added party tricks to his game too 🇧🇷⬇️
12 November 2020: 🇷🇸 1-1 🏴 (penalties) - Scotland qualify for Euro 2020
12 November 2021: 🇲🇩 ?-? 🏴 - Scotland secure a
@FIFAWorldCup
Playoff?
Not saying it's written in the starts, but...
I met Jason in Trafalgar Square in 2013 before Scotland's friendly with England. I was on the plinth of Nelson's Column and helped pull him up.
He was working in London at the time and, with no Scottish friends in London, had turned up alone.
The thing you need to know about Jason is he was the life and soul of every party.
He never saw an empty dance floor he couldn't fill - physically or with his presence. Here, in Dusseldorf we persuaded this woman to join us for a boogie. 🕺
He had a kind, generous spirit.
🌍🏆 Scotland face a second consecutive major final match against England if we make it through to the
@FIFAWorldCup
.
Iran & USA complete the group. How are we feeling about that?
5️⃣0️⃣ Impossible challenge: watch this incredible video without a being smile 😁
Here's to 50 more caps full of back-heels, over-head kicks, winning goals, meme-able moments and all round brilliance from SUPER
@jmcginn7
He was the kind of guy you got on with instantly. Within a few minutes it was as if we'd known each other for years.
We stayed in touch after that day and enjoyed Tartan Army trips to Germany, Ireland, Slovakia and another trip to Wembley.
🏴 Two years to the day since McTominay won it in the 94th minute.
A massive moment in the growth of this team and the unshakeable belief they have in themselves and each other.
15 competitive games since, 12 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses.
🏴2-2🇳🇱 Full Time
7 players unavailable.
Took the lead twice.
Undone by two pieces of world class skill.
Imagine being gutted by a draw v 🇳🇱!
Gilmour & Turnbull debuts.
Nisbet & Hendry first goals.
So many positives!
Onwards to 🇱🇺 on Sunday
Then
@EURO2020
...
Since Sir Steve took over, we've enjoyed runs in competitive games of:
9⃣ Unbeaten (Oct '19 - Nov '20) 6W & 3D
6⃣ Wins in a row (Sep '21 - Nov '21)
7⃣ Unbeaten (Jun '22 - Jun '23) 6W & 1D
Been said before, but if
@ScotlandNT
are listening - this way of doing Flower of Scotland never fails to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.
First verse with the pipes.
Second verse the crowd takes it acapella. Brilliant 🙌
So a Belgium win in Wales on Tuesday will help Scotland. If only there was someone involved with a vested interest in the success of the team in darkest blue... 💙
#AgentMaloney
🏟️☔ Whether this game gets going or not, shout out to the absolutely heroic effort of the ground staff, ball boys and everyone who's bust a gut getting the water off the pitch 👏