Anyone on here too young to remember last time Scotland played in a major finals?

[Mag7]

The next tournament Scotland can qualify for is in 2012, making it 14 years since they last played in a major finals. Got me thinking, does anyone on here actually not remember them playing in France 98? There must certainly be a lot of us who have left youth behind in that time, including myself. A teenager back then will be in their mid 30s by 2012, while somebody who was in their 50s will be in their 70s by then! And that's IF Scotland qualify for Euro 2012. The way things are going a lot of us may not be around by the next time we play on the big stage again. Scary.

[SlickShoes]

Im not too young to remember but too young to have been, France 98 and Euro 96 me and my friends all watched with the thought that once we were old enough we would go to a championships with scotland and have a great holiday etc and itd be one of those great memories of being a young guy. Well by the time the next finals roll around IF we managed to qualify we will all be over 30, im married, some of us will probably have kids and then they can start to whole cycle over again, marvellous!

[MacBean]

i was about 8/9 the last time we ventured into a big tournament, and it is my only experience of Scotland being at a major championships.

I was either too young or not interested to care about the championships before it, but i do (unfortunately) remember watching the England (gazza goal) game against Scotland where Hendry got put on his @rse!

I remember that glorifying opener against Brazil and mighty JC's pen to peg us back to 1-1. I then remember the embarrasment against Morrocco and the sensational final for France. For some reason i was over joyed about France winning the WC - maybe it was a childhood grude i held against Brazil for beating us in the opening game :wink:

Heres hoping for a return to major action in 3 years time!

Although we have to remember we might have a better shot in 2016 when there are an extra 8 places up for grabs - expanding from 16 to 24 :greengrin

[Alicky Ranks]

I was not long out of school when France 98 was on. Now I'm into my thirties. I mentioned this to my dad who said imagine how I feel, I was in my 40s and now I'm pushing 60!!!

[MountcastleHibs]

I was 7 during France 98... Can't remember too much about it so I suppose I would fall into that category. Can remember loving the theme music, and watching the final...

I'll be 21 if we qualify for Euro 2012.. that's actually quite scary.

[500miles]

I still remember Collins' penalty, and Scotland's brave performance against Brazil. I also remember the piss poor performance against Morocco.

My earliest memory of a major tournement was getting a Euro 96 ball from a football initiative that visited the street in which i played. Still have a wee foam ball from that kicking about somewhere too!:greengrin

[ginger_rice]

We've been here before though...and with far far better players available to pick.

IIRC Scotland never qualified for anything from '58 until '74.

Unfortunately until we get World class players available to us again we will really struggle to qualify for anything :boo hoo:

[magnificent_seven]

I was 11 when Scotland were last in a major tournament. Just about to start High School. Too young to go to France, which I would have done had i been 22 then! I will be 27 next World Cup....jeeeso! :bitchy:

[Hibbie_Cameron]

I can remember Euro 96 and France 98.

Can clearly remember running home from school to see us play Brazil in the World Cup opener. Will never ever forget McAllister missing that pen at Wembley though:grr:

[poolman]

No :boo hoo:

[Sas_The_Hibby]

The next tournament Scotland can qualify for is in 2012, making it 14 years since they last played in a major finals. Got me thinking, does anyone on here actually not remember them playing in France 98? There must certainly be a lot of us who have left youth behind in that time, including myself. A teenager back then will be in their mid 30s by 2012, while somebody who was in their 50s will be in their 70s by then! And that's IF Scotland qualify for Euro 2012. The way things are going a lot of us may not be around by the next time we play on the big stage again. Scary.

I remember them being there, but I'm not sure I remember them actually playing! :greengrin Sorry - cheap shot. :wink:

I am too young to remember Hibs last winning the Scottish Cup, though......

[Wembley67]

Big group of us in Oddfellows watching the game and I remember we were all ready to book flights over to France IF we had beaten (or drawn again Morocco), I can't actually quite remember but did than mean we would have qualified for the next stage and maybe played Italy????

Vague bells ringing somewhere in my empty head :confused::confused:

[Danderhall Hibs]

I can remember Euro 96 and France 98.

Can clearly remember running home from school to see us play Brazil in the World Cup opener. Will never ever forget McAllister missing that pen at Wembley though:grr:

He didn't miss it - the keeper saved it. :wink:

The first tournament I remember is Mexico 86 - we always seemed to qualify back then. I remember everyone getting away early from work for the Brazil game in 98 (must've been a 4pm k/o) and everyone was talking about it - even folk that don't care about football normally.

I was only at the age to have gone to the tournaments in 96 and 98 but didn't go and just assumed I'd go to the next one.

Still waiting!

[Danderhall Hibs]

Big group of us in Oddfellows watching the game and I remember we were all ready to book flights over to France IF we had beaten (or drawn again Morocco), I can't actually quite remember but did than mean we would have qualified for the next stage and maybe played Italy????

Vague bells ringing somewhere in my empty head :confused::confused:

Think we had to beat Morrocco to get through - we only had the 1 point going into that game. Norway went through in "our" place, not sure if it was Italy or not but it rings a bell.

[Hibbie_Cameron]

Think we had to beat Morrocco to get through - we only had the 1 point going into that game.

Before the game the assumption was if we won we would have went through as Brazil were playing Norway. However we got humped and Norway beat Brazil so we finished bottom.

Norway lost 1-0 to Italy in the next round. We would have beaten them:greengrin

[Storar]

Think we had to beat Morrocco to get through - we only had the 1 point going into that game. Norway went through in "our" place, not sure if it was Italy or not but it rings a bell.

I remember France 98 like it was yesterday.
I remeber we had to beat Morocco to go through on the assumption that Brazil would beat Norway but Norway ended up winning so it didn't matter anyway:boo hoo:

We also got let out of school early to watch the game (and the 1-1 darw with Norway too I think) and the whole atmosphere surrounding the World Cup was huge, even though I was only 9 at the time.

Still can't believe we haven't been to a major championship since

[deano6-2]

I had just turned 13 before france 98. My old man took me over for the tournament and it was by far the best holiday i ever went on as a kid. I've been going to scotland games home and away ever since. I just hope i get to see us in another tournament while i'm still young and don't have any commitments.

[Hermit Crab]

I was 13 at the time of France 98. We got let out of school early so we could get home and watch the Scotland v Brazil game. Loady rubbish last night compared to back then.

[Danderhall Hibs]

I was 13 at the time of France 98. We got let out of school early so we could get home and watch the Scotland v Brazil game. Loady rubbish last night compared to back then.

I think we all look back fondly to the days of Tommy Boyd, Colin Calderwood, Kevin Gallacher and Tosh McKinlay.

Or do we? :greengrin

[lyonhibs]

I remeber Euro 96 well - THAT handball by John Collins when we - somehow - scraped a 0-0 against Holland, the Thunderbolt by Fat Ally against the Swiss, then the realisation that the fact that my all time hero keeper - David Seaman - couldn't keep his legs shut against the Dutch cost us a place in the next round.

For 1998 against Brazil, vividly remember PILING out of school (the entire year having bunked off games - which ended up being cancelled anyway - to watch the game) and getting on a 46 - ahhhh those were the days - driven by a crazed bus driver blatantly nearing the end of his shift.

Got home, sat down, 1-0 down before you could say "Bob's your Uncle" - can still remember Gordon Durie looping that shot onto the roof of the net, and for some reason a Darren Jackson "fruity word" being very audible on the tv.

I remember standing up and jumping onto a piece of lego at my next door neighbours house when Burley scored against Norway, then watching in dismay as we got pumped seven ways from the weekend by Morocco :boo hoo: :boo hoo:

[Mibbes Aye]

'82 is my first memory of Scotland in tournament football and from then up until '98 we qualified for twice as many as we didn't and never went more than one without qualifying. Glory days indeed. Despite the failure to progress, we have never had such relatively strong squads as in '78 and '82 IMO.

On a side note, there was a thread on here a good while back called "Is Dashing Bob really JC?" that included a spoof of John Collins' thoughts as he lined up against Brazil in Italia '90. Couldn't find it with a search. Any chance of a passing kindly admin being able to dig it up, or is it gone for good?