If the thistle is a symbol of Scotland, then Cologne is its new adopted home.
Sitting amongst a bright and calm evening in London I donned my usual format of listening to football on the radio.
I just like it, cooking, chilling, listening to the dulcet Scottish lingo of Chris Iwelumo as the players walked onto the pitch…and then it happened. Switzerlands national anthem beamed its trumpets and drums around the kitchen followed by the low hum of the Scottish bagpipes.
The Flower of Scotland didn’t beam around my kitchen, it boomed, it bled, it roared with pure and undoubted Scottish pride.
A moment.
…a sleeping party of Scots warriors were saved from ambush by an invading Norse army when one of the enemies trod on the spiky plant.
And just like that a whipped shot from Scott McTominay gave Scotland an early lead in a match they couldn’t afford to lose. A big deflection helped the ball ricochet into the Swiss net but with much said and reported about Scotlands opening game in Munich…Cologne appeared with a calming arm upon Scottish shoulders.
McTominay gives Scotland the lead in Cologne
However, if there was ever a man who knew how to spoil a party and score absolute bangers then look no further than Xherdan Shaqiri. A lifted, shifting, powerful, accurate shot into the corner of the Scottish net gave goalkeeper Angus Gunn no chance. A peach and his 10th goal for Switzerland at tournament football.
But Scotland were not here to make up the numbers.
Last night in Cologne not only restored faith, it embellished everything it means to be Scottish, to be part of that number, The Tartan Army.
90’s Scotland Kit
In the stands Scottish hearts roared, on the pitch we gained a reaction from a group of players who just needed to be better. And better they were, pride restored into the badge, the jersey, a nation.
Scotland had a new energy, Billy Gilmour ran the midfield, Scott McTominay provided know-how and Andy Robinson led charges from familiar left of the park territory.
Steve Clarke punched the air on the touch-line as the final whistle blew, a game that could have swung either way had Switzerland taken a flurry of guilt edged chances ended with a more than valuable point in this competition.
What remains is a Sunday evening showdown with Hungary, a win against the Magyars all but surely confirming qualification to the knockout stages, a feat unmatched by the likes of Gordon Durie, Ally Mcoist, Billy Bremner, Jimmy Johnstone, Grahame Souness and Kenny Dalglish.
Is it time to quiet the noise of that Munich result and say Awa’ a bile yer heid to anyone who questions the fire in this Scotland squads bellies.
Time to make a new history for the Scots? Archie Gemmill’s goal against the Dutch.
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