Euro 2020: Scotland's long-awaited return to the big stage

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Euro 2020 marks the end of a 23-year-wait for the Tartan Army, who since 1998 have suffered through heartache, humpings and humiliation, watching their country try to reach a major tournament. Boy do they want to make the most of this opportunity

Kieran Tierney
(Image credit: Getty)

This feature on Scotland is from the Euro 2020 preview issue of FourFourTwo. Subscribe now and never miss an issue!

There’s always a ‘but’ when a member of the Scotland squad considers Euro 2020. They remember only a handful of lucky supporters can savour the experience with them in the flesh this summer. 

If ever a set of football fans deserved their day in the sun, it’s the Tartan Army. Since Scotland’s last appearance at a major finals, at the 1998 World Cup in France, it has been a story of heartache – and, all too regularly, haplessness as well.

After that group-stage exit from France 98, their time in the wilderness got off to a sore start with a narrow defeat to England in the Euro 2000 play-offs, 2-1 on aggregate. Don Hutchison’s headed winner at Wembley in the second leg wasn’t enough to turn the tide after the first leg’s 2-0 defeat, although it did at least allow Craig Brown’s men to return north with their heads held high. That couldn’t be said of their failure to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, despite losing only one game, and Brown stepped down. 

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His replacement was Berti Vogts, a Euro 96 winner with Germany who, in Euro 2004’s play-offs, came closest to ending what turned out to be a wretched run for Scotland. However, the sublime – beating the Dutch 1-0 in a superb first leg at Hampden – turned to the ridiculous: a horrific 6-0 demolition in the return game. 

The slope was slippery. A difficult start to 2006 World Cup qualifying included a draw with Moldova, leading Vogts to resign citing “disgraceful abuse”. The revered Walter Smith picked up the pieces, but while he did inspire a creditable 1-1 draw with Italy, his side also failed to beat Belarus. Twice. Without scoring. 

It still looked as if better was to come, but Smith invited fury in January 2007 by quitting to join Rangers with Scotland top of their Euro 2008 qualification group, ahead of France and Italy. Alex McLeish immediately restored hope with wins against Georgia, the Faroes, Lithuania and Ukraine, although the best came in Paris – a legendary night settled by James McFadden’s 30-yard stunner, to complete a 1-0 double over Les Bleus.   

Alas, from such heights came a painful fall. Defeat in Georgia set up a decider against world champions Italy at Hampden, where a collective sense of refereeing injustice typified Scotland’s ‘glorious failure’ culture, in a 2-1 defeat. They fell short by two points.

George Burley was next to try his luck, as McLeish left for Birmingham, but Scotland weren’t close to reaching the 2010 World Cup. His tenure is best remembered for an early-hours knees-up, days before a game, ending the international careers of Barry Ferguson and (temporarily) Allan McGregor.

It was Craig Levein’s turn ahead of 2012. His infamous 4-6-0 formation against the Czech Republic – no false nine here – brought a 1-0 defeat, after Scotland had drawn 0-0 in Lithuania and needed a 97th-minute winner to see off Liechtenstein in Glasgow. A bad start to 2014 World Cup qualification saw Levein jettisoned and his successor, Gordon Strachan, unable to turn water into wine. 

Even for an expanded Euro 2016, defeat in Georgia was again costly for Scotland. Worse, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland all went without them. Strachan stayed on for 2018, only to blame the country’s genetic height disadvantage (“Maybe we get big women and men together and see what we can do...”) as the Scots, uh, fell short. This, after Harry Kane’s injury-time goal had robbed them of a Leigh Griffiths-inspired victory. Salt, meet wounds. 

Back came McLeish. He was dismissed after their Euro 2020 bid began with a 3-0 tonking by Kazakhstan, but significantly, he first led Scotland to top spot in the 2018-19 Nations League, which left the incoming Steve Clarke with a lifeline: despite losing half of their qualifiers, they could still reach Euro 2020. Clarke picked up the baton, and consecutive play-off shootout wins against Israel and away to Serbia ended 23 years of agony. 

As if the easy route was ever an option...

This article first appeared in the June 2021 issue of FourFourTwo

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