1966 and all that

Just imagine if we won the world cup, jings Scotland beat England a year later 3-2 and we live eternally on a such a futile victory.

I am slightly dissapointed on behalf of my English chums that there has been no street parties, an achievement so magnificent a national holiday should have been granted. The remaining players, plus Jimmy Greaves honoured in David Cameron's last honours list, an act of sheer gratitude on behalf of the nation of England.

A Scottish peek at the few documentaries this past week would have revealed a bunch of relatively ordinary lads who conquered the world, with the added advantage of playing at home and at Wembley Stadium to boot. England deserved to win, the 3rd goal may have been not quite over the line, however the Germans have punished England ever since and seemingly a major part of their masterplan was to include penalty taking compulsory in Schools ever since. Alan Ball it turns out was a great guy, Bobby Moore a likely lad. As for Sir Bobby Charlton hero the world over, Scotland included.

I was 8 in 1966 and like most of Scotland at the time supported England. This changed a year later when we won 3-2, played keepie-up and to this day honoured and remembered as our greatest victory over any world champions. The game was in fact a Euro qualifier, we drew later with Wales, lost to Northern Ireland and went out with a creditable 1-1 draw in the return 1968 England game.

We complain that our English friends go on too much about 1966, why shouldn't they?

Hamish

A bright future

I feel that at 58 I have the right  through 50 years of watching Scotland to fell depressed. Downright depressed. Non qualification since 1998 and our clubs success in Europe is judged when 2 teams reach August, 2 teams defeated, one in Denmark and one at home to Malta. Jings, defeats in Luxemburg & Gibraltar just rubs salt in our Brexit wounds.
Brian McClair leaves a post that he seems to be ill-suited to, Performance Director......we are suffering from an overdose of Lack of Performance.
The world cup qualifiers are around the corner and the team we fear is Malta. The fans are booked for Wembley, Slovenia and Lithuania, I fear we may not need to get some rubles.

20 years ago

Jings time flies in when you have not qualified, 18 years since we were not very good in france & even worse 20 years since we missed that penalty courtesy of David Seaman's elbow, or was it Uri Geller's spoon bending spell that made the ball move off the spot? A wee shift in the time space universe that put Gary off. I was front row when he took it and 2 minutes later was in the Wembley loo listening to England fans celebrating Gazza's wonder goal. I saw the ball move!
A week earlier we held the Dutch to a goaless draw at Villa Park with the Scotland fans in the Holt End physically blowing the ball away from Andy Goram.
Days later we were one up on the hapless Swiss, oor pals 100 miles south were skooshing Holland 4-0. We were through, assistant manager Alex Miller was sent to the touchline to calm the players. We were through until oor nemesis said David Seaman was nutmegged & we were out.
Looking back there were few kilts & we were flying 'We hate Jimmy Hill' flags replacing the 'Remember Bannockburn' of former Wembley weekend trips. What must the locals have thought of us?
My brother marched up Wembley Way avec kilt, carrying a tray of grass up the steps handing the returning turf to it's owner. The Commisionaire at the main door was perplexed, he either had a short memory & or was obviously not one of the estimated 300 England fans in Wembley June 4th 1977.
20 long years since we again did not reach the 2nd round. 18 years since we last flopped in the finals.
When will we see our likes again?

Hamish