This summer’s EUROs will be Scotland’s first appearance at a major tournament since the 1998 World Cup in France. 23 years of near-misses and disappointment will be cast aside when the Tartan Army march out at Hampden Park on Monday 14th June against the Czech Republic.
One man who can’t wait is BA (Hons) Football Business & Media graduate Sean Elderbrant. Sean, who calls Hampden home through his role as Digital Media Executive at the Scottish Professional Football League, gave us his thoughts on what it means to be a Scotland fan this summer…
It goes without saying that qualification for EURO 2020 has been a very long time coming for Scotland. As fans, we have had to watch from afar on a biannual basis as international tournaments have passed us by. Not this time, though.
Our invite to the dance has finally arrived and I, for one, cannot wait. The prospect of getting to watch Scotland at an international tournament is a tantalising one to say the least. That fateful night [versus Serbia] in November 2020 was a real watershed moment. Not only had Scotland qualified for a major tournament for the first time in over 20 years, but it felt like a beacon of hope. A glimmer of sunshine in what had been a particularly miserable year across the board due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
David Marshall’s penalty heroics gave us a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’. Not in the sense of the pandemic itself, but it gave us something to properly look forward to and gear towards.
From a personal standpoint, the EUROs have been a constant on my mind ever since November. The thought of Scotland featuring in a Panini sticker album, and being able to get EURO patches on my replica shirts, are the niche little bits that surround the whole ‘carnival of football’ which many may take for granted. More than anything though, I just cannot wait to enjoy watching the games with friends and family while having a few beers in the sun.
I am quietly optimistic of Scotland’s chances of reaching the knockout stages. The firepower of John McGinn, Lyndon Dykes and now, rather excitingly, Che Adams gives us a fighting chance going up against anyone and everyone. Will it happen? Only time will tell. I just hope that this summer is one to remember, and that it doesn’t take another 23 years for Scotland to get another invite to the dance.
