Coming off their Euro qualifier victory against the Irish, Gordan Strachan’s Scotland side seem full of confidence going into Tuesday’s match up with England.
Here’s resident contributor ‘Peter Swallow’ with a quick rundown of why exactly this isn’t just going to be a run of the mill encounter.
1. It’s doesn’t happen that often
This one is pretty simple, it’s not too often that the ‘Auld’ (if you’re of a Scottish persuasion) enemies go head to head. Before August’s fixture we had to wait an eye-watering 14 years for the last clash while Tuesday’s fixture has only materialised due to the trouble free nature of the Wembley match in 2013. So the message is plain and simple, make some time, grab a beer (or any other age appropriate drink) and breathe in the glory that it the oldest rivalry in football, because you never know when it’ll come round again.
2. It’s the first meeting since the Referendum
2014 will forever be written in the annals of time as the year Scotland almost left the union. This was not the pipe dream of a feverish few Scots with a particular distain for England, no the possibility that the Scottish people would vote to separate from the Union that was established in 1707 was a very real one. The political movement that garnered remarkable interest on both sides of the border has given this game an added dimension and spice that has rarely been attributed to a football match. Add to that the fact that England will travel to Glasgow (a city in which the majority of its residents voted ‘Yes’ in the referendum) and it’s impossible to imagine an atmosphere that will be anything other that hostile.
3. It’s old Fashioned Blood and Thunder
In the age of modern football in which players hurl themselves to the ground in fake agony at the slightest of touch, this game should be a refreshing reminder to a bygone era of hard hitting, full blooded passion. In this instance neither set of fans will accept a missed tackle or slack pass regardless of the name on the back of the shirt. It probably won’t be a feast for the eye while those more inclined to a sip of Sake than a bottle of Buckfast may find it hard to stomach, but personally I’m hoping for a cold, sodden Celtic Park that will serve as the perfect backdrop for a battle in which only those who shed blood, sweat and tears will succeed.
4. Scotland are on the rise
I grew up in an era of English dominance of football on these shores, and while our recent history has produced little in the way of memorable achievements, it is leaps and bounds ahead what the Tartan Army’s has managed to accomplish. Gordon Strachan however, has taken Scotland from their seemingly eternal role as bridesmaids to almost being worthy of walking down the aisle of their own volition, and while there is a long way to go before the music plays and Scotland can don the dress for the Finals in 2016 they’re certainly on a far more sound footing than they once were. England too are performing well but considering the ease of their qualifying group As the old saying goes, Scotland unlike England have nothing to lose.
5. It’s a real rivalry
On the 30th November 1872 at Hamilton Crescent in Glasgow the first official meeting between Scotland and England took place, and despite a drab 0-0 draw, the first shots both metaphorically and otherwise were fired in football’s oldest rivalry. From the Scottish Wars of independence in the 14th century to the battle over what nationality to refer to Andy Murray as and everything in between, the rivalry between the two nations in steeped in unparalleled historical furore. Don Hutchinson, Kenny Daglish, Jimmy Greaves and even Ricky Lambert have found themselves the toast of their respective nations over their performances against the ‘old enemy’ and in the years of faux-rivalries, there is little question as to the significance of this one to the players, fans and associations. What is enticing about Tuesday’s game is who will grasp the opportunity to have their name written into British football folklore. Will it be St Andrew or St George who’ll be smiling come Wednesday morning? I for one cant wait to find out.