The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. The team has played international football longer than any other nation in the world along with England, who they played in the world's first international football match at Hamilton Crescent, Partick, in 1872.[1]
| Shirt badge/Association crest | |||
| Nickname(s) | The Tartan Army | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Scottish Football Association | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach |  Alex McLeish | ||
| Captain | Barry Ferguson | ||
| Most caps | Kenny Dalglish (102) | ||
| Top scorer | Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law (30) | ||
| Home stadium | Hampden Park | ||
| FIFA code | SCO | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 19 | ||
| Highest | 16 (March 2007) | ||
| Lowest | 88 (March 2005) | ||
| First international | |||
Scotland 0 - 0 England  (Partick, Scotland; 30 November, 1872) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Scotland 11 - 0 Ireland  (Glasgow, Scotland; 23 February, 1901) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Uruguay 7 - 0 Scotland (Basel, Switzerland; 19 June, 1954) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 8 (first in 1954) | ||
| Best result | Round 1, all | ||
| European Championship | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 1992) | ||
| Best result | Round 1, all | ||
Scotland has always had its own representative side that plays in all the major professional tournaments. In the Olympic Games, the IOC only recognises the United Kingdom.
Some of Scotland's most famous results include, in 1967, defeating the World Cup holders England 3-2 at Wembley Stadium and, in the 1978 World Cup, beating one of the favourites, the Netherlands, 3-2 with Archie Gemmill scoring a famous goal.
Traditionally England have been one of Scotland's fiercest rivals,[2] though in recent times there has been a lack of regular fixtures at senior level between the two teams, with Scotland winning the last encounter in 1999.[3]
The Scotland team have traditionally been nicknamed "The Dark Blues". But this moniker was never used much except by sports journalists and most Scots would regard it as rightfully belonging to Dundee F.C. "The Tartan Army" has sometimes been applied to the Team, although it properly refers to the supporters who accompany them to games abroad. Since the success of Mel Gibson's epic, Braveheart, in 1995, a new nickname, "The Bravehearts", has come into vogue.
History
Scotland are the oldest national football team in the world, alongside England. The two countries competed against each other in the first ever international football match, at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Scotland on 30 November 1872.[4] The match ended in a goalless draw.[4] All eleven players who represented Scotland that day played for Glasgow amateur club Queen's Park. Over the next forty years, Scotland played matches exclusively against the other three Home nations - England, Wales and at that time a unified Ireland. The British Home Championship began in 1883, making these games competitive. The championship continued until 1984.
In 1929, Scotland played their first match outside Britain and Ireland, beating Norway 7-3 in Bergen. Scotland continued to contest regular friendly matches against European opposition and enjoyed wins against Germany, the Netherlands and France before losing to Austria and Italy in 1931.
The national team did not compete at the FIFA World Cup until 1954, when Scotland suffered defeats against Austria and Uruguay, and failed to progress beyond the first round. It was also in 1954 that Scotland appointed their first ever team manager, Andy Beattie, but he resigned after the failure of that years World Cup.
Under the management of Ian McColl, Scotland enjoyed consecutive British Home Championship successes in 1962 and 1963. Jock Stein, John Prentice and Malcolm MacDonald all had brief spells as manager before Bobby Brown was appointed in 1967. Brown's first match as manager was a daunting encounter against newly crowned world champions England at Wembley Stadium. Despite being underdogs, Scotland emerged triumphant after a 3-2 victory, with goals from Denis Law, Bobby Lennox and Jim McCalliog. Scotland winger Jim Baxter, famously, played "Keepie uppie" during the game as he tormented the English players and fans alike by juggling the ball at walking pace. After the result, rapturous Scotland fans jovially heralded their team as the "Unofficial Football World Champions". This joke ultimately led to the conception of the Unofficial Football World Championships.[5]
The 1970's are generally considered to be the heydays of the Scotland national team. After Tommy Docherty's brief spell as manager between 1971 and 1972, Willie Ormond was hired in 1973. Despite losing his first match in charge, Ormond recovered to steer Scotland to their first World Cup finals in 16 years. At the finals in West Germany, Scotland remained unbeaten but failed to progress beyond the group stages on goal difference after beating Zaire and drawing with Brazil and Yugoslavia.
Scotland appointed Ally MacLeod as manager in 1977 with qualification for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina far from assured. MacLeod made a strong start and won the 1977 British Home Championship after beating England at Wembley Stadium, after which Scotland fans infamously invaded the pitch, ripping up the turf and breaking a crossbar. Scotland continued to play impressively under MacLeod and the team secured qualification for the World Cup with victories over Czechoslovakia and Wales.
During the build-up to the World Cup, MacLeod had fuelled the hopes of the nation by stating that Scotland would come home with a medal. As the squad left for the finals in Argentina, they were given a rapturous send off as they were paraded around a packed Hampden Park. Thousands more fans lined the route to Prestwick Airport as the team set off for South America.
Scotland opened up their World Cup campaign against Peru. MacLeod's bold prediction appeared to be justified as a Joe Jordan goal put Scotland 1-0 up after just 14 minutes. Scotland looked even better when they were awarded a penalty kick. However Don Masson spurned the chance to put them two up and Peru were level by half-time. After the break Peru took control of the match. A late second half double from Teófilo Cubillas condemned Scotland to a 3-1 defeat.
Scotland again took the lead in their second match against Iran but a 60th minute equaliser from Iraj Danaeifard saw Scotland's World Cup hopes hanging by a thread. The disconsolate and shell-shocked mood of the nation was reflected by footage of Ally MacLeod in the dugout with his head in his hands.
After taking just 1 point from their opening two games, Scotland had to defeat one of the tournament favourites, the Netherlands, by three clear goals. Despite the Dutch taking the lead, Scotland fought back to lead 3-1 with goals from Kenny Dalglish and a double from Archie Gemmill, the second of which is generally regarded as the best goal in Scotland's history as he beat three Dutch defenders before lifting the ball over goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed. The joy was short lived however, within three minutes the Dutch striker Johnny Rep had pulled a goal back and the match finished 3-2. Scotland bowed out of the tournament on goal difference for the second successive World Cup. MacLeod resigned as manager shorty after the tournament, with Jock Stein appointed as his replacement.
After failing to qualify for the 1980 European Championship, Stein set his sights on taking Scotland to their third successive World Cup finals. Scotland qualified from a tough group including Sweden, Portugal, Israel and Northern Ireland, losing just one match in the process. At the finals in Spain, Scotland, for the third successive World Cup, went out on goal difference.
Scotland qualified for their fourth successive World Cup in 1986. Scotland went into their last qualification match against Wales, needing a point to reach the tournament in Mexico. With only nine minutes remaining and Wales leading, Scotland were awarded a penalty kick which was calmly scored by Davie Cooper. However, as the players and fans celebrated, news began to circulate that Scotland manager Jock Stein had suffered a fatal heart attack.
After the death of Jock Stein, Alex Ferguson was handed the role of manager for the World Cup. The Scottish players performed badly and crashed out of the World Cup with just one point from their three matches, losing to Denmark and Germany and drawing with Uruguay.
Scotland made their UEFA European Championship debut in 1992. Despite playing well in matches against the Netherlands and Germany the team was knocked out at the group stage.
New manager Craig Brown successfully guided Scotland to the 1996 European Championship tournament where the team's first match was against the Dutch at Villa Park. The game ended 0-0, raising morale ahead of a much anticipated game against England to be played at Wembley Stadium. Scotland lost 2-0 with Paul Gascoigne scoring a wonder goal and Alan Shearer also netting. Gary McAllister missed a penalty kick to add to Scotland's woes. Scotland recovered to beat Switzerland 1-0 with Ally McCoist scoring but Scotland were once again knocked out on goal difference.
Scotland were drawn against Brazil in the opening game of the 1998 World Cup, taking to the field wearing kilts. John Collins equalised from the penalty spot to level the score 1-1 after Cesar Sampaio scored but a Tom Boyd own goal led to a defeat. Scotland went on to draw with Norway in Bordeaux with Craig Burley scoring.[6] However the final match against Morocco ended in defeat and Scotland crashed out of the tournament.
The Scottish Football Association appointed former Germany manager Berti Vogts as the first foreigner to coach Scotland in 2002.[7] Vogts' reign was disastrous and the team plummeted in the FIFA World Rankings.[8] In 2004 Vogts announced his resignation,[9] blaming the hostile media for his departure.[10]
Former Rangers and Everton manager, Walter Smith was brought in as manager in the wake of Vogts' departure. Ally McCoist also joined the coaching staff. Smith secured victories against Bulgaria, Norway, the Faroe Islands and most notably against France.[11] The Scottish players also lifted their first trophy in years after winning the Kirin Cup in Japan.[12]
Scotland were once again left managerless in early 2007 as Walter Smith left the national side to return to club football.[13] Alex McLeish was named as Scotland's twentieth manager.[14] His assistants were announced as Roy Aitken and Andy Watson with Barry Ferguson remaining captain. McLeish's first match in charge was a 2008 European Championship qualifying match against Georgia which was won 2-1 by Scotland, making McLeish only the third Scotland manager to win in his first match in charge.[15]
World Cup record
Scotland have played at eight World Cup Finals[6] — including 5 consecutive tournaments from 1974 to 1990 — but have never progressed past the first round of the finals competition. They have missed out on progressing to the second round three times on goal difference: in 1974, when Brazil edged them out; in 1978, when the Netherlands progressed; and in 1982, when the USSR went through. Despite playing at eight finals tournaments they have qualified on nine occasions but the SFA declined to participate in 1950.
| Year | Result | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals Scored | Goals Against |
| 1930 | Did not enter | ||||||
| 1934 | Did not enter | ||||||
| 1938 | Did not enter | ||||||
| 1950 | Withdrew[16] | ||||||
| 1954 | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 1958 | Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 1962 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1966 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1970 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1974 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 1978 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 1982 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 |
| 1986 | Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 1990 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 1994 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1998 | Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 2002 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2006 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| Total | 23 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 25 | 41 |
European Championship record
Scotland have qualified for two European Championships but have failed to advance beyond the first round on both occasions, most recently at Euro 1996, where the Netherlands progressed on goal difference. Qualification for Euro 2008 started in 2006. Although Scotland’s form has improved of late, expectation is low after being drawn in the so called group of death.[17]
| Year | Result | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals Scored | Goals Against |
| 1960 | Did not enter | ||||||
| 1964 | Did not enter | ||||||
| 1968 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1972 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1976 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1980 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1984 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1988 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1992 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 1996 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2000 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2004 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| Total | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Stadium
Scotland normally play their home matches at Hampden Park (capacity 52,000) in Glasgow. Some matches, particularly friendlies, are occasionally played elsewhere, often at Hibernian's Easter Road ground and Aberdeen's Pittodrie Stadium. Scotland are one of the few UEFA members who play most of their matches in a city (Glasgow) other than the capital (Edinburgh).
There have been a few instances where competitive qualifying matches have been played outside of Hampden. Celtic Park, Ibrox Stadium, Pittodrie and Rugby Park all hosted matches in the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, while Hampden was unavailable due to the construction of the new South Stand. Similarly, Scotland played Euro 2000 qualifying matches at Celtic Park, Ibrox, Tynecastle Stadium and Pittodrie until Hampden's refurbishment was completed. Scotland recently played the Faroe Islands in their first Euro 2008 qualifier at Celtic Park, due to Hampden being hired out for a Robbie Williams concert on that date.
Supporters
In recent years, the Scottish team have become famous for their travelling support, known as the Tartan Army, who have won awards from UEFA for their combination of vocal support and friendly nature.[18] and were also named the World's Friendliest Fans during the 1998 World Cup. The Tartan Army are often considered amongst the world's best national team fans, famous supporters of the Scottish national side include Rod Stewart and Sean Connery.
Players
Current squad
- Goalkeepers
| Name | Age | Club | Caps (goals) | Debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Gordon | 24 | Heart of Midlothian |
21 (0) | v Trinidad & Tobago, May 30 2004 |
| Allan McGregor | 25 | Rangers |
0 (0) | v n/a |
| Iain Turner | 23 | Everton |
0 (0) | v n/a |
- Defenders
| Name | Age | Club | Caps (goals) | Debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graham Alexander | 35 | Preston North End |
28 (0) | v Nigeria, April 17 2002 |
| Russell Anderson | 28 | Aberdeen |
9 (0) | v Iceland, October 12 2002 |
| Gary Caldwell | 25 | Celtic |
23 (2) | v France, March 27 2002 |
| Alan Hutton | 22 | Rangers |
0 (0) | v n/a |
| James McEveley | 21 | Derby County |
0 (0) | v n/a |
| Stephen McManus | 24 | Celtic |
3 (0) | v Ukraine, October 11, 2006 |
| Gary Naysmith | 28 | Everton |
34 (1) | v Republic of Ireland, May 30, 2000 |
| Steven Pressley | 33 | Celtic |
32 (0) | v France, March 29, 2000 |
| David Weir | 37 | Rangers |
54 (1) | v Wales, May 27, 1997 |
- Midfielders
| Name | Age | Club | Caps (goals) | Debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Adam | 21 | Rangers |
0 (0) | v n/a |
| Scott Brown | 21 | Hibernian |
3 (0) | v United States, November 12 2005 |
| Barry Ferguson | 29 | Rangers |
37 (2) | v Lithuania, September 5 1998 |
| Darren Fletcher | 23 | Manchester United |
27 (4) | v Norway, August 20 2003 |
| Paul Hartley | 30 | Celtic |
13 (1) | v Italy, March 26 2005 |
| Lee McCulloch | 22 | Wigan Athletic |
10 (0) | v Moldova, October 13 2004 |
| Gary Teale | 28 | Derby County |
7 (0) | v Switzerland, March 1 2006 |
- Strikers
| Name | Age | Club | Caps (goals) | Debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Beattie | 23 | Celtic |
4 (1) | v Italy, September 3 2005 |
| Kris Boyd | 23 | Rangers |
7 (5) | v Bulgaria, May 11 2006 |
| James McFadden | 24 | Eveton |
31 (10) | v South Africa, May 20 2002 |
| Shaun Maloney | 24 | Aston Villa |
4 (0) | v Belarus, October 8 2005 |
| Kenny Miller | 27 | Celtic |
31 (9) | v Poland, April 25 2001 |
Notable former players
Players in bold have been inducted into the Scotland Football Hall of Fame.
Most capped players
| # | Player | Clubs[19] | Scotland career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenny Dalglish | Celtic, Liverpool | 1971-1986 | 102 | 30 |
| 2 | Jim Leighton | Aberdeen, Manchester United, Hibernian | 1982-1998 | 91 | 0 |
| 3 | Alex McLeish | Aberdeen | 1980-1993 | 77 | 0 |
| 4 | Paul McStay | Celtic | 1983-1997 | 76 | 9 |
| 5 | Tom Boyd | Motherwell, Chelsea, Celtic | 1990-2001 | 72 | 1 |
| 6 | Willie Miller | Aberdeen | 1975-1989 | 65 | 1 |
| 7 | Christian Dailly | Blackburn Rovers, Derby County, West Ham United | 1997-present | 63 | 6 |
| 8 | Danny McGrain | Celtic | 1973-1982 | 62 | 0 |
| 9 | Richard Gough | Dundee United, Tottenham Hotspur, Rangers | 1983-1993 | 61 | 6 |
| = | Ally McCoist | Rangers, Kilmarnock | 1985-1998 | 61 | 19 |
Highest goalscorers
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenny Dalglish | 1971-1986 | 102 | 30 |
| = | Denis Law | 1958-1974 | 55 | 30 |
| 3 | Hughie Gallacher | 1924-1935 | 20 | 24 |
| 4 | Lawrie Reilly | 1948-1957 | 38 | 22 |
| 5 | Ally McCoist | 1986-1998 | 61 | 19 |
| 6 | Robert Hamilton | 1899-1911 | 11 | 15 |
| 7 | Mo Johnston | 1984-1991 | 38 | 14 |
| 8 | Robert Smith McColl | 1896-1908 | 13 | 13 |
| 9 | Andrew Wilson | 1920-1923 | 12 | 12 |
| = | Alan Gilzean | 1963-1971 | 22 | 12 |
| = | Billy Steel | 1947-1953 | 30 | 12 |
| = | John Collins | 1988-1999 | 58 | 12 |
Managers
From 1872 - 1954 the Scotland national team was appointed by an selection committee.
| Manager | Scotland career | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Beattie
|
1954 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 33.3% |
| Dawson Walker[20]
|
1958 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 16.6% |
| Matt Busby
|
1958 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| Andy Beattie
|
1959-1960 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36.4% |
| Ian McColl
|
1960-1965 | 28 | 17 | 3 | 8 | 60.7% |
| Jock Stein
|
1965-1966 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 42.9% |
| John Prentice
|
1966 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0% |
| Malcolm MacDonald
|
1966-1967 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| Bobby Brown
|
1967-1971 | 28 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 32.1% |
| Tommy Docherty
|
1971-1972 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 58.3% |
| Willie Ormond
|
1973-1977 | 38 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 47.4% |
| Ally MacLeod
|
1977-1978 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 41.2% |
| Jock Stein
|
1978-1985 | 61 | 26 | 12 | 23 | 42.6% |
| Alex Ferguson
|
1985-1986 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 30% |
| Andy Roxburgh
|
1986-1993 | 62 | 23 | 19 | 20 | 37.1% |
| Craig Brown
|
1993-2002 | 70 | 32 | 18 | 20 | 45.8% |
 Berti Vogts
|
2002-2004 | 30 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 23.3% |
| Tommy Burns[21]
|
2004 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Walter Smith
|
2004-2007 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 43.8% |
| Alex McLeish
|
2007-Present | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
FIFA ranking
|
Current FIFA Ranking
|
UEFA Members Only
|
|
United Kingdom team
As a result of London's successful bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, it has been suggested that a one-off UK team be created for the tournament. However, the Scottish Football Association has stated that it will not participate in such a team as doing so could threaten the independent status of the Scottish side.[22]
Despite the opposition of the Scottish Football Association and that of the Football Association of Wales, which also opposes a UK wide team,[23] the formation of a UK squad comprising players from England and Northern Ireland seems likely.
See also
Notes
- ^ "This day in history". The History Channel. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
- ^ "A history of fierce football rivalry". BBC Sport. 1999-10-13. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Battle of Britain". BBC Sport. 1999-11-17. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Scotland 0 England 0". England Football Online. 2006-08-28. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "The Unofficial Football World Championships". UFWC. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
- ^ a b "Burley move pays off for Scotland". CNN. 1998-09-28. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Vogts unveiled by Scotland". BBC Sport. 2002-02-15. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Scotland hit new low in rankings". BBC Sport. 2004-11-10. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Vogts resigns from Scotland job". BBC Sport. 2004-11-01. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Berti Vogts personal statement". BBC Sport. 2004-11-01. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Scotland 1-0 France". BBC Sport. 2006-10-07. Retrieved 2006-10-07.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Japan 0-0 Scotland". BBC Sport. 2006-05-13. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Smith appointed boss of Rangers". BBC Sport. 2007-01-10. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "McLeish unveiled as Scotland boss". BBC Sport. 2007-01-29. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Hampden roars approval after win". BBC Sport. 2007-03-25. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Scotland qualified for the tournament but later withdrew as they were not British champions.
- ^ "Smith expects Scots' hardest task". BBC Sport. 2006-01-25. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "The Tartan Army". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
- ^ Only clubs played for while receiving caps are listed.
- ^ Dawson Walker was left in charge of the players due to the Munich air disaster, in which official manager Matt Busby was seriously injured.
- ^ Tommy Burns was manager on a caretaker basis only.
- ^ "No Scots for GB Olympic football". BBC Sport. 2005-11-11. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Wales oppose GB Olympic football". BBC Sport. 2005-12-06. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)