Scotland v Austria

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SCOTLAND v AUSTRIA / EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS / FIFA 2022 WORLD CUP 

Scottish FA 

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Glasgow 

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OFFICE BEARERS: 

President 

Rod Petrie 

Chief executive 

Ian Maxwell 

Vice-president 

Mike Mulraney 

Programme produced on 

behalf of the Scottish FA by 

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Production: David Middleton 

Photography: 

SNS Pix, PA Images 

Commissioning Editor: 

Ronnie Esplin 

Managing Editor: 

Ross MacDonald-Allan 

Please note that the views 

expressed in this programme 

do not necessarily reflect those 

of the Scottish FA. 

The Scottish Football Association 

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limited by guarantee, registered 

in Scotland, with its registered 

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SC005453. 

04 MANAGER’S WELCOME 

Steve Clarke looks forward to 

opening 2020 Qatar World Cup 

qualifying against Austria 

07 STRIKE FIRST, STRIKE HARD 

Scotland’s most recent 

qualifying win over Austria 

proved extremely valuable 

11 PETER LORIMER 1946-2021 

Tributes were paid last weekend 

to the Leeds and Scotland great 

12 MORE OF THE SAME 

Liam Palmer aims to enjoy 

that qualification feeling in 

consecutive years 

18 AUSTRIA IN NUMBERS 

20 HISTORY BOYS 

Tonight’s visitors are looking 

to achieve unprecedented 

qualifying success 

26 WE’VE MET BEFORE 

Scotland 2-0 Austria, 1997 

28 HANDBAGS AND RED RAGS 

The history of tonight’s fixture 

includes an unusual pitch 

invasion and abandoned 

Hampden clash 

34 ON THIS DATE 

Scotland 1-0 Northern Ireland 

36 PLAYER Q&A - GREG TAYLOR 

The Celtic defender is setting his 

sights on the 2022 World Cup 

42 JOURNEY OF CHANGE 

A new strategy is helping 

Scottish football become a more 

welcoming place for the LGBTI 

community 

47 ULTRAVOX AND TARTAN DOCS 

Scotland fan Tam Coyle looks 

back on his travels including 

several trips to Austria 

50 TONIGHT’S SQUADS 

OFFICIALS 

Referee: 

Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP) 

Assistant referee 1: 

Juan Carlos Yuste Jimenez (ESP) 

Assistant referee 2: 

Diego Barbero Sevilla (ESP) 

4th official: 

Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez 

(ESP) 

3 

HAMPDEN PARK / THURSDAY, 25 MARCH 2021


MANAGER'S WELCOME 

4 

Tonight’s match not only marks the 

return of international football after a 

four-month absence, but also begins 

what promises to be an exciting 2021 for 

the national team. 

When I took the job of Scotland Head Coach, 

I said that I wanted to put the smile back on the 

faces of the Scotland supporters. Victory in our 

play-off final in Serbia certainly achieved that 

and I am so pleased that we were able to give 

the nation something to cheer during what has 

been an incredibly tough time for everyone. 

While we can be rightfully pleased to have 

qualified for Euro 2020, it is vital that we put 

that aside for the next week and concentrate 

on the task in hand. We want to consistently 

qualify for World Cups and European 

Championships and we intend for tonight to be 

the start of our journey to Qatar. 

It is important to get this qualification campaign 

off to a good start and the focus of my staff 

and all the players this week has been on these 

three matches, beginning tonight with Austria. 

Austria will be formidable opposition, make no 

mistake about it. They have qualified for two 

consecutive European Championships, are 

ranked in the top 25 nations in the world and 

have many players in their squad playing at the 

top level across Europe. 

There was speculation in the build-up that 

Austria may not have been able to name many 

of their regulars in their squad, but my staff and 

I ignored the noise and have always prepared 

for them to be at full strength. 

Following the play-off success in November 

we were disappointed to lose our next two 

matches, albeit the performances arguably 

deserved more. There is still room for 

improvement, but I was pleased with the 

team’s progress over the autumn. 

We are pleased to welcome Grant Hanley 

and Jack Hendry back into the squad for these 

fixtures after a few years’ absence from the 

international scene. Jack has rediscovered 

his confidence playing in Belgium this 

season, while Grant brings a huge amount of 

experience in international football with him, 

as well as confidence from being a key part of 

a successful Norwich City side currently top of 

the English Championship. 

The two new faces in the squad, Kevin Nisbet 

and Ché Adams, both bring a goal threat into 

the group. My conversations with Ché left me in 

no doubt as to how eager he is to join us and I 

am very pleased that he has decided to commit 

to Scotland. Both Ché and Kevin have shown 

good goal-scoring form at club level this season 

and they now have the chance to prove they 

can do the same for their country. 

How the next week unfolds will go some 

way to determining whether this qualification 

campaign ends on a similar high to the last one. 

I have no doubt my players will give their all to 

ensure that it does. 

Thank you for your support. Enjoy the game. 

Steve Clarke 



5 



SCENESETTER 

STRIKE FIRST, 

STRIKE HARD 

Scotland’s most recent qualifying win over Austria 

proved extremely valuable 

By Liam McLeod, BBC Scotland 

Scotland’s qualification for the World Cup 

finals in 1998 was secured on the final 

match-day, when goals late in each half 

from Gordon Durie and Kevin Gallacher 

sealed a 2-0 win over Latvia at Celtic Park on 

11 October, 1997. 

Until last November, that 

date had been indelibly 

inked in Tartan Army 

minds as the last time 

the Scots had reached 

the finals of a major 

competition. 

And although that win 

handed them a passport 

to France, it was a game 

played six months earlier 

in Glasgow’s east end 

that helped truly provide 

the key. 

Looking back at that 

group reminds you of the 

importance of matches 

like tonight’s and those to 

come against Denmark, 

the two top seeds. 

This evening’s visit of 

Austria will be the first 

competitive meeting 

between the nations since 

Gallacher, enjoying the 

campaign from heaven, 

produced two of the 

defining moments that 

took the Scots to those 

finals and that famous 

opening game in Saint 

Denis against Brazil. 

Under the management 

of one of Vienna’s most 

famous sons, Herbert 

Prohaska, Austria would 

lose 2-0 as Craig Brown’s 

men landed a haymaker 

blow in the section with 

Gallacher’s second an 

absolute joy to behold at 

an electric Parkhead, one 

that is still replayed on the 

big screens at Hampden 

Park to this day. 

It proved to be the 

Austrians’ only defeat 

in the group and serves 

to remind us of the 

imperative of wounding 

the big beasts in these 

sections. 

The Scots had a 

magnificent campaign 

of their own with their 

only loss coming later 

that April in Gothenburg 

against a Sweden team 

they ultimately squeezed 

out on that last day 

thanks, mainly, to that 

win over Austria and a 

John McGinley and Jim 

Leighton-inspired victory 

over the Swedes at Ibrox. 

Reminders of what can be 

7 



achieved by taking care 

of all home games like 

this one. 

With Euro 2020 rapidly 

approaching, the Scots 

must, firstly, turn their 

attention to ending what 

will be a more than 24- 

year World Cup hiatus 

by the time the finals 

in Qatar roll around in 

November 2022. 

And, as ever, beginning 

at pace will be essential, 

particularly without the 

safety net of a play-off 

via the Nations League on 

this occasion. 

8 

The fixtures have 

provided Steve Clarke 

with a chance to do just 

that with this opening 

triple-header. After 

tonight’s test, a trip to 

face now familiar foes 

Israel awaits on Sunday 

and will be followed by 

the visit of the Faroe 

Islands back here next 

Wednesday. All of which 

offers a chance to get 

nine points on the board 

almost instantly. 

If you like an omen, the 

road to France began in 

1996 against tonight’s 

opposition and a wellearned 

0-0 draw in 

Vienna. 

Amidst the excitement of 

Belgrade in November, 

it is easy to lose sight of 

the significance of what 

begins right here and 

will rumble on after this 

summer’s party’s over. 

The start of a new 

campaign is always 

Scotland’s 

road to 

France 

‘98 began 

with a 

goalless 

draw in 

Vienna in 

1996 

something to look forward 

to, but perhaps even more 

so this time around given 

what this group of players 

has now achieved. 

Like the Scots, Austria 

haven’t had their 

qualifying issues to seek 

down the years. They 

too haven’t been to a 

World Cup since they 

both emerged from that 

group in 1997 and whilst 

they’ve been to two 

European Championship 

finals in that time, one of 

those came by virtue of 

co-hosting duties in 2008 

alongside Switzerland. 

There were some 

concerns that restrictions 

on travel amidst the 

Coronavirus pandemic 

would have deprived 

current boss Franco 

Foda of many of his top 

German-based stars, 

such as Bayern Munich’s 

David Alaba, captain 

Julien Baumgartlinger of 

Bayer Leverkusen and 

RB Leipzig striker Marcel 

Sabitzer. 

However, Germany 

recently removed the UK 

from a list of countries 

requiring a 14-day 

quarantine, as did France, 

meaning Foda has a 

full squad aside from 

Baumgartlinger who is 

out through injury. 

Hopefully the Scotland 

players will board their 

flight for Sunday’s second 

game in Israel having got 

off to the perfect start. 

That one will be the sixth 

meeting in two and a half 

years and the visitors 

will hope to reverse their 

fortunes in the middleeastern 

country after 

defeats in both their 

recent Nations League 

matches there. 



Unfortunately, red-hot 

striker Eran Zahavi is in 

terrific form for his club 

side PSV Eindhoven 

as he aims to continue 

his scoring run, which 

currently stands at an 

incredible 18 goals in his 

last 19 internationals. The 

Scots know all about the 

danger he poses given 

he has scored twice at 

Hampden and set up the 

winner in November’s 

Nations League meeting. 

Another familiar 

opponent, though not 

quite as recently, are the 

Faroe Islands, who the 

Scots last faced more 

than a decade ago in a 

Pittodrie friendly. 

The Faroes have only 

lost two of their last 

eight games, albeit many 

of those were against 

sides of a similar level 

in the Nations League. 

Nevertheless, that is 

their best ever run in 

competitive matches 

and they will be buoyant 

when they arrive in 

Glasgow next week 

should they manage to 

beat Moldova tonight 

ahead of their own game 

with Austria. 

However, buoyancy is 

something Scotland 

have in abundance 

right now with the 

intriguing additions 

of Ché Adams, Kevin 

Nisbet and a resurgent 

Jack Hendry all in with a 

chance of impressing the 

management team during 

this international camp. 

Southampton’s Adams 

has the pace to dovetail 

with Lyndon Dykes, 

Nisbet has seamlessly 

progressed to top-flight 

football with Hibernian 

while Hendry has been 

Kevin 

Nisbet 

and Ché 

Adams 

are new 

additions 

to Clarke’s 

squad 

a big part in unheralded 

Belgian side Oostende’s 

flirtation with a 

Champions League place. 

They, and the rest of what 

is a settled squad, will 

hope to ensure that this 

era produces more than 

one qualification. 

We will get a look at the 

other two sides in the 

group when the Scots 

face top and bottom 

seeds Denmark and 

Moldova before the return 

clash with the Austrians 

in September. 

And while all the games 

will throw up their own 

challenges, the fact the 

Scots have avoided the 

likes of Belgium, France 

and Spain is a massive 

boost before a ball is 

kicked in this campaign, 

as Clarke tries to guide 

these players into the first 

winter World Cup finals. 

9 



PETER LORIMER 

1946-2021 

Tributes were paid last weekend to the 

Leeds and Scotland great 

When Peter Lorimer opened 

the scoring for Scotland in the 

1974 World Cup finals, it was 

typical of the explosive shooting which 

was his trademark throughout an 

outstanding career. 

The attacker’s powerful volley from the edge 

of the box, following a knockdown from Leeds 

United team-mate Joe Jordan, sent Willie 

Ormond’s side on their way to a 2-0 win over 

Zaire in the Westfalenstadion, Dortmund. 

Lorimer played in all three group games in 

West Germany - there were subsequent 

draws against Brazil and Yugoslavia - before 

the Scots exited the tournament despite 

being unbeaten. 

The Dundonian, who died after a lengthy 

illness on 20 March, aged 74, made his 

Scotland debut off the bench for Bobby 

Brown’s side in a 2-0 defeat to Austria in a 

World Cup qualifier on 5 November, 1969. 

The last of his 21 caps was also as a 

substitute, in a 1-1 draw against Romania in a 

European Championship qualifier at Hampden 

Park on 17 December, 1975. 

Lorimer scored four international goals in 

total. His previous strikes came in wins 

against Northern Ireland and Wales in the 

1972 Home Internationals at Hampden Park, 

and a goal in the 2-0 World Cup qualifying 

victory against Denmark in the same year at 

the national stadium, where he also picked up 

a late red card. 

Lorimer became a legend at Elland Road 

where he played during the Yorkshire club’s 

glory days. He became the youngest player 

to play for Leeds at the age of 15 years 

and 289 days, and scored 238 goals in 705 

appearances during two spells at the club. 

By the time he finished his second spell at 

Elland Road 23 years after his debut - and 

after stints at Toronto Blizzard, Vancouver 

Whitecaps and York - he was United’s record 

goalscorer, and still is. 

Lorimer won two league titles, the FA Cup, 

the League Cup and the Inter City Fairs Cup, 

twice, during his first spell at Elland Road 

between 1962 and 1979, and played in 

numerous other finals including the 1975 

European Cup Final against Bayern Munich. 

For the Tartan Army, memories of Lorimer and 

1974 will abound. 

In BBC Scotland’s ‘That Was The Team 

That Was’ documentary, first released in 

2006, Lorimer, speaking about being the first 

country in World Cup history to go out on goal 

difference without losing a game, said: 

“I honestly don’t think there was a better 

squad of players that Scotland put together 

for a competition. 

“The belief in the squad and the quality in the 

squad was good enough to win a World Cup. 

Whether we would have gone on and done it, 

you can never say. To have been part of the 

squad was fantastic.” 

11 



MORE OF 

THE SAME 

Liam Palmer aims to enjoy that qualification 

feeling in consecutive years 

12 

By David McCarthy, Daily Record 

Scotland have found their 

pathway to the greatest show 

on earth blocked on each of the 

last five times they have walked it. 

This time, Liam Palmer believes, can be 

different. This time, he reckons, can be 

our time. 

The Sheffield Wednesday right-back’s 

confidence stems from the togetherness 

he has witnessed in Steve Clarke’s 

squad when Scotland’s backs were 

against the wall in the European 

Championship play-off final in Belgrade 

in November last year. 

Clarke’s men travelled to Serbia as 

underdogs, played superbly for 89 

minutes and were seconds away from 

the country’s first major finals since 

1998 before it was cruelly whipped 

away from them in the final seconds. Yet 

still they refused to yield, battled through 

extra-time and won it in that never-tobe-forgotten 

shootout. 

Palmer, who has seven caps to his 

name, kicked every ball from the bench 

that night but each and every member 

of the squad joined in celebrations 

that lasted long into the night and 

the defender, who can also play wingback, 

is convinced that the bond created 

by the players that evening can help 

them not only succeed at the Euros, but 

help the Scots qualify for next year’s 

World Cup. 

The journey to Qatar starts tonight 

against Austria at Hampden, then heads 

for Israel on Sunday before returning to 

the National Stadium for a clash with 

the Faroe Islands next Wednesday. 

Three games and nine points that will 

have a pivotal say on whether Clarke’s 

men are back at the big party at the 

sixth attempt, having failed to make it 

every time since France ‘98. 

“Playing at a World Cup is something 

that you dream about as a kid,” said the 



13 



29-year-old. “It is fair to say that it would 

be the pinnacle of my career. 

“And with it coming round every four 

years, you don’t get many chances - the 

lucky ones maybe get three chances. So, 

personally speaking, it would be right 

up there.” 

The squad’s 

togetherness 

will benefit 

Scotland’s 

qualification 

hopes, 

believes 

Palmer 

do that. The start can be crucial. You see 

that in league football as well. The start 

can have a big bearing on where you 

finish in the season. 

“Not only that, it is a platform to build on 

going forward, so we will definitely be 

looking for a good start. 

15 

Palmer reckons that tapping into 

the feelgood factor that followed 

qualification for the Euros can help 

Scotland make it a double celebration in 

terms of making it to the World Cup. 

He added: “Having come off the back 

of the Euros, with it being a delayed 

qualifying tournament, it is still quite 

fresh in our minds. So we know that 

feeling and starting again after just 

qualifying for the Euros, obviously 

everybody wants that feeling again. 

“To start on the road this month is big. 

It has been shown before how you start 

in these qualification campaigns can 

determine obviously how far you can go 

in terms of qualifying. 

“For the World Cup, we will be desperate 

to get off to a good start in these three 

games and will do everything we can to 

“It is a massive boost to have reached 

the Euros. It is something that has not 

happened for a while so to finally get it 

over the line, it was great to be a part 

of, being around the squad, travelling, 

you could see what it meant to the staff 

as well. 

“It had been so many years and it was 

a real lift in terms of team spirit and 

sharing that moment together knits that 

bond even more.” 

He believes that camaraderie is typified 

by his friendship with Motherwell rightback 

Stephen O’Donnell, the man with 

whom he vies so often for a starting slot. 

That, and looking around him and 

seeing what Palmer describes as ‘worldclass’ 

team-mates, has fired him with 

the belief that Scotland can get off to a 

flier tonight. 



16 



He said: “When I came in we fell across 

a team of young talented players so 

that obviously helps. It is great to see 

how they operate. 

“We have world-class players in 

the squad and going forward we 

should be looking to qualify for major 

tournaments. 

“It is one thing having a talented group 

of players but it is how you nurture 

that talent and how it fits together - 

preparation, hard work, a lot of things 

and different elements come into it. 

“We have found a way now, a settled 

formation and a way that the manager 

likes to operate that everyone has 

bought into and that is one of the 

positives we can carry on in that way. 

Another positive is how we all get on 

together. 

“Stephen (O’Donnell) has done really 

well in the games he has played. I am 

more concentrating on myself and what 

I can do, give a good impression when 

you are away, or with your club, and 

ultimately it is the manager’s decision. 

But when you get your chances, like the 

last camp, you have to try your best. 

The Sheffield 

Wednesday 

right-back 

has seven 

international 

caps 

“I get on with him really well, he’s a top 

guy, a fun character around the place. 

At the first camp he made me feel really 

welcome and I sit beside him on the 

plane and stuff. 

“Every position is competition for places, 

it is expected at that level and it is 

something players are used to with their 

clubs, every team has two if not three 

for each person. My remit is just to give 

my best when I get my chance.” 

And if he gets that opportunity in Qatar, 

he admits it will be the realisation of 

a dream. 

“You know, I used to love watching 

the Brazil sides of the past,” he said. 

“And there are always players who 

emerge from World Cups, like James 

Rodriguez who became a star overnight 

when he had a really good tournament 

for Colombia. 

“I remember looking at the talents 

coming through and everything about 

it really. Looking at the fans, when you 

look back at all the programmes they 

make after the World Cup, everyone 

has their face paint on. It galvanises 

a country.” 

17 



OPPOSITION FOCUS 

AUSTRIA 

IN NUMBERS 

1998 18 

44 

Last time Austria 

qualified for a World Cup 

finals, like Scotland. They 

were both in the same 

qualifying group. 

Anton ‘Toni’ 

Polster is 

the all-time 

leading 

goalscorer for 

Austria. 

1954 

Highest-placed finish in 

the World Cup for Austria. 

They finished third, losing 

to winners West Germany 

in the semi-final and 

beating Uruguay in the 

third-placed play-off. 

Andi Herzog is 

Austria’s record 

cap holder. 

103 

7Austria have featured in 

seven World Cup finals 

since their first in 1934. 

20 

The number of times 

Scotland and Austria 

have played each other 

(one game in 1963 was 

abandoned). 


9 

Biggest win was 9-0 

at against Malta in 

Salzburg in 1977. 

1902 

5 

Austria played their first game, 

a 5-0 win over Hungary in Vienna. 

0-0 

Scotland conceded five 

goals without reply in 

their first game against 

There has only been one 

Austria, a friendly in 1931. 

goalless draw between Scotland 

and Austria, coming in 1996. 


29 

Head coach Franco Foda 

cut his squad for the 

Scotland game from 43 

after rules were changed 

to allow German and 

France-based players to 

travel. 

There 

have been 

six draws 

between 

Scotland 

and 

Austria. 

19 

11 

Biggest defeat was a 

1-11 loss to England in 

Vienna in 1908. 

14 

The current Austria 

squad’s leading 

goalscorer is Bayern 

Munich defender 

David Alaba. 



20 



OPPOSITION FOCUS 

HISTORY BOYS 

Tonight’s visitors are looking to achieve 

unprecedented qualifying success 

ranco Foda goes into tonight’s 

opening World Cup qualifier 

Fagainst Scotland looking to make 

history with Austria. 

The last time Unsere Burschen (Our 

Boys) qualified for the finals of the 

greatest football show on earth was 

France 1998, just like Scotland. In fact, 

both countries were respective winners 

and runners-up in the same qualifying 

group. 

And just like Steve Clarke’s side, Austria 

have made it through to this summer’s 

delayed 2020 European Championship 

finals, although they also featured in the 

2008 and 2016 finals, unlike their hosts. 

Head coach Foda, who took charge in 

January 2018 after being named Marcel 

Koller’s successor months earlier, is 

hoping to qualify Austria for consecutive 

tournaments for the first time. 

However, with only one automatic 

qualifying place up for grabs this time, 

he knows it will not be easy to emerge 

triumphant from a six-team group that 

also contains Denmark, currently ranked 

12th in the world, Israel, Faroe Islands 

and Moldova. 

The 54-year-old former defender, who 

won two caps with then West Germany 

in 1987 and who is the first German to 

boss Austria, said: “The expectations 

of the fans in Austria are very high. It 

is, of course, our declared objective to 

represent Austria at the World Cup for 

the first time since 1998. 

“I’ve also told my players that they have 

a chance to make history. It would be 

the first time that an Austrian national 

team would be able to qualify for the 

Euros and the World Cup in succession. 

“It’s a very interesting and balanced 

group. Denmark are the slight favourites 

but anything is possible. I am always 

optimistic. In any case, we have the 

necessary quality. 

“But it is not an easy undertaking, we 

must not underestimate anyone in this 

group. 

“Under coach Steve Clarke, Scotland 

show a well-structured style of play. 

The team attaches great importance to 

a compact defence and concede few 

goals. 

“Scotland have top players like Andy 

Robertson, Scott McTominay and Kieran 

Tierney. Their qualification for the Euros 

- my congratulations on that - gave the 

team a lot of self-confidence.” 

Foda, who played for Kaiserslautern, 

Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart 

and Sturm Graz, among others, is no 

stranger to Scottish football and was a 

fan of former Scotland midfielder and 

manager Gordon Strachan. 

21 



Foda played for Austrian side Sturm 

Graz against Rangers in a Champions 

League opening-group stage game at 

Ibrox in September 2000. 

He, along with the rest of the visiting 

team, endured a tough night as the Ibrox 

side ran riot in a thumping 5-0 win. But 

Graz got the last laugh, winning 2-0 in 

the return game the following month 

and ultimately topping the group and 

going through to the knockout stages. 

“Well, the memories of the defeat in 

Glasgow are not the best, as you can 

probably imagine,” said Foda. “In the 

second leg, however, we set it right and 

advanced from the group.” 

“I remember Gordon Strachan very 

well,” he said. “I was impressed, 

especially by his running ability and his 

aggressiveness.” 

That was Foda’s final season as a 

player and he moved seamlessly 

into coaching with the club. He was 

caretaker boss when Sturm Graz played 

Livingston in the first round of the UEFA 

Cup in 2002, which turned out to be a 

free-scoring tie. 

23 

“WELL, THE MEMORIES OF THE 

DEFEAT IN GLASGOW ARE NOT 

THE BEST, IN THE SECOND LEG, 

HOWEVER, WE SET IT RIGHT AND 

ADVANCED FROM THE GROUP” 



Foda said: “That was in an early phase 

of my career as a coach when I took 

over from Ivica Osim. I have fond 

memories of the games because we 

made it to the next round. It was a 

perfect start for me.” 

The man from Mainz will be making 

his first appearance at Hampden Park 

but once again the national stadium will 

be empty of fans due to Coronavirus 

restrictions. 

He said: “Unfortunately I’ve never been 

there before, so I look very much forward 

to my team playing at Hampden Park, 

because it’s a big name in international 

football. 

24 

The Austrian outfit romped to a 5-2 

win in the first leg (pictured below) with 

Livi’s goals in the Stadion Graz-Liebenau 

coming in the dying minutes. Livingston 

won 4-3 in a storming return game in 

West Lothian but the visitors progressed 

through to the next round with an 8-6 

aggregate. 

“It is a great pity that the games have to 

be played without fans at the moment. 

Football is not the same. But health is 

most important right now. 

“We’re trying as hard as we can to make 

the fans happy in front of the TV and 

look forward to the day when we can 

welcome them back to the stadium.” 



“UNFORTUNATELY I’VE 

NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE, 

SO I LOOK VERY MUCH 

FORWARD TO MY TEAM 

PLAYING AT HAMPDEN PARK, 

BECAUSE IT’S A BIG NAME IN 

INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL” 

25 

Indeed, the ongoing ramifications and 

consequences of the pandemic had 

Foda fearing that Austria would travel to 

Glasgow with a weakened squad. 

He is grateful that the late relaxation of 

quarantine rules in Germany and France 

means he has been able to call on most 

of those who ply their trade in those 

countries, such as Bayern Munich’s 

David Alaba and RB Leipzig striker 

Marcel Sabitzer (pictured right), as well 

as Adrian Grbic of Lorient. 

Now he is looking forward to getting the 

World Cup qualifying campaign up and 

running and expects a “very close and 

intense” game at Hampden Park, before 

matches in Vienna against Faroes Island 

and Denmark. 

“After the turbulent week, we now want 

to focus on the sport,” he said. “We want 

to play variably and flexibly and we are 

able to play two or three systems. The 

direction is always the same - we want 

to attack the opponent early, capture the 

ball quickly and play quickly forward. It 

is game of great importance for both 

teams. 

“Both teams want to start the campaign 

successfully. We have a lot of quality 

in our squad, so we want to take three 

points with us back to Austria. It’s going 

to be very exciting.” 



26 

SCOTLAND 2 

AUSTRIA 0 

Wednesday 2 April, 1997 

World Cup Qualifier, Group F 

A brace from Kevin Gallacher put 

Scotland seven points clear at the top 

of their World Cup Qualifying group 

the last time they hosted Austria in 

competitive competition in 1997. 

The Blackburn striker’s goals were his 

first for his country in three-and-ahalf 

years as he linked well with strike 

partner Darren Jackson. It was the 

latter’s parried shot that Gallacher was 

on hand to tap in to open the scoring, as 

John Collins, Gary McAllister and Paul 

Lambert kept the visitor’s talismanic 

Andreas Herzog quiet. 

Gallacher’s second goal was a sublime 

dipping diagonal volley as, by his own 

admission, he crowned his “greatest 

night in a Scotland shirt”. 



27 



HANDBAGS 

AND RED RAGS 

The history of tonight’s fixture includes an unusual pitch 

invasion and abandoned Hampden clash 

28 

Scotland begin their World Cup 

qualifying campaign with a triple 

header. A home game against Austria 

tonight kicks off the quest for Qatar 

2022, before a trip to Israel and then 

a return to Hampden Park to face the 

Faroe Islands, all within a week. 

The last time the Scots played Das Team 

was in a friendly in May 2007 - and 

they were due to play the Faroe Islands 

the week later in a 2008 European 

Championship qualifier. 

As a reminder of how time flies in 

football, Rangers goalkeeper Allan 

McGregor, then in his first spell with the 

Ibrox club, made his international debut 

against the Austrians and two more 

Gers players, Charlie Adam and Alan 

Hutton, replaced Shaun Maloney and 

Graham Alexander to make their first 

appearances for their country. 

However, it was a man returning to 

the international scene, striker Garry 

O’Connor, who grabbed the headlines 

when he bagged the only goal of the 

game in the Gerhard Hanappi Stadium. 

The Lokomotiv Moscow striker had been 

welcomed back into the international 

fold by Alex McLeish after going AWOL 



29 

Top: Garry 

O’Connor 

provided 

the winner 

in 2007 

against 

Austria 

Left: Allan 

McGregor 

made his 

debut... 

Opposite: 

...as did 

Charlie 

Adam 

ahead of an earlier qualifier against 

Ukraine, just days after a remarkable 

victory over France during Walter 

Smith’s reign. 

The former Hibs forward had been 

omitted from McLeish’s first squad for 

the double header against Georgia and 

Italy, but was reinstated into the team 

and secured the win in the 59th minute 

when he pounced on a Kris Boyd flick 

before beating ‘keeper Helge Payer from 

eight yards. 



O’Connor said afterwards: “I’m 

absolutely delighted - I’ve been given 

a second chance by Alex and that’s 

payback. I’m just delighted to be back 

in the international scene and doing 

well. I’m happy to be part of the squad 

and I’m delighted to get a goal for the 

international team again.” 

O’Connor’s winner was in the 22nd 

meeting between the two countries (six 

draws, six Scotland victories) and the 

rivalry dates back 90 years to 16 May, 

1931 when Austria beat the Scots 5-0 

in a home friendly. 

Other meetings were not all that friendly. 

When Scotland lost 4-0 in Vienna 

in 1951, Billy Steel became the first 

Scottish player to be sent off in an 

international game, dismissed for 

retaliation. 

Team-mate Lawrie Reilly, in his book, 

‘The life and Times of Last Minute Reilly’, 

noted there had been a pitch invasion 

earlier and a woman had attacked 

Steel with her handbag as he made his 

way off. 

Billy Steel 

was 

the first 


player to 

be sent off 

against 

Austria in 

1951 

It wasn’t until the seventh meeting 

that Scotland emerged triumphant 

with a 4-1 friendly win in Austria 

in 1955. Austria had reached the 

semi-final of the 1954 World Cup in 

Switzerland after beating the Scots 

1-0 in the group stages, before 

losing 6-1 to eventual winners West 

Germany. 

In the days when a sending-off was 

rare, the home side were reduced to 

10 men during another battle. The 

Austrians’ approach was described by 

the Herald’s Cyril Horne as “amounting 

to assault and battery” and YouTube 

footage shows that local police had 

to restore order as fans tried to get at 

Scotland players. 

The challenge match at Hampden 

Park on 8 May, 1963, in front of 

around 95,000 fans was even more 

troublesome. Indeed, the game 

was abandoned by English referee 

Jim Finney after 79 minutes with 

Scotland leading 4-1 (doubles from 

Davie Wilson and Denis Law) as the 

Austrians lost their discipline. 

31 



Horst Nemec was sent packing after 

Law scored the fourth and then Erich 

Hof was dismissed on 78 minutes for a 

foul on Willie Henderson. 

Having had Fritz Rafreider injured just 

after half-time (no substitutes were 

allowed after half-time), Austria were 

down to eight men and, following 

a clash between Law and Austrian 

goalscorer Anton Linhart, Finney 

walked off. 

Speaking in a Herald interview in 2013, 

Davie Gibson, the former Hibs and 

Leicester player who made his debut 

in the game, said: “I still, 50 years on, 

cannot work out why the Austrians lost 

the plot as they did. 

“Apart from Bill Brown and Ian Ure, we 

didn’t have a player taller than five foot 

eight or nine. They were bigger than us 

but, while they were happy to dish it out, 

they weren’t so happy when the likes of 

Denis Law kicked them back. And with 

us winning easily and stroking the ball 

about they lost it completely. 

“In fact, I feared it might have been 

abandoned earlier. Horst Nemec, 

their centre forward, spat at referee 

Jim Finney and was sent off. I felt Jim, 

England’s top referee at the time, 

might have abandoned the game there 

and then.” 

The next time the two sides faced each 

other in a competitive environment was 

in the 1970 World Cup qualifiers where 

Scotland won 2-1 at home and lost 2-0 

away, ultimately failing to get to the 

Mexico finals. 

The countries were also in the 

same group for the 1980 European 

Championship qualifiers. Scotland went 

down 3-2 in the away fixture then 

drew 1-1 at Hampden but again, after 

finishing fourth in a five-team group, 

failed to qualify for the Euros in Italy. 

There was more joy in the 1998 

World Cup qualification campaign 

where the Scots drew 0-0 in Vienna 

before winning 2-0 at Celtic Park. 

Kevin 

Gallacher 

wheels 

away after 

scoring for 

Scotland in 

their 1997 

World Cup 

qualifier 

Kevin Gallacher grabbed a double in 

a dramatic night in the east end of 

Glasgow on 2 April, 1997. His first came 

after good work by Darren Jackson 

allowed him the chance to thrash the 

ball high into the net from six yards, and 

his second was a wonderful volley from 

inside the box after the break. 

The victory stretched Scotland’s lead 

over Austria in Group Four to seven 

points but Scotland manager Craig 

Brown warned: “The section is by no 

means over. There’s a lot of work to do 

before we can say we’re going to France. 

Any complacency could cost us. 

“But we played the European style 

tonight which we’ve been trying to 

develop. We’re getting better at keeping 

the ball. We played Austria at their own 

style and came out on top.” 

Brown’s caution was warranted. In a 

six-team group, the Scots finished two 

points behind group winners Austria. 

However, qualification criteria meant 

both countries went to France. 

No-one in the Tartan Army needs 

reminding that 1998 was the last time 

Scotland reached the World Cup finals 

and, on the back of qualifying Euro 2020, 

boss Steve Clarke will be looking to get 

this campaign off to a flier. 

33 



34 



35 

MAR 

25 

ON THIS 

DATE... 

SCOTLAND 1-0 NORTHERN IRELAND 

Wednesday 25 March, 2015 | International Friendly 

Christophe Berra marked his first international appearance in 16 months 

with the only goal of the game, as Scotland edged Northern Ireland in a 

Home Nations friendly at Hampden Park on this date in 2015. 

Matt Ritchie’s right-wing corner was headed home five minutes from time 

by the-then Ipswich Town defender, as Gordon Strachan’s side started 

2015 on a winning note. 

The result extended Northern Ireland’s winless run in international friendlies 

to nine years, while Scotland, inspired by a Steven Fletcher hat-trick, put six 

past Gibraltar four days later in a European Championship Qualifier. 



TAYLOR SETTING SIGHTS ON 

WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION 

FOLLOWING EUROS SUCCESS... 

By Michael Lamont, Scottish FA 

36 

Greg Taylor has qualified for a Euros 

with his country and lifted the Scottish 

Cup within the last six months. Now he 

has a World Cup in his sights. 

Despite a frustrating season for Celtic, 

the 23-year-old has been a regular in 

Steve Clarke’s squads of late and across 

the next three games he will be aiming 

to add to his four caps, the most recent 

of which was gained in Scotland’s last 

match at Hampden. 

Against Scotland’s Euro 2022 group 

opponents, Czech Republic, Taylor 

started on the left flank as his side 

marched to a 1-0 victory. 

Scotland’s next match was the famous 

win in Serbia and with the country still 

on a high from that success Taylor is 

confident this group of players can use 

the feel-good factor to propel them to 

a positive start in the group, starting 

tonight against Austria. 

QHow much are you looking 

forward to these upcoming 

games, especially given the buzz 

around the national team right now? 

AI love coming away with the 

national team and every time 

I see my name on that squad list I get a 

feeling of immense pride. It’s just a huge 

honour, especially for these upcoming 

games. We want to start well and we’ve 

got a great chance of doing that with 

three consecutive matches. The last 

thing we want to do is to be chasing our 

tail come the end of the campaign. 

We’ve avoided a lot of the so called 

bigger nations in the group but at 

international level, every side is top 

class. I’ve noticed in the games I’ve 

played that all of the players handle the 

ball well and are tactically astute. We’re 

up against top quality opposition tonight 

and then we know that Israel are strong 

having faced them a few times recently. 

Prior to the last two games we were 

unbeaten for a number of matches and 

that really helped the belief within the 

camp. It’s important to recognise that 

we have lost the last couple though, so 

we can’t be complacent just because 

we’ve qualified for the Euros. We know 

we need to bounce back and recapture 

the form that enabled us to qualify. 

QDo these matches also represent 

a chance to stake your claim for 

a place in the Euros squad, as well as 

helping Scotland return to a World 

Cup? 

AWhether it’s playing for Celtic 

or Scotland I’m always trying to 

impress and I now have the ultimate 

motivation in the summer of the 

European Championships. That is 



37 



38 

something that’s spurring us all on. At 

every opportunity I’ll be trying to catch 

the manager’s eye, along with everyone 

else. We’re all desperate to represent 

Scotland at a major tournament. These 

three games give us a great opportunity 

to not only reach another tournament 

but also ensure we’re in the manager’s 

thoughts for Euro 2020. 

QWhat are your memories from 

that game in Serbia? Was it nerve 

wracking watching from the sidelines? 

AI think you probably always feel 

more nervous when you’re on 

the side watching than when you are 

playing. My emotions were all over the 

joint when I was watching that match 

but it was sheer elation at the end. The 

way everyone felt after the penalty save 

was like nothing I’ve ever experienced 

before. 

As soon as we’d won my first thought 

was to get to Marsh as soon as possible. 

To be a part of a squad that achieved 

something so historic was special. 

QAfter the game, there were videos 

circulating of you running up to 

Kieran Tierney in the dressing room 

asking him to play ‘Yes Sir, I can 

Boogie’. The scenes that followed were 

quite special weren’t they? 

AI’m not too sure why I was so 

eager to get it on but I think it 

was probably because it is so well 

associated with big Andy (Considine). 

It’s always a good laugh when KT 

(Kieran Tierney) is on the tunes and that 

was the first protocol as soon as we got 

in the dressing room, to make sure we 

had the right tunes on to celebrate. It 

was mental how much everything just 

catapulted from there and the whole 

nation was singing the song. There were 

so many good memories from that night 

and that one is certainly up there. 

QDid it feel surreal to be part of the 

group that ended the long wait to 

qualify for a major tournament, given 

you had never seen your country play 

at the biggest stage when you were 

growing up? 

Unfortunately I wasn’t on the pitch 

but the way I looked at it was that I 

was a fan inside the ropes. Regardless 

of whether I was there, or at home 

watching on the TV, I would have been 

there cheering them on so to actually be 

part of the squad was brilliant. 



QAre you sensing the buzz around 

the national team right now? 

AIt’s a credit to the squad the 

amount of positivity that’s around 

the national team at the moment. We 

want that to continue and be the new 

norm, for everyone to be feeling positive 

about the national team. We want to 

keep getting positive results and that all 

starts with these two matches. 

It’s been nice to see all the various 

things that have been released off 

the back of qualification like the 

sticker albums. That’s great for all 

the young kids as I 

remember doing the same thing when 

I was their age. It’s amazing for the 

younger generation to have a Scotland 

team to support at a major tournament. 

QThe Scotland squad seems like a 

really close-knit group right now. 

How important is that? 

AIt’s important to win games, 

first and foremost, as often the 

atmosphere in camp will be improved 

when you’re doing well on the park. We 

went on such a good unbeaten run last 

year, so when you get those results you 

naturally become closer as a squad. It’s 

a great group of lads and every ego is 

parked when you enter the camp so it’s 

always an enjoyable 10 days. 

Naturally I’m closer to the Celtic boys 

like Ryan Christie and Callum McGregor 

but you get close to other lads too. I 

didn’t really know KT (Kieran Tierney) 

prior to playing with Scotland but he’s 

someone I’ve developed a really good 

friendship with. He’s someone I look 

forward to seeing when I go away. 

The more we got chatting and 

39 



clowning about the more we realised 

our similarities, so I enjoy spending time 

with him in and around the camp. 

With the current Covid regulations in 

place it’s become harder to socialise but 

you still have opportunities, like at dinner 

when you’re in smaller groups and can 

properly socially distance. 

I take my PlayStation away with me and 

play online against the boys at FIFA and 

Call of Duty. I often get cast aside when 

it comes to Call of Duty as I’m rotten at 

that. I’m not bad at FIFA though. Scott 

McTominay is the best at it in the squad 

I think. I’ve played him a few times and 

he’s hammered me. He’s a level above 

when it comes to that. 

QSteve Clarke has been influential 

in your career so far and made a 

huge impact with the national team. 

What is he like as a leader? 

AHe’s been top class for me, at both 

club and country, and we’ve got 

a great relationship. I’m very grateful 

for the opportunities he’s given me 

and I can only thank him for what he’s 

done for me. I enjoy learning from him 

every time I get the opportunity. He has 

improved me immensely. 

His organisation and instruction is 

second to none. He simplifies what 

seems a complicated game and he 

ensures you go into a match knowing 

your role and what you need to do. 

QYou made your Scotland debut 

against Belgium in 2019. How 

have you developed since then? 

AMy Scotland debut coincided with 

me moving to Celtic, so as you 

move to a higher level and play with 

better players you benefit from that. I’ve 

been lucky enough to do that and I’ve 

enjoyed every opportunity I get to play 

with Celtic as it really brings me on as a 

player. I love playing there and learning 

every day from top coaches like John 

Kennedy. It’s been a quick couple of 

years but ones I’ve really enjoyed. 

QThe three upcoming games will 

once again be played with no 

Scotland supporters in attendance. 

How desperate are you to see them 

return when the time is right? 

ACertainly at club level, it’s been 

a huge miss as you’re used to 

playing in front of 60,000 every other 

week and that’s the same with Scotland. 

When you’ve got a full Hampden 

it helps massively on the pitch and 

hopefully they’ll be gradually coming 

back as we’ve missed that support. The 

buzz around the team is huge right now 

and I’m sure the place would have been 

rocking tonight, but hopefully their return 

isn’t too far away. 

41 



SFA INITIATIVE 

‘JOURNEY OF CHANGE’ 

A new strategy is helping Scottish football become a more welcoming 

place for the LGBTI community 

42 

The Scottish FA’s drive for inclusivity within 

football stepped up again over the last year 

and David McArdle sees increasing evidence 

for optimism in the “journey of change”. 

A new national strategy to remove the 

barriers which prevent lesbian, gay, bisexual, 

transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people 

from accessing, participating, enjoying 

and excelling across Scottish football was 

launched at Hampden Park in February 2020. 

The Scottish FA’s strategy, in conjunction 

with LEAP Sports (Leadership, Equality and 

Active Participation in Sports for LGBTI people 

in Scotland) and Football v Homophobia 

Scotland (an international initiative opposing 

homophobia in football at all levels) set out 

to tackle discrimination while improving the 

inclusion of LGBTI people across football. 

The initiative opposes homophobia, biphobia, 

and transphobia in football at all levels - from 

grassroots to professional clubs - and it is 

much needed. 

The 2020 publication of the Scottish 

Football Supporters Survey showed less than 

half of fans surveyed feel Scottish football is 

an inclusive place for people of any sexual 

orientation. 

McArdle, diversity and inclusion manager at 

the Scottish FA, said: “More clubs are feeling 

more comfortable to speak about the issues. 

“We are going through a club licensing 

process so clubs are in a much better place to 

have it in their structures. 

“We have been working hard with LGBTI fan 

groups around the country like Celtic Pride, 

HAMPDEN PARK The / phrases THURSDAY, ‘homophobia 25 MARCH 2021 in football’ or ‘transphobia in football’ are often used without 

 

homophobia and transphobia are not uniform phenomena experienced in the same


Ibrox Pride, Tynecastle Pride and Proud Dons 

to make sure they have an appropriate voice 

within their club structures. 

“We will be doing other things around raising 

awareness, through education, policies and 

procedures to allow the game to have that 

journey of change. 

“Clubs like Partick Thistle have done amazing 

work over the last number of years where 

they quite regularly have the LGBTI fan 

group Proud Jags on the pitch to promote 

themselves and obviously they had the LGTBI 

away shirt with the rainbow colours on it. 

“Just because fans are from the LGBTI 

community, it doesn’t mean they are any less 

passionate about their football club and it 

is something we really encourage and are 

delighted to see flourish and grow.” 

McArdle knows there is no quick-fire solution 

to inclusivity problems in Scottish football, 

with its historical masculine culture. A 2016 

Stonewall Scotland survey showed that 82 

per cent of Scottish fans who had 

witnessed anti-LGBT language or 

behaviour at a sporting event, said 

that it took place 

in relation to 

football. 

He said: “We 

are not saying 

people are 

homophobic 

because they 

use that type 

Above: Hugh Torrance, executive director at LEAP Sports, Sirri 

Topping participation and engagement manager at LEAP Sports, 

Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell, Carolina Sousa e Sá, Project 

Officer (Communities) at LEAP Sports and David McArdle, Scottish 

FA’s diversity and inclusion manager 

of ‘banter’. I’d say 99 per cent just don’t 

understand how certain words and phrases 

affect people around them. It is not okay 

to use them as a cheap joke. It has hurtful 

connotations and hurtful aspects, making 

people feel they can’t be themselves.” 

Sirri Topping, participation and engagement 

manager with LEAP Sports Scotland, which 

works for greater inclusion for LGBTI people 

in sport and against homophobia, biphobia 

and transphobia in a sports context, has been 

working with the Scottish FA for four years. 

She also believes that the most contentious of 

terms, ‘banter’, lies at the heart of much of the 

problems experienced by LGBTI people who 

are involved in Scottish football. 

Topping said: “We know from research, 

personal testimony, enquiries and the 

experiences of the LGBTI community that 

homophobia, biphobia and transphobia 

43 


THE LONG ROAD BACK 

The story of Scotland’s unprecedented journey to 

a major tournament for the first time in a generation 

is to be published as an official book. 

To be published in May by Ignition Sports Media priced at £14.99, 

with pre-orders opening from April 12th. 

Visit www.ignitionsportsmedia.com and click on the 

Scottish Football tab for more details.


is a problem in football. When we have 

conversations with people in football they find 

that 

hard to believe, but that is what we are 

hearing and that is what the research says. 

discrimination based on sexual orientation or 

gender identity. 

McArdle said: “We are implementing it into our 

coach education pathway so that as coaches 

“Yes, FvH banter Scotland is a believe huge problem that education across the is central to creating a long term culture shift away 

go through the system it will be a requirement 

board from and homophobia. it is one of the We things encourage that is you to educate yourself and those in your organisation 

to undertake this course. 

hard so that to tackle. they are A lot aware of people of the who issues practise which may arise, are alert and responsive 

homophobic to homophobic banter abuse, wouldn’t and consider are proactive in creating “The initiative an inclusive has been environment. really welcomed A and 

themselves 

homophobic. It has just become an already more than 300 coaches have gone 

ingrained about LGBTI part of equality the language related of issues, football. and provide through them with the course. the skillset to respond to 

homophobia in the most effective way. 

“But things like that have a huge impact on “We are making sure that coaches, whether 

anyone who is perhaps gay. It is negative they are Pro-Licence, A License or B Licence 

Although considerable progress has been made in wider Scottish society, many people 

and it sends out a message that football is coaches, are much more rounded and aware 

view football as a space in which it is still fair game to use homophobic terms such as 

not for them. 

of the wider community. 

‘poof’, ‘faggot’ and ‘you’re playing like a girl’. On the other hand, some people use this 

“It language has always as been ‘banter’ issue without in football. thinking The that what “The they feedback are saying from has the an course impact shows on those that this 

biggest around thing them, needed is homophobic, is someone and to call may it out. in fact be is illegal an area (Equality that needs Act to 2010). be addressed Education and is the 

But the the key more to unlocking we educate a realisation ourselves and amongst bring those coaches practising are beginning homophobia. to see how the benefit 

in more policy and procedure into clubs, we of having the information available is going to 

will LGBTI see less inclusion of it.” requires more than just the absence help the of wider homophobia. game.” It is important to 

The be Scottish aware of FA other is ensuring barriers education faced by around LGBTI people and understand how these impact on 

Topping added: “The e-learning has the 

the access issue continues. to and satisfaction Last month with an e-learning football. For example, stereotypes surrounding football 

potential to make a huge impact. We are 

course, and lesbian which can gay be and accessed bisexual by people anyone create a complex terrain, whilst accessibility can 

going to have coaches who are going to be 

involved cause problems within Scottish for trans football people. and beyond, Familiarising those in your organisation with these 

much more informed and empathetic, and able 

was issues launched. can make you more approachable and give you food for thought on how best to 

to truly welcome the LGBTI community into 

remove these barriers. 

It coincided with the Football v Homophobia football. So I am really pleased with the way 

month of action, which used the month of things are going and there is other work in 

February to promote positive action against the pipeline.” 

45 


If you’ve played The National 

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www.sportscotland.org.uk


ULTRAVOX AND 

TARTAN DOCS 

Scotland fan Tam Coyle looks back on his travels 

including several trips to Austria 

I 

started going to Hampden Park for 

the old Home Internationals in 1975, 

‘borrowing’ my sister’s Bay City 

Rollers scarf, which has been at every 

Scotland game with me since. 

Being Glasgow-based I’m lucky in that 

I have only missed a handful of home 

games in the last 46 years. I’m also 

fortunate that following Scotland has 

taken me all over the world with Austria 

a favourite country for a rather simple 

reason which we will get to later. 

My first away game was in the back 

of a transit van with a dozen other 

Clydebank fans to Cardiff in 1985, and 

it is a night that no-one who was there 

will ever forget. 

A former Bankies player, the late Davie 

Cooper, scored the penalty in the 1-1 

draw against Wales that got us to the 

1986 World Cup play-offs, but it was 

the night that we lost big Jock Stein, who 

died at the final whistle. 

My first trip outside the UK was when 

I signed up with the legendary Partick 

Thistle International Travel Section, the 

forerunner of the West Of Scotland 

Tartan Army (WESTA), with whom I 

have travelled with for the majority of 

my away trips ever since. 

We travelled by bus from Glasgow to 

Luxembourg in December 1987 for 

the last game of the disappointing 

campaign when we failed to qualify for 

the 1988 European Championship. 

And what a trip. We got to Dover and 

just managed to get the last ferry to 

Calais before the port closed, as it was 

blowing a Force 8 gale, and the crossing 

was hellish. It was the last thing a bus 

full of Tartan Army needed after a 10- 

hour journey from Glasgow and a large 

percentage of the passengers lost the 

contents of their stomach on board. 

Around 300 Scots watched a dreadful 

0-0 draw which, if my memory is 

correct, was Luxembourg’s first point 

in a qualifier for 16 years! The biggest 

positive was the friendships that were 

formed with at least two people on that 

bus that I still travel with nearly 40 years 

later. 

There have been many, many 

memorable trips since, although the 

47 



advent of low-cost airlines and social 

media have resulted in two major 

changes to the plans of the travelling 

Scotland fans. Firstly, there is no need 

to book for at least seven days to take 

advantage of cheaper flights through 

staying over a Saturday night (these 

were in the glorious days of every away 

international being on a Wednesday). 

And there is now social media and the 

number one Tartan Army rule of ‘what 

goes on tour, stays on tour’ has long 

been forgotten in the era of the dreaded 

camera phone. 

A few highlights over the years include 

the three-second game in Tallinn (when 

Estonia did not turn up), the subsequent 

trip to play them in Monaco (another 

glorious 0-0 draw) and a fantastic trip 

to Hong Kong where the Tartan Army 

had a week which can only be described 

as ‘cheeky nonsense’ from beginning 

to end. 

Kenny Nicol, 

Elise Birks 

and Iain 

Clarkson, 

along with 

Tam Coyle 

outside 

the Azteca 

Stadium 

before the 

Mexico v 


friendly in 

2018 

48 



There was also the WESTA ‘wee happy 

bus’, a 19-seater driven by a Gilbert 

O’Sullivan lookalike from Airdrie, which 

in 1993 went from Glasgow-Paris- 

Milan-Rome for an Italy v Scotland 

game (we lost 3-1, although Kevin 

Gallacher scored a cracker), then 

returned via the same route on a trip 

which was an absolute joy. I met people 

that I still travel with to this day. 

Seeing Scotland lift the Kirin Cup and 

spending a fortnight in Japan was also 

unforgettable, as was the relatively 

recent trip to Peru and Mexico with the 

highlight arguably being a trip to Machu 

Picchu where an Alpaca took a liking to 

my Tartan Trilby. 

Like many fans of my generation my 

fashion sense has changed dramatically 

over the years and the denims/Scotland 

top/scarf has gradually been updated by 

a tartan trilby/pipers’ jacket/kilt and my 

infamous tartan Docs boots, which have 

served me so well over the last 20 years. 

Being a DJ in the so-called ‘day job’ has 

also resulted in many adventures over 

the years and enabled me to start DJ-ing 

in the Shed nightclub near Hampden 

Park, where I have hosted pre-match 

events for the last few years. 

That’s where Austria comes in. The 

trusty laptop taking over from vinyl has 

enabled me to DJ at many a Scotland 

away trip since the first event which, 

was in Graz before our 2-2 draw with 

Austria on 17 August, 2005 - my 

birthday! 

The venue for the ‘Nicht Afore Party’ 

was sourced by local-based Tartan 

Army footsoldier Mark Dickson and it 

was particularly memorable as it was 

a basement venue which stayed on till 

6am. Scotland fans mingled with the 

locals and it was a very happy and 

lubricated Tartan Army that left in the 

daylight hours. 

Kenny Miller 

scores 

against 

Austria in 

the 2005 

friendly 

As for the game, my memory is of a 

very positive first half with very welltaken 

goals by Kenny Miller and Garry 

O’Connor. Walter Smith made four 

changes at half-time, including Rab 

Douglas for a young Craig Gordon in 

between the sticks, and things were 

petering out for a fine Scotland away 

win when Austria scored a cracker with 

seven minutes to go. Then Douglas 

fumbled a late shot which meant Austria 

earned an undeserved draw, with the 

Tartan Army telling the locals in the 

Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium that, 

“I’ll be back”. 

Vienna two years later was very similar. 

By then the parties were beginning to 

take shape, playing party favourites 

as well as Tartan Army classics with 

always a nod to the city/country we 

were playing in, which always meant 

some dreadful Europop becoming the 

favourite of the trip (aye, I am talking 

about Ultravox). 

This time, at the Ernst Happel Stadium, 

home of Rapid Vienna and under Alex 

McLeish, we won 1-0 thanks to another 

goal by O’Connor. 

I recall that the stunning architecture of 

Vienna impressed many of the Tartan 

Army but ‘it meant nothing to me’... 

49 



50 

MANAGER: 

Steve Clarke 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

Craig Gordon 

Heart of Midlothian 

David Marshall 

Derby County 

Jon McLaughlin 

Rangers 

Andrew Considine 

Aberdeen 

Declan Gallagher 

Motherwell 

Grant Hanley 

Norwich City 

Jack Hendry 

KV Oostende 

Scott McKenna 

Nottingham Forest 

Stephen O’Donnell 

Motherwell 

Liam Palmer 

Sheffield Wednesday 

Andy Robertson 

Liverpool 

Greg Taylor 

Celtic 

Kieran Tierney 

Arsenal 

Stuart Armstrong 

Southampton 

Ryan Christie 

Celtic 

John Fleck 

Sheffield United 

John McGinn 

Aston Villa 

Callum McGregor 

Celtic 

Kenny McLean 

Norwich City 

Scott McTominay 

Manchester United 

Che Adams 

Southampton 

Lyndon Dykes 

Queens Park Rangers 

Ryan Fraser 

Newcastle United 

Oliver McBurnie 

Sheffield United 

Kevin Nisbet 

Hibernian 

AUSTRIA 

MANAGER: 

Franco Foda 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

Heinz Lindner 

Basel 

Pavao Pervan 

VfL Wolfsburg 

Alexander Schlager 

LASK 

Daniel Bachmann 

Watford 

Aleksandar Dragović 

Bayer Leverkusen 

David Alaba 

Bayern Munich 

Martin Hinteregger 

Eintracht Frankfurt 

Stefan Lainer 

Borussia Mönchengladbach 

Andreas Ulmer 

Red Bull Salzburg 

Christopher Trimmel 

Union Berlin 

Stefan Posch 

1899 Hoffenheim 

Gernot Trauner 

LASK 

Philipp Lienhart 

SC Freiburg 

Marco Friedl 

Werder Bremen 

Stefan Ilsanker 

Eintracht Frankfurt 

Valentino Lazaro 

Borussia Mönchengladbach 

Alessandro Schöpf 

Schalke 04 

Florian Grillitsch 


Louis Schaub 

Luzern 

Xaver Schlager 

VfL Wolfsburg 

Reinhold Ranftl 

LASK 

Christoph Baumgartner 


Yusuf Demir 

Rapid Wien 

Marcel Sabitzer 

RB Leipzig 

Michael Gregoritsch 

FC Augsburg 

Karim Onisiwo 

Mainz 05 

Adrian Grbić 

Lorient 

Saša Kalajdžić 

VfB Stuttgart 

Ercan Kara 

Rapid Wien 


@TennentsLager 

TENNENT’S AND THE RED T ARE REGISTERED 

TRADEMARKS OF C&C GROUP PLC.

Scotland v Austria

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