My partner and I stepped into the Caledonian Lounge of Euston Station to await our boarding of the sleeper train to Inverness. But it was to meet with Scots and especially footballing Scots ready to watch Scotland attempt to defeat Denmark so that for the first time this century, it would follow Ally’s barmy army and go to America for the World Cup.
I am not Scottish, but I have some Scots friends and they are from Glasgow so they are football not rugby fans. I love them, Reid and Young from Partick, Scott who now supports St Andrews, Hamilton and the Perth boys supporting St Johnston, Healy for Celtic. Guys, I hope you were as happy as the lads above to have won 4-2 , scoring 3 of the 4 goals in a style that will mark you out for all time (and a fourth which would not have got you there!
They wouldn’t show the match in the lounge (to begin with) when McTominay overhead kicked in , early on, I whooped so loud that I thought I’d be thrown out. We were kicked out and told to bed down, by the time I got back on line (phone) it was1-1 and the guys in the Lounge said it would be playoffs. Then the poked in goal and then an equaliser from the Vikings, then a fantastic third from Kieran Tiernay and we assumed a third would come and dash hopes. But no, on the halfway line,Kenny McLean spotted Schmeichel off his line and exerted all his energy to find the back of the net from his own half, as Scotland ended their World Cup hoodoo in the most incredulous of fashions.
I wanted a drink for the first time in a year- but ended with a ginger ale!
Today I am going past Stirling , Dunkeld and up to Perth, I smell golf clubs and sense happy Jocks.
Today we will make our way through frozen wastes to the West coast, to show us you can still get to Kyle in a day and get back to London for Thursday morning and the SG conference and other conferences where I hope to meet my Scottish friends and pat them on the back.
It is dark outside and I am back in the Lounge, I was right to say I smelt golf. We have pulled into Gleneagles at 5.15 and we are away again
I sense quite a day ahead! It’s my birthday treat , planned for a week ago but delayed to have my prostate out. I know I’m English and a bit Irish but I feel of the union with Scotland and wish every person in this fine country well!
Thanks, Henry.
Maybe not PC to say this, but Scotland also have to thank Belarus for drawing in Copenhagen on Saturday, which created last night’s opportunity. And Celtic’s goalkeeper (for whom Hampden is not one of his favourite places) helped a bit for at least two of our goals.
Tournament football can make for strange alliances at times.
I’ve been to two World Cups (in 1990 and 1998), but next year’s comes too late in the day for me.
Enjoy your “flying” trip to the North.
It’s made my week Derek