I still remember that sweltering afternoon in the Glasgow park, the smell of freshly cut grass mixing with the nervous sweat of teenage footballers. I was fourteen, towering over most of my teammates at six feet tall, feeling invincible until we faced a team that seemed to have recruited giants. "Kami, tanda ko pa nu'n, ako lang yung pinakamalaki du'n tapos kalaban namin mga seven-footers," I'd tell my mates later, that Filipino phrase perfectly capturing the feeling of being the biggest fish in a small pond suddenly thrown into an ocean of giants. That memory surfaces every time I watch Scotland's national team step onto the international stage, that same mixture of hope and dread washing over me as our boys face footballing giants who seem to operate on an entirely different scale.
This summer feels different though. As I sit here in my local pub surrounded by tartan scarves and optimistic chatter, there's a tangible shift in the atmosphere that I haven't felt since the 1998 World Cup. Scotland's qualification campaign for Euro 2024 was nothing short of spectacular - 17 points from 8 matches, including that unforgettable 2-0 victory over Spain where McTominay scored both goals in a performance that had grown men weeping into their pints. The statistics speak for themselves: Scotland conceded only 8 goals throughout the entire qualifying campaign, a remarkable improvement from the 19 they let in during the Euro 2020 qualifiers. Yet statistics only tell part of the story. What truly gives me hope is the mental resilience I've witnessed in this squad, something previous Scottish teams desperately lacked.
I recall watching last November's qualifier against Norway from this very stool, my knuckles white around my pint glass as Norway equalized in the 88th minute. The old Scotland would have collapsed, would have conceded another in stoppage time and left us with that familiar hollow feeling. But this team? They pushed forward, won a corner in the 94th minute, and scored through Scott McTominay's header. That moment felt like more than just three points - it felt like a symbolic breaking of chains, a declaration that this generation wouldn't be bound by the ghosts of tournaments past. The question hanging over every conversation in pubs from Edinburgh to Glasgow remains: Scotland Football's 2024 Journey: Can They Finally Break Their Major Tournament Curse?
My grandfather used to tell me about the 1978 World Cup team, his voice always dropping when he reached the part about Peru and Iran. My father's generation had the 1990 World Cup disappointment, mine suffered through the 1998 France tournament where we exited despite not losing a single match. There's a particular Scottish pain in coming so close yet remaining so far, like my childhood memory of being the biggest player on my team only to discover we were competing against what felt like seven-foot opponents. The difference now is that under Steve Clarke, this Scottish team doesn't seem intimidated by the scale of the challenge anymore. They've developed what my old coach would call "big team mentality" - the belief that they belong on the same pitch as anyone.
Looking at our group stage opponents for Euro 2024 gives me both anxiety and excitement. Germany on opening day in Munich - what a stage to make a statement. Then Switzerland, who we've historically struggled against, and Hungary, who knocked us out last time. It's a tough group, no question, but for the first time in my life, I genuinely believe we can navigate it. The emergence of players like Billy Gilmour controlling midfield, combined with the experience of Andy Robertson and the goal threat of McTominay, creates a balanced squad that previous Scottish teams would envy. My only concern is our striker situation - we've scored only 12 goals from open play in the last 15 matches, a statistic that needs improvement if we're to progress beyond the group stages.
As I finish my pint and watch highlights from the qualification campaign on the pub's screen, I allow myself to dream bigger than I have in years. Maybe, just maybe, this is the team that changes everything. The curse of never progressing beyond the group stage of a major tournament has haunted Scottish football for too long, a shadow over every promising generation. But something feels different this time - there's a steel in this squad, a quiet confidence that suggests they're not just happy to be there. They're going to make some noise, and I'll be watching every minute, probably from this same worn bar stool, hoping to witness history in the making.
