Scotland v Israel

LAND 3 IS 

3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTL 

D 3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 IS 

RAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTL 

1 SCOTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 ISR 

3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTLA 

1 SCOTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 ISR 

ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTLA 

SCOTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 ISRA 

ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAN 

SCOTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 ISRA 

ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAN 

SCOTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 ISRAE 

RAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAND 

COTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 ISRAE 

RAEL 1 SCOTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCO 

COTLAND 3 ISRAEL 1 SCO 

RAEL 1 SCOTLAN 

OTLA

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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 

Ignition Sports Media 

ignitionsportsmedia.com 

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 Limited is a 

private company limited 

by guarantee, registered in 

Scotland, with its registered 

office at Hampden Park, 

Glasgow G42 9AY and 

company number SC005453. 

IN THIS ISSUE... 

04 / MANAGER’S NOTES 

Steve Clarke welcomes a full 

house back to Hampden Park 

for the visit of Israel 

06 / HAMPDEN ROARS 

ONCE MORE 

This Scotland team have 

attracted a sell-out crowd for 

tonight’s crucial qualifier 

12 / EMPTY HOME 

TO FULL HOUSE 

Like the Scotland fans, 

Covid-19 forced Ryan Christie 

to watch the last visit of Israel 

from his sofa 

18 / WE’VE MET BEFORE 

Scotland 3-2 Israel 

(20 November, 2018) 

20 / THE HAMPDEN FACTOR 

Beram Kayal believes the 

Scotland fans could play a 

major role 

26 / ISRAEL IN NUMBERS 

28 / PREVIOUS MEETINGS 

Tonight’s match is the seventh 

encounter between the teams 

inside three years 

34 / ON THIS DATE 

Scotland 0-1 Norway 

36 / TURNBULL Q&A 

Celtic midfielder relishing big 

time atmosphere at Hampden 

42 / ROUGH LUCK 

The Scotland goalkeeper endured 

some unusual soakings in our 

first encounter with Israel 

48 / SAME TOON, 

DIFFERENT SONG 

Another Scotland head coach 

will be watching closely as Steve 

Clarke’s side take on Israel 

54 / TEAM UNITED 

A new league has been launched 

for a group of young people 

who had limited opportunities in 

football 

60 / LAST TIME OUT 

Ohhhh Vienna as Lyndon Dykes 

strikes the right note 

63 / TARTAN ARMY 

Scotland fan Ross Mitchell 

recalls an eventful trip to 

Israel for a World Cup qualifier 

66 / TONIGHT’S SQUADS 

MATCH OFFICIALS 

Referee: 

Szymon Marciniak (POL) 

Assistant referee 1: 

Paweł Sokolnicki (POL) 

Assistant referee 2: 

Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL) 

4th official: 

Tomasz Musial (POL) 

HAMPDEN PARK / SATURDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2021 

SCOTLAND v ISRAEL / 3

HAMPDEN PARK / SATURDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2021 SCOTLAND v ISRAEL / 4 

MANAGER’S NOTES 

Good evening and welcome to Hampden Park. 

We emerged from a very difficult 

international camp last month with six 

points from three matches - a return with 

which we can be reasonably satisfied. The 

only thing missing from our performance 

against Moldova when we were last at 

Hampden was more goals and the result 

and performance away to Austria was 

particularly pleasing. 

I said some time ago that the next step for 

this side is to start getting results against 

the higher-ranked teams. We did that in 

Vienna against a good Austria side who in the 

summer took Italy - the eventual champions - 

to extra time in Euro 2020, so the victory there 

is not to be underestimated. 

The players have got us into a strong position 

as we go into the last four matches in this 

qualification campaign. I said recently that I 

love my players and that is true - they give 

everything for their country and they want to 

qualify for another tournament just as much as 

the Scotland supporters do. 

I believe in these players and I want you, the 

fans, to believe in them as much as I do. I 

know, and the players know, that we have 

to earn that belief, but I hope that we have 

done so over the past 12 months. The hunger 

and desire in these players is there for all to 

see and they go into every game determined 

to make the country proud. If you believe in 

them and give them your backing it will in turn 

spur them on to greater heights. We can win 

together. 

Tonight’s opponents are, of course, no 

strangers to us. Tonight marks the seventh 

time we have played Israel in the last three 

years and every single one of those matches 

have been closely-contested affairs. 

We drew with them in our last encounter in 

Israel back in March, which now looks to be a 

decent point given their results in the group. 

Of course everyone remembers the last time 

we played them at Hampden in the Euro 2020 

play-off last year. It was a very cagey match 

that we ultimately won on penalties, but it is 

another good example of how little there has 

been between the sides in recent years. 

They too enjoyed a positive result against 

Austria last month that has left them in 

contention for a play-off place. They know that 

a win here tonight would put them in a strong 

position. We would never underestimate them 

- we know them too well to do that - but we 

will attempt to play on the front foot, as we 

always do, while showing them the respect 

they deserve. 

It has been a long time since Hampden was 

full for a Scotland match and I cannot tell you 

how much I am looking forward to seeing a 

capacity crowd here tonight. There is no doubt 

that the supporters will have an important role 

to play. 

Our destiny is in our own hands and we now 

ask you to help us cross that finish line and 

secure the play-off place. The backing of a full 

house tonight will help us immeasurably. 

Please help us by playing your part tonight. 

Let’s qualify together. 

Enjoy the game.



HAMPDEN PARK / SATURDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2021 SCOTLAND v ISRAEL / 6

› › › 

HAMPDEN 

ROARS 

ONCE MORE 

THIS SCOTLAND TEAM HAVE 

ATTRACTED A SELL-OUT CROWD 

FOR TONIGHT’S CRUCIAL QUALIFIER 

WORDS: JOHN GREECHAN, SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL 

› › › 



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What an opportunity this 

represents for Steve 

Clarke’s Scotland. 

What an occasion this 

promises to be. 

But you already know that. It’s 

why you’re here. Why so many 

of you snapped up tickets for a 

game whose importance must 

be apparent to even the least 

mathematically literate among us. 

For the first time in Clarke’s tenure 

as national team boss, Hampden 

will be full to bursting. After so 

many closed-door matches and 

showpiece games played in front 

of limited crowds, the famous 

roar is sure to be back with a 

vengeance. 

And, if ever there was a fixture 

deserving of a full house at 

maximum intensity, it’s this 

evening’s visit of old friends Israel. 

So crank the volume all the way 

up to 11, folks. Because this 

World Cup qualifier is likely to 

prove absolutely crucial to our 

hopes of making it to Qatar next 

winter. 

Consider it a brilliant opportunity 

disguised as a daunting 

challenge. And a fitting reward 

for last month’s brilliant victory 

over Austria in Vienna, a 

result that changed the entire 

complexion of Group F - and 

lifted the mood of a nation. 

Win here and we’ll head into our 

final three fixtures with that allimportant 

runners-up spot firmly 

within our grasp. So close we 

could reach out and touch those 

play-offs. 

Like a middle-distance runner 

picking just the right moment to 

kick for home, a burst of pace 

right now would surely open 

up an insurmountable gap on 

the Austrians, in particular. And 

leave Israel needing help from 

others just to get back in the 

race. 

Sounds easy if you say it quickly 

enough, right? Rest assured that 

nobody in the Scotland camp 

will be making assumptions 

about any of the four matches 

remaining. 




Tonight represents a familiar 

test that doesn’t get any easier 

through regular repetition: games 

against Israel have been tight, 

tense and occasionally tormented 

affairs. 

As Clarke gathered his squad 

together for a double-header that 

concludes with Tuesday night’s 

testing trip to Torshavn to play the 

Faroe Islands, however, he won’t 

have been short of optimism. 

First, we should note that the 

Israelis have never won at 

Hampden. Not once in all those 

qualifiers, Nations League 

games and, of course, one 

rather important European 

Championship play-off. 

More important than that 

statistical quirk in the record 

books, though, is the current 

operating strength of this 

Scotland squad. And the 

optimism they’ll carry into tonight. 

John McGinn is back to full fitness 

and looking to provide more 

moments capable of being set 

to a Pavarotti soundtrack. The 

slow-motion clip of him shielding 

the ball in the dying moments of 

the Austria game should get an 

Academy Award for best short 

film. 

National excitement levels over 

the potential of Billy Gilmour, 

meanwhile, have peaked again as 

a result of the Chelsea midfielder 

getting more valuable first-team 

exposure. The fact that a lot of 

his experience with Norwich City 

involves dropping Premier League 

points is, in terms of his overall 

development, no terrible thing. 

In the short term, it might even 

give him an added edge when 

it comes to chasing wins for 

Scotland. 

Scott McTominay is back 

in the Manchester United 

midfield, a real bonus regardless 

of exactly where Clarke chooses 

to deploy a player of such obvious 

class. 

And, without going through the 

rest of the squad individually, 

the strength in depth - in specific

JOHN McGINN 

IS BACK TO FULL 

FITNESS AND 

LOOKING TO 

PROVIDE MORE 

MOMENTS 

CAPABLE OF 

BEING SET TO 

A PAVAROTTI 

SOUNDTRACK 

positions, at least - is underlined 

by the fact that Jack Hendry’s 

recent assignments included 

keeping the half-decent PSG 

front line of Neymar, Mbappe and 

Messi in check for Club Brugge. 

If there are still positions where 

Clarke would like better options, 

few middleweight international 

sides boast elite-level players all 

over the park. 

In comparison to most of our 

rivals chasing play-off spots, 

Scotland aren’t in bad shape, 

at all. Just in time, too. Because 

Hampden has seen a fair few 

nights just like this. Matches 

where just thinking about rewards 

for victory set every nerve end 

tingling. 

Among those old enough to have 

enjoyed the experience, mere 

mention of certain games induces 

a misty-eyed nostalgia: France 

being turned over 2-0 right here 

on a magical March evening back 

in 1989; Norway at Hampden 

later in the same campaign; 

Czechoslovakia up-ended en 

route to the World Cup in West 

Germany. The fact that both of 

those countries have disappeared 

from the map dates that one just 

a bit. 

We could go on and on. And will 

do just that, given half a pint and 

the slightest excuse. 

For a couple of decades there, 

such all-or-nothing games were 

scarce. And they often cropped 

up too early in proceedings, with 

campaigns in crisis almost from 

the kick-off. 

So it’s great to be in this position 

at the business end of a group 

programme. Wonderful to be 

chasing something that means 

something. Again. 

Spend any amount of time talking 

to Clarke, his coaches and his 

players, and they’ll all convey 

the same message. None of the 

hardened competitors who wore 

the jersey with pride at the Euros 

want to be remembered as oneand-done 

finalists. 

Breaking our long exile from a 

major tournament will only feel 

like something other than a blip, 

they argue, if it can be followed 

up. 

Within moments of that defeat to 

Croatia here back in June, sights 

were set upon a World Cup group 

that was threatening to get away 

from us. It’s now back within our 

grasp. For a nation proud to have 

qualified for five consecutive 

World Cup finals between 1974 

and 1990, that means everything. 

Especially now that restrictions 

have been lifted. 

Not being here for the European 

Championship play-off semi-final 

win over Israel was hard to take. 

The fact that nobody was allowed 

to travel to Belgrade for the most 

important game in a generation 

definitely stung. 

Enjoy being back where you 

belong, then. Amid the noise, 

the tension, the excitement and 

the nervous exhaustion that 

only a crucial Scotland game at 

Hampden can provide. 




EMPTY HOME TO 

FULL HOUSE 

Like the Scotland fans, Covid-19 

forced Ryan Christie to watch the 

last visit of Israel from his sofa 

Ryan Christie recalls his 

couch, Covid issues and 

a crowd-free Hampden 

Park the last time Scotland 

hosted Israel and he is 

mighty glad there is a normality 

about tonight’s crucial 2022 

World Cup qualifier. 

When the Scots took on Willi 

Ruttensteiner’s side in the Euro 

2020 play-off semi-final at the 

national stadium last October, 

the attacking midfielder and 

Kieran Tierney were confined 

to barracks as close contacts of 

Stuart Armstrong, who had tested 

positive for Coronavirus. 

The pandemic also kept the 

turnstiles closed for one of the 

biggest games in Scotland’s 

recent history and Christie 

nervously watched 120 “sticky” 

minutes from his sofa before 

cheering a successful penalty 

shoot-out. 

The 26-year-old was back to face 

Serbia in the play-off final, scoring 

a terrific goal in the 1-1 draw in 

Belgrade before again Scotland 

came through another spot-kicks 

drama to book a place in the 

delayed Euro finals. 


An hour of Fun Football means more than just 60 minutes. 

Football seems to always be about the numbers. 

Shots on target. Possession stats. Successful dribbles. 

Tackles made. Offsides. Minutes played. The scoreline. 

While we’re thrilled to be celebrating hitting our target a 

year early, it’s never been just about the numbers. It’s always 

been about the kids and the enjoyment they get from our 

sessions. If there’s a smile on their faces, that’s a win for us. 

Here’s to plenty more hours of Fun Football!

With crowds allowed back in 

grounds, Hampden is sold out 

tonight and Christie is ready to 

play his part for Steve Clarke’s 

men, who sit in second place in 

Group F behind runaway leaders 

Denmark and with a Qatar 2022 

play-off spot in their own hands. 

“The last time Israel were here I 

was in the house quarantining,” 

said Christie, who signed 

for Championship side AFC 

Bournemouth from Celtic in the 

summer. “I was so desperate to 

be involved and having to watch 

from the couch wasn’t nice. 

“It was a sticky game going 

all the way to penalties but I 

was delighted to see them get 

through and from that I was 

desperate to be involved in the 

Serbia game. 

“Obviously it is a big thing having 

the fans in this time. Speaking 

to all the boys in football, you 

noticed as soon as the crowds 

started to come back that the 

fans want to soak it up more, 

make more atmosphere, make 

more noise and so that will suit 

us down to the ground. 

“We were all buzzing to get 

some fans back in for the Euros 

and Hampden was electric, and 

even though it wasn’t full for the 

games against Czech Republic 

and Croatia, the atmosphere was 

incredible. It is another important 

game at home and having a big 

crowd in will be great.” 

Of course, these days a Scotland 

player does not have to wait 

too long before the next game 

against Israel comes along. 

Christie has played twice against 

Ruttensteiner’s side since he 

watched the play-off semi-final 

victory. The following month, 

Israel won 1-0 in a Nations 

League encounter in Netanya 

before a 1-1 World Cup qualifying 

draw in Tel Aviv in March, which 

means this is the fifth meeting in 

a year between the two countries. 

“It is a bit weird to be honest,” 

said the former Inverness player. 

“It almost never happens in 

international football that you 

play the same team so many 

times. We thought we had played 

them enough times two games 

ago and here we are, playing 

them again. 

THE FANS 

WANT TO SOAK 

IT UP MORE, 

MAKE MORE 

ATMOSPHERE, 

MAKE MORE 

NOISE AND 

SO THAT 

WILL SUIT US 

DOWN TO THE 

GROUND 



“Over the whole we have 

probably managed to get the 

better of them but only just and 

we are desperate, especially on 

home soil, to get the win. They 

have been such a hard team to 

play against. They are set up so 

well and they have frustrated us 

at times, so we have to learn from 

that and take it into the game.” 

Christie believes the 1-0 win over 

Austria in Vienna last month has 

imbued the squad with added 

confidence and sets up a huge 

night at Hampden where the 

incentive is, ultimately, to help 

Scotland reach the World Cup 

finals for the first time since 1998. 

After six fixtures and ahead of 

the double-header against Israel 

and then Faroe Islands away, the 

Scots are seven points behind the 

Danes, one ahead of Israel and 

four in front of Austria. 

“After the Austria game, everyone 

was buzzing for this fixture to 

come around,” he said. “We 

played so well in Austria and 

picked up three points that I 

don’t think many people were 

expecting. Then after the game 

we realised how important this 

camp would be and we are really 

excited for it. 

“It is up to us to go and get good 

results but, as I said, it is a wee 

bit nicer to play these important 

games in front of home fans. 

“It felt a wee bit frustrating not to 

go further in the Euros but at the 

same time we had to step back 

and realise how delighted we 

were to get there in the first place. 

“The message from the gaffer 

and Andy Robertson was that we 

didn’t want to make it just a oneoff, 

we wanted to make qualifying 

a regular thing so obviously this is 

the next available chance to do it. 

“But even though we are off a 

high from the Austria game and 

playing at home, we still realise it 

will be a tough game and we will 

have to work for a win.” 

While Christie and his Scotland 

team-mates are dealing 

with the familiarity of Israel, 

which is more akin to the 

four-times-a-season rigours 

of the Scottish Premiership, 

the Highlander admits he is 

enjoying the freshness of English 

Championship football with 

Bournemouth. 

The Cherries sit top of the table 

after their 2-1 home win over 

Sheffield United last weekend 

where Christie again impressed. 

He said: “Obviously it is early days 

but the boys made a very good 

start and since I joined we have 

kept that going. 

“The thing I have enjoyed is 

the competitiveness of it, every 

game so far has been tough. 

A lot is said about the gap 

between the top two teams and 

everyone else in Scotland and 

that obviously comes down to a 

lot of things, budget and so forth. 

The Championship is a lot closer, 

all the teams are of a similar 

standard. 

“Obviously the other thing is that 

it is so new to me and there are 

so many teams in the league, you 

only play each other twice so you 

come up against a new test every 

other week, which is nice.” 

WE WANTED 

TO MAKE 

QUALIFYING 

A REGULAR 

THING SO 

OBVIOUSLY 

THIS IS 

THE NEXT 

AVAILABLE 

CHANCE TO 

DO IT 



WE’VE MET 

BEFORE 

SCOTLAND 3-2 ISRAEL 

NATIONS LEAGUE | TUESDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 2018 

SCOTLAND AND ISRAEL HAVE BECOME FAMILIAR 

FOES SINCE, BUT JAMES FORREST IGNITED THE 

FIRST RECENT HAMPDEN MEETING BETWEEN THE 

NATIONS ON A COLD NOVEMBER NIGHT IN 2018. 

The Celtic winger became the first Scot to score a 

hat-trick since Robert Snodgrass two years earlier, 

as he inspired a 3-2 Nations League success over the 

Israelis. 

Forrest cancelled out Beram Kayal’s surprise opener by 

lashing home on 34 minutes, then had the hosts ahead 

before the interval after a wonderful counter-attacking 

move. He claimed the match ball just after the hour 

mark after slamming home Ryan Fraser’s lay off. 

Although Eran Zahavi fired in a second for the visitors 

and Allan McGregor produced a wonder save to deny 

Tomer Hemed’s volley late on, the Scots held on to earn 

promotion in the Nations League and open another door 

for Euro 2020 qualification. 




THE 

HAMPDEN 

FACTOR 

An Israel player with strong connections 

to Glasgow believes the Scotland fans 

could play a major role 

WORDS: PAUL HARE 

Scotland are favourites to 

win tonight’s crucial World 

Cup qualifier, according to 

an Israel international who 

knows all about the Hampden 

atmosphere. 

Beram Kayal was hoping to win 

his 48th cap on familiar territory 

but will have to settle for a 

nostalgia trip while watching the 

match on television at his home 

in Haifa. 

Kayal, a tenacious and 

technically adept midfielder 

formerly of Celtic, is no stranger 

to the national stadium, nor to 

the ongoing series of fixtures 

between the two countries. 

In the first two instalments, for 

the inaugural Nations League 

in autumn 2018, he was 

responsible for two goals. In 

Haifa his menacing low cross 

forced an own goal by Kieran 

Tierney which sealed a 2-1 win 

for Israel. Then in Glasgow he 

opened the scoring with an 

unstoppable shot from distance 

on an entertaining night which 

saw Scotland triumph 3-2, and 

top the group. 

“The first game was really 

exciting for me to play in, against 

players I knew - how they 

trained, how they thought about 

football and how they competed,” 

Kayal recalled.

› › › 



EXCLUSIVE RETAIL PARTNER

Kayal celebrates with 

team-mates after scoring in 

a stadium he regularly lifted 

silverware in with Celtic 

I WAS REALLY 

EMOTIONAL 

TO BE BACK IN 

SCOTLAND, AT A 

STADIUM WHERE 

I HAD PLAYED BIG 

GAMES AND WON 

TROPHIES 

“As for the match at Hampden, 

I was really emotional to be back 

in Scotland, at a stadium where 

I had played big games and won 

trophies. I was happy with my 

goal, of course, it was a great 

game, but unfortunately the 

result went against us.” 

Looking towards what is shaping 

up to be the key fixture in the 

race for the play-off berth 

in Group F of the European 

Qualifiers, Kayal believes home 

advantage is a major factor. 

“The recent games have been 

tight, between two teams who 

play different types of football,” 

he said. “Scotland have excellent 

players, including some who 

play at the top level in England. 

They play with intensity and 

high tempo. Israel has a different 

type of player. Playing at home 

with a full house, Scotland are 

favourites.” 

While the goals and assists 

Kayal contributed in recent 

games against Scotland might 

not have characterised his time 

at Celtic, the acquisition of the 

then 22-year-old from Maccabi 

Haifa in 2010 quickly looked to 

be a shrewd one. 

Although his maiden season 

was bookended by injuries, 

accomplished performances 

across 30 matches in central 

midfield alongside Scott Brown 

saw him become a fans’ 

favourite, and by January there 

was interest from the English 

Premier League. 

Following a 4-1 win over Dundee 

United on May Day, in which 

Beram scored a stunning longrange 

goal, Neil Lennon purred 

that his performance had been 

“world class.” 

The following season, in which 

Celtic won the first of nine 

consecutive league titles, he 

continued to blossom, until a 

serious ankle injury sustained 

against Rangers in December 

ended his campaign. 

It was a setback from which 

Kayal’s Celtic career never 

really recovered. While there 

were further highs, including 

monumental Champions League 

victories against Barcelona and 

Spartak Moscow, as well as a 

goal and brilliant man-of-the 

match performance in a win over 

Ajax, niggling injuries limited his 

time on the pitch. 




This was an era in which, as well 

as Brown, Celtic could call on 

central midfielders such as Joe 

Ledley, Victor Wanyama and Nir 

Bitton, while signings towards 

the end of his spell at the club 

included Stefan Johansen, at a 

time when Tom Rogic and Callum 

MacGregor were also emerging. 

Soon after Ronny Deila’s arrival 

in 2014, it was clear that Kayal’s 

future lay elsewhere. 

Despite the setbacks, Kayal 

remembers his time in Glasgow 

with great fondness. Four league 

titles and two Scottish Cups 

in four-and-a-half seasons 

was an impressive haul, while 

away from football there 

were other achievements. In 

2012 he married his teenage 

sweetheart, Angela. Their 

older son, Pirlo, named after his 

father’s footballing idol, was 

born in Scotland while Angela 

was excelling in her studies in 

psychology at the University of 

Glasgow - a degree she would 

complete through the Open 

University following their move 

to England and the birth of their 

second son, Ilyan. 

“We loved our time in Glasgow, 

and we miss it,” Kayal said. “We 

still have many friends there, and 

we really want to come back 

whenever we can.” 

By the transfer window of 

January 2015, options in 

England were limited to the 

Championship. Eyebrows were 

raised when Kayal opted for 

Brighton, a club flirting with 

relegation to the third tier. 

“I’d had a lot of injuries at Celtic, 

and I really needed a fresh start,” 

he said. 

Chris Hughton, who had coveted 

Kayal while manager of Norwich 

City in the Premier League, saw 

a player who could be key to his 

rebuild of the Sussex club. 

A debut goal made a good first 

impression, and the Seagulls 

avoided the drop. In his first full 

season he was hugely impressive 

as Brighton missed out on 

automatic promotion only on 

goal difference, before losing in 

the play-offs. 

Injuries returned to haunt him in 

2016-17, but Kayal achieved his 

childhood ambition of reaching 

the English Premier League. In 

the next two seasons Hughton 

kept Brighton up and, across the 

campaigns, the midfielder made 

37 appearances, never letting his 

side down. 

Following the appointment of 

Graham Potter in the summer 

of 2019, Kayal was loaned to 

Charlton Athletic, where injury 

restricted him to six outings. In 

early 2020 he returned to the 

south coast, but made no further 

appearances as Brighton again 

stayed up. By the summer of 

2020 a major crossroads had 

been reached. 

“We were really settled in 

Brighton, but after 10 years in the 

UK it was time to bring my family 

WE LOVED 

OUR TIME IN 

GLASGOW, AND 

WE MISS IT, 

WE STILL HAVE 

MANY FRIENDS 

THERE, AND WE 

REALLY WANT 

TO COME BACK 

WHENEVER WE 

CAN

home,” he said. “There were 

offers from clubs in England and 

elsewhere, but none which really 

excited me. 

“What’s more, moving Angela 

and the boys to another new 

country, during a pandemic, 

would have been too much to 

ask.” 

Kayal, an Arab-Israeli, opted for 

Bnei Sakhnin, an Arab club based 

one hour’s drive from his home. 

Struggling in the lower reaches 

of the Israeli Premier League with 

an average pre-pandemic home 

attendance of under 2,000, the 

contrast with Celtic Park and the 

English Premier League could not 

have been greater. 

“The club really wanted me, and 

to build a team around me,” he 

said. “After so many injuries it’s 

just great, at the age of 33, to be 

enjoying my football again.” 

As for the rest of the household, 

in which Arabic, Hebrew and 

English are spoken with equal 

ease, Kayal knows he made the 

right decision. 

“Angela has a good career here, 

and the boys love being close to 

our families.” 

Although he has been away from 

Scotland for almost seven years, 

Kayal has played with a number 

of Steve Clarke’s squad. 

“Callum (McGregor) and Kieran 

(Tierney) were coming through 

near the end of my time at Celtic,” 

he said. “They’ve both done 

brilliantly. And James Forrest is 

one of the biggest talents I’ve 

played with - quick and direct, 

always taking players on.” 

As for others who impress him, 

he added: “Andy Robertson is an 

incredible player, not only as a 

defender, but for what he offers 

in attack. Scott McTominay is a 

box-to-box midfielder who was 

great last season, and Stuart 

Armstrong is another I really like.” 

JAMES 

FORREST IS ONE 

OF THE BIGGEST 

TALENTS I’VE 

PLAYED WITH 

– QUICK AND 

DIRECT, ALWAYS 

LOOKING TO 

TAKE PLAYERS 

ON 




ISRAEL 

IN NUMBERS 

15 

Israel’s 

Former West Ham 

and Liverpool winger 

Yossi Benayoun is 

the most capped 

player in the 

country’s history. 

highestever 

FIFA World 

ranking, achieved 

in November 

2008. 

Israel were Asian 

Cup winners, as 

well as being 

runners-up twice 

in the tournament. 

Israel have beaten 

Scotland twice in 

nine official matches 

between the two 

nations, with the first 

ever meeting coming 

in 1981. 

Israel have scored 

nine goals in their 

previous three 

qualifying games, 

all against Austria 

and the Faroes.

September’s 5-2 World 

Cup Qualifying victory over 

Austria was Israel’s highestscoring 

win since beating 

Guatemala 7-0 in November 

2018. 

Gadi Kinda is the only Israeli 

called up to be playing his 

football in the USA’s MLS, the 

27-year-old serving Sporting 

Kansas City. 

A thrashing of Chinese Taipei 

in Wellington, New Zealand 

in March 1988 remains the 

country’s biggest win. 

Qualifying for the 1970 

World Cup in Mexico is the 

nation’s only appearance 

at international football’s 

showpiece event. 

Captain Bibras 

Natkho of 

Partizan Belgrade 

is Israel’s most 

capped current 

player. 

Former Hibs goalkeeper Ofir 

Marciano and Celtic pair 

Nir Bitton and Liel Abada 

all played in the Scottish 

Premiership in 2021. 

Willibald Ruttensteiner is the 

fourth Austrian to have taken 

charge of Israel, after Egon 

Pollak, Lajos Hess and Andi 

Herzog. 

PSV Eindhoven striker Eran 

Zahavi, who has 31 goals 

from 67 international outings, 

has scored against Scotland 

in two previous meetings. 




PREVIOUS 

MEETINGS 

Tonight’s match 

is the seventh 

encounter between 

the teams inside 

three years



Scotland and Israel meet tonight for the fifth time in a 

year, in a third different competition and, after two 

closed-doors encounters at Hampden Park, in front of 

the first full house at the national stadium since 2019. 

After having little interaction 

for the best part of a century, 

the two countries have 

become keen rivals in recent 

years and results confirm 

that they are very closely 

matched. 

On 4 September last year, 

both sides fought out a 

1-1 draw in their 2020- 

21 Nations League game 

at Hampden Park, where 

Ryan Christie’s penalty was 

cancelled out by an Eran 

Zahavi strike. 

At the same venue the 

following month, Israel 

become the first side to play 

Scotland in back-to-back 

internationals in Mount 

Florida. 

In front of an empty stadium 

again as Covid-19 restrictions 

continued, the 2020 

European Championship 

play-off semi-final resulted 

in a goalless draw after 

120 tense minutes, with the 

Scots winning their first-ever 

penalty shoot-out to make it 

to the final against Serbia. 

The teams met for a third 

successive month when 

Scotland lost 1-0 in Netanya 

on the back of a play-off 

final win against Serbia and 

narrow defeat by Slovakia. 

The result saw Scotland drop 

off top spot in their Nations 

League group and miss out 

on promotion to League A. 

The teams met for a fourth 

successive international 

fixture window on 28 March 

this year, drawing 1-1 in Tel 

Aviv in a World Cup qualifier. 

Tonight’s return game at 

Hampden promises another 

tight encounter in front of 

a huge crowd who know 

a Scotland win will be a 

massive boost to the quest to 

qualify for Qatar next year. 

The feel-good factor in the 

country is high following the 

hard-fought 1-0 win over 

Austria in Vienna last month. 

However, the Tartan Army 

were at a low ebb after the 

1-1 draw in Israel which, 

following a 2-2 draw at home 

to the Austrians, meant four 

points were lost in the first 

two qualifying games. 

Scotland started slowly in Tel 

Aviv and the home side took 

a deserved 44th-minute lead 

when keeper David Marshall 

palmed Dor Peretz’s longrange 

shot into the net. 

Steve Clarke changed 

formation at half-time by 

bringing on Christie for 

defender Jack Hendry and 

Scotland levelled 11 minutes 

into the second half through 

Ryan Fraser. There was to be 

no winner for the Scots but 

Clarke remained optimistic. 

He said: “I can’t look into the 

future, I can’t tell if it’s two 

good points or whether we 

have dropped four points and 

it’s going to be costly. It’s very 

difficult to tell. 

“Everyone talks about Israel 

being fourth seeds but Israel 

are a good team and they 

have proven that against 

Scotland over the recent run 

of games. We have played a 

lot against them and there is 

never anything in the game. 

“We are unbeaten, I don’t 

know if two points is good 

or bad. You are asking me 

to predict the future and I’m 

afraid I can’t do that.” 

Ahead of the following game 

against the Faroe Islands, 

Clarke added: “Every game 

at international level now is 

difficult. Spain scored in the 

93rd minute to beat Georgia, 

Malta drew at Slovakia, 

Luxembourg beat the 

Republic of Ireland. 

“We have to respect the 

opposition and if we get 

three points by the end of the 

week, Austria play Denmark 

so one of them or both are 

going to drop points. So let’s 

see what happens.’’ 

Scotland recovered in the 

group and after six fixtures 



Based on figures from April 2020-March 2021. Players must be 18+.

sit in second place on 11 

points, one ahead of Israel 

and seven behind runaway 

leaders Denmark, who have 

maximum spoils. 

A victory for Scotland tonight 

would set them on course 

to clinch second place and 

a play-off spot behind the 

inevitable section winners 

Denmark. 

Notwithstanding a meeting 

between the two countries in 

a non-cap friendly in 1967, 

which the Scots won 2-1, 

this will be the 10th meeting 

between Scotland and Israel. 

They were first drawn 

together in the same 1982 

World Cup qualifying group 

and the Scots travelled 

to Israel for a 1-0 win in 

February 1981, where Kenny 

Dalglish’s 54th-minute strike 

in the Municipal Stadium, 

Ramat Gan, proved enough 

to give the visitors a crucial 

victory. 

The return game at Hampden 

Park two months later saw 

Jock Stein’s side run out 3-1 

winners. Two penalties from 

Nottingham Forest winger 

John Robertson and a drive 

from Celtic winger David 

Provan made it 3-0 before 

Moshe Sinai pulled a goal 

back. 

A Paul McStay goal in a 

friendly in Ramat Gan in 

January 1986 gave the 

visitors, managed by Sir Alex 

Ferguson, a narrow victory. 

It would be 32 years before 

the two countries would 

meet again, in the qualifiers 

for the inaugural Nations 

League competition, and 

Israel won 2-1 at home in 

October 2018. Alex McLeish’s 

side took the lead through 

a Charlie Mulgrew penalty 

in the Sammy Ofer Stadium 

in Haifa. However, Israel 

16 May 1967 Israel 1-2 Scotland Unofficial international friendly 

25 Feb 1981 Israel 0-1 Scotland FIFA World Cup qualifier 

28 Apr 1981 Scotland 3-1 Israel FIFA World Cup qualifier 

28 Jan 1986 Israel 0-1 Scotland International friendly 

11 Oct 2018 Israel 2-1 Scotland UEFA Nations League 

20 Nov 2018 Scotland 3-2 Israel UEFA Nations League 

04 Sep 2020 Scotland 1-1 Israel UEFA Nations League 

08 Oct 2020 Scotland 0-0 Israel* UEFA European Championship** 

18 Nov 2020 Israel 1-0 Scotland UEFA Nations League 

28 Mar 2021 Israel 1-1 Scotland FIFA World Cup qualifier 

*Scotland won 5-3 on penalties ** Play-Off Semi-Finals 

came back strongly in the 

second half and midfielder 

Peretz levelled in the 52nd 

minute before Scotland 

defender John Souttar 

was sent off for picking 

up his second yellow card. 

There was more woe when 

defender Kieran Tierney 

deflected a cross from former 

Celtic midfielder Beram Kayal 

past keeper Allan McGregor 

for Israel’s first win over the 

Scots in four attempts. 

In the return game in 

Glasgow, Celtic winger 

James Forrest grabbed 

a hat-trick in a 3-2 

win, with Kayal 

and Zahavi scoring for the 

visitors, who were denied a 

late equaliser by a McGregor 

save. 

So, here we go again. Two 

sides who hold no secrets 

from each other, get set to do 

battle. 




SCOTLAND 0 

NORWAY 1 

SATURDAY 9 OCTOBER, 2004 | 

WORLD CUP QUALIFIER 

Scotland’s 19-year unbeaten 

record in World Cup qualifiers at 

Hampden ended on this date in 

2004 after a deflating defeat to 

Norway. 

James McFadden deliberately 

clawed visiting captain Claus 

Lundekvam’s goal-bound header 

off the line on 53 minutes to see 

red, allowing Steffen Iversen to 

convert from the penalty spot for 

the only goal of the game. 

Berti Vogts’ men had started 

promisingly in front of a home 

crowd just shy of 49,000, with 

McFadden going close with a 

curling free-kick. There was 

further danger from their first 

corner when Paul Dickov and 

then Richard Hughes both saw 

efforts blocked on the line by 

Iversen, with visiting keeper 

Thomas Myhre stranded. 

Although replays proved the ball 

had not crossed the line, Vogts 

was incensed by the decision not 

to award a goal and was sent to 

the stands for his protestations 

to the Belgium officials. 

That incident was the 

closest the Scots came 

to prising a way through 

a disciplined Norway 

backline that also included 

John Arne Riise. The visitors 

had opportunities to score 

more with John Carew forcing 

a full-stretch save from 

Craig Gordon and substitute 

Morten Pedersen turning two 

defenders to get through on 

goal only to chip too high.




DAVID TURNBULL 

Celtic’s David Turnbull can’t wait to feel the 

atmosphere of a sold-out Hampden Park. 

The midfielder discusses his aspirations in a Scotland shirt, reflects 

on a summer at a major tournament and looks ahead to a crucial 

clash with Israel in this Q&A. 

Q 

David, you’re named in a 

senior Scotland squad for 

the third time, how does it feel 

to be called up for your country 

yet again? 

A 

It’s a massive honour and I 

don’t think the feeling will 

ever wear off. Growing up it was 

always a dream to represent 

your country and I’ll never forget 

the first time I made a Scotland 

youth squad. To be in the firstteam 

squad again is obviously 

great for me and I’m happy the 

manager sees something in me 

to pick me for what are very 

important games coming up. 

Q 

Speaking of which - just 

how big is this match 

against Israel? 

A 

Yes it’s huge, everyone knows 

that. We’re well aware of just 

how difficult a team Israel are 

having played them a lot over 

WORDS: LEWIS IRONS, SCOTTISH FA 

the last few years. This will be 

the first game against them for a 

few of us at senior level though 

so we’ll need to be right at it and 

ready for the task ahead. 

It’s also not a case of the job 

being done should we manage 

to get three points against them. 

We know how much of a boost it 

would give us if we managed to 

win but every single match in this 

group is crucial. 

Q 

It’s special that the fans 

are getting to experience a 

sold-out match against Israel 

at Hampden isn’t it? Especially 

when they missed that 

opportunity in the play-off due 

to Covid. 

A 

Of course, obviously nobody 

wanted to experience no fans 

for a single match, let alone for 

as long as we did. Nothing can 

make up for it but you’re right,



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I’M LUCKY THAT 

I TRAIN WITH 

BRILLIANT 

PLAYERS EVERY 

DAY AT CELTIC 

BUT COMING 

AWAY WITH 

THE NATIONAL 

TEAM 

PROVIDES A 

DIFFERENT 

DYNAMIC 

it’s something that the fans can 

take a little bit of enjoyment and 

importance from having missed 

the play-off semi-final. It will be 

special for us as players too. I 

can’t wait to feel the atmosphere 

of a sold-out Hampden for this 

one. 

Q 

What do you remember from 

the play-off game against 

Israel? You were in the 

Under-21s squad at the time. 

A 

I remember watching it as 

a fan first and foremost, 

but as players in camp with the 

21s it was also a really exciting 

moment. I knew a few of the 

boys in the team that night from 

playing with or against them so 

you’re buzzing for them all. The 

pressure to produce in that semifinal, 

particularly without a crowd 

inside Hampden, must have been 

huge. But it also showed a lot 

of people just how strong a side 

Israel are, so we’ll need to be at 

it when they come to Hampden 

this time around. 

Q 

It’s a fairly young squad 

when you look at the 

average age of the group 

with the likes of yourself, Billy 

Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson in 

midfield alone. Does that show 

the manager is confident to 

throw young players in to big 

matches? 

It does because he’s not just 

A. picking players to fill a spot in 

the squad, if you’re selected you 

need to be ready to play at any 

moment. As young players we 

know that we need to be patient 

because look at the quality we’ve 

got in this team, in midfield we’ve 

got incredible options. I think the 

manager has found a really good 

balance in the squad though; yes 

we’ve got young players who 

are maybe newer to the scene 

but we’ve also got experienced 

players who are so important for 

the younger ones in the team. 

Q 

What is it like training with 

the national team and 

working with this group? 

A 

It’s amazing to be honest. I’m 

lucky that I train with brilliant 

players every day at Celtic but 

coming away with the national 

team provides a different 

dynamic. Training with players 




IT’S A PROUD 

MOMENT FOR 

ME BEING 

SELECTED IN 

THE SQUAD AND 

STEPPING OFF 

THE BENCH BUT 

EVERY PLAYER 

WANTS TO BE A 

STARTER 

who play in different leagues and 

working under the manager here 

is a brilliant opportunity for us all 

and the more we’re training and 

playing together the better it is 

for everyone. 

Q 

We’re seeing that level of 

consistency in the squad 

now, how important do you 

think that is? 

A 

I think it’s massive. You hear 

the manager talk about it a 

lot and it’s not easy to create that 

in international football. When 

we meet up it feels like we’re 

straight back in to where we left 

it before and that’s off the pitch 

as well as on it. 

Performances have been good in 

recent matches as well, I think we 

saw that in the game and result 

against Austria, so hopefully we 

can put in a similar display in 

front of our fans at Hampden. 

Q 

That must help when 

you’re first called up to the 

team? Especially for you since 

it was straight in to a major 

tournament for your first 

call up? 

A 

Yes it does help 

because everyone 

makes you feel so 

welcome straight away. 

It’s a brilliant group of 

players and a great 

bunch of guys too. I won’t 

shy away from admitting that it 

could have been overwhelming 

being called up for the first time 

and going straight in to a Euros 

squad, but the boys made me 

feel a part of it right away. I 

also think the pre-tournament 

friendlies were a great way for 

us to gel off the pitch as well as 

on it before going in to a massive 

tournament. 

Q 

You must be relishing the 

chance to make your first 

competitive start under Steve 

Clarke? 

A 

Absolutely. It’s a proud 

moment for me being 

selected in the squad and 

stepping off the bench but every 

player wants to be a starter. 

I remember the feeling when I 

was in the team against Holland 

in a friendly and it’s something 

that will live with me forever, 

but to be able to do that in a 

competitive match would be 

something else. 

It’s important for me to work 

hard in training and make sure 

I’m ready if that opportunity 

comes along. As I said we’ve got 

great options in this team and 

in the middle of the park I’ve got 

unbelievable players I can learn 

from and work with in training. 




ROUGH 

LUCK 

The Scotland goalkeeper 

endured some unusual 

soakings in our first 

encounter with Israel 

WORDS: HUGH MACDONALD 

› › › 



THIS 

IS OUR 

HOME 

SCOTLAND v HUNGARY 

FRI, 22 OCTOBER | 7.35PM 

TICKETS.SCOTTISHFA.CO.UK

It was once unusual to play Israel. 

Indeed, it was once unique. Alan 

Rough marked the first competitive 

match between Israel and Scotland 

by invoking both the diabolical and 

the Biblical. 

On 25 February 1981, in the Ramat 

Gan Stadium, the Scotland goalkeeper 

looked at his boots during the anthems 

to see water bubbling up through 

the lace holes and then winced as he 

faced a downpour of wet sand. 

“Yes, it was an interesting start to a 

World Cup qualifying group game,” 

said Rough, a veteran of three World 

Cup finals and winner of 53 caps. 

The water through the lace holes is 

quickly explained. 

“I had one big superstition,” the Partick 

Thistle hero said. “I liked to wear 

white socks and Big Jock (Stein) had 

no problem with that. His view was 

I could wear whatever I wanted. So 

I always brought a pair of socks to 

Scotland camps. 

“These ones were a bit dirty so I 

gave them to Jimmy Steele (Scotland 

trainer) and he said he would get them 

washed. When we walked into the 

stadium before kick-off, I could see 

Jimmy was a bit sheepish. The socks 

had just been put in the machine. 

“There was no way I was playing 

without them and they were soaking. 

That’s why my lace holes were 

bubbling up as I looked down.” 

And the sandstorm? “It’s apparently 

a usual occurrence in the area,” says 

Rough. “The rain and wind lifts the 

sand and deposits the whole wet mess 

on your head.” 

It did not discomfit Rough or the 

Scotland team. A Kenny Dalglish goal 

gave the Scots a 1-0 victory en route 

to a third successive World Cup finals. 

The Jags goalkeeper was outstanding 

in securing a clean sheet. 

“We were defensively solid in that 

campaign,” Rough points out of a side 

that lost only four goals in eight games 

Kenny Dalglish 

turns away 

to celebrate 

after scoring 

the only goal 

against Israel 

in 1981 




Willie Miller 

(left) Danny 

McGrain, Alex 

McLeish, Alan 

Rough and 

Andy Gray at 

the Wailing 

Wall in 

Jerusalem 

against Northern Ireland, Sweden, 

Portugal and Israel in qualifying Group 

Six. 

“The thing I remember about Ramat 

Gan - apart from wet socks and 

a sandstorm - is that Israel were 

through on me a couple of times, oneon-one. 

I was usually pretty good and 

confident in those situations and I was 

on that day.” 

He added: “It was some side, though. 

People like Frankie Gray, Kenny, 

Graeme (Souness), me and others 

came through the Under-23 side 

together. We were pals as well as 

team-mates.” 

The team was Rough; Danny McGrain, 

Alex McLeish, Kenny Burns, Gray; John 

Wark, Souness, Archie Gemmill, John 

Robertson; Dalglish, Steve Archibald. 

Willie Miller and Andy Gray came on 

as subs. 

“The team was full of guys who were 

playing for the best teams in Europe 

and had a connection with each other:

“Souness and Dalglish, big Alex with 

Willie, Archie with John (Robertson). 

These were guys who won medals in 

European finals for their clubs.” 

They also had Stein as a manager. 

It was more than enough to top the 

qualifying group. 

“We started off with what was seen 

as a disappointing home draw against 

Portugal and then came the game in 

Israel that was tough,” Rough said. 

“That was followed by drawing with 

Northern Ireland so it wasn’t plain 

sailing. But we were tough and had a 

touch of class.” 

Scotland gathered 11 points to win 

the group, ahead of Northern Ireland 

on nine. 

“There are obviously defining moments 

in campaigns and I think for that group 

it was the draw in Northern Ireland,” 

Rough said. “They really had to win 

that to put the pressure on.” 

Tonight will be a similarly crucial 

match. 

“It’s now the play-off place that is up 

for grabs,” Rough said. “I have a good 

feeling about the team in that there 

are some great players growing up 

together, like us back in the day. 

“There is strong talent and class in 

Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Scott 

McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Callum 

McGregor and others. They play with 

big clubs with big expectations. They 

have the chance to qualify for another 

major finals. That makes you special in 

the eyes of fans.” 

Rough also believes these talents are 

backed by a special goalkeeper. 

“Craig Gordon is simply a goalie who 

always makes that special save,” he 

said of the Hearts player who has 

been restored as Scotland’s number 

one. “He has that telescopic arm that 

stretches out to save the day. He 

may need one of those against Israel 

because it promises to be a tight 

match.” 

And talking of tight, Rough has 

another reminiscence from Ramat Gan 

1981. 

“Graeme had been on holiday in Israel 

and he knew the area well,” the former 

Hibernian and Celtic player said. “He 

took us to this special leather shop 

where he said we would get a good 

deal. I remember we all bought leather 

trousers. Incredible. We were walking 

about under tight security - there were 

machine-gun nests everywhere - with 

bags of leather trousers. I bought a 

pair for the missus but I don’t know 

where they are. I didn’t suppose either 

of us cares.” 

He cares about tonight, though. 

“This is a proper match,” he said. “The 

teams know each other well, there is 

not much between us and there is so 

much to play for.” 

And any advice to the squad from a 

player who was a consistent winner in 

these sort of international matches? 

“Just win,” he said. “It would be nice to 

be winning by a couple so we didn’t 

have those traditional nerve-wracking 

final moments. But winning is always 

the best advice.” 

Probably best, too, not to play in wet 

socks. A sandstorm in Hampden, 

though, could be discounted, though 

veterans will remember the days when 

they occurred regularly in a south-side 

summer back in the glory days. 

Rough, who 

won 53 

international 

caps, 

commemorates 

the 50th 

anniversary of 

Partick Thistle’s 

historic League 

Cup win 




SAME TOON, 

DIFFERENT 

SONG 

Another 

Scotland head 

coach will be watching 

closely as Steve Clarke’s 

side take on Israel 

Football and rugby have 

co-existed in Scotland for well 

over a century but for some 

people never the twain shall 

meet. 

However, one man who has 

moved easily and confidently 

between the two sports is 

Gregor Townsend. The head 

coach of Scotland’s national 

rugby union team played both 

games until he was 13 before 

opting for the latter but his love 

of the round ball never waned. 

Townsend followed Craig 

Brown’s team to the 1998 

World Cup finals in France to 

see the last game the Scots 

played in the tournament, 

counts childhood hero Sir Kenny 

Dalglish among his friends, has 

studied the methods of topclass 

football coaches such as 

Pep Guardiola and Roberto 

Martinez, and regularly imparts 

his management knowledge at 

Scottish FA coaching courses.



I WAS A MASSIVE 

SUPPORTER OF 

THE SCOTLAND 

TEAM AND THERE 

WAS A COURAGE 

ABOUT HIM. HE 

WAS SKILFUL BUT 

HE WAS TOUGH 

Like many youngsters of his era, 

Townsend worshipped former 

Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland 

forward Dalglish during his early 

years in Galashiels. 

“He was obviously one of the 

best players in the world at the 

time,” said the former Glasgow 

Warriors coach, who made 82 

Test appearances for Scotland 

and two for the British & Irish 

Lions. 

“I was a massive supporter of 

the Scotland team and there was 

a courage about him. He was 

skilful but he was tough. 

“The Liverpool team of the 1970s 

and ‘80s were dominant in 

England and also in Europe and 

they had a few Scots in the team 

which resonated with me. 

“They say you shouldn’t meet 

your heroes but I met him and 

it has been great to spend time 

with him. 

“I did a charity golf day when I 

was coaching Glasgow Warriors 

and he was there with Alan 

Hansen. I remember walking 

past his table and I was thinking, 

‘there is the legend Kenny 

Dalglish’, and he shouted ‘Gregor, 

how’s the Warriors doing?’ 

I couldn’t believe he knew the 

Warriors as a team and that 

I was there. 

“He came in to the club and 

spoke to me and the squad and 

every now and then he drops 

me a text, after Scotland games, 

which is great.” 

When Townsend was to get 

married in 1998 it was decided 

the ideal stag-do would be a trip 

to the World Cup finals in France 

to see Scotland play Morocco in 

their third group game in 

St Etienne, and Townsend was 

as enthusiastic as any of the 

Tartan Army who took over the 

city. 

He said: “My brother organised it 

and we had to make it to 

St Etienne from Edinburgh 

Airport via Nice for some crazy 

reason, so we took a long time 

getting there and had a few 




drinks on the way. We did make 

it for kick-off and there was 

such a buzz of anticipation and 

excitement, there were so many 

Tartan Army in the crowd that 

day and the weather was great. 

“I think Scotland maybe only 

needed a draw but certainly 

a win would have taken them 

through into the next stage but 

unfortunately we lost. 

“At the end of the game there 

was a pause for about five 

minutes of real despair and 

disappointment and then I think 

everybody looked at each other 

and thought, ‘we are here 

for a good time’ so there 

was a party that night. 

“It was great to be in 

the company of the 

Tartan Army at a big 

event. I was with rugby 

people mainly but they 

loved it.” 

Since becoming a coach on 

the back of a stellar playing 

career as full-back, centre and 

fly-half, Townsend has been 

keen to tap into the knowledge 

of some of the best minds in 

football management, such 

as Manchester City manager 

Guardiola and Belgium boss 

Martinez. 

“You are always very grateful 

that someone has given up the 

time to chat to you and share 

their knowledge,” said Townsend, 

who was selected as attack 

coach for the 2021 British & Irish 

Lions tour to South Africa. 

“I had a couple of days at 

Barcelona seeing the way the 

club operated, right from their 

under-10s to the first team. I 

didn’t spend much time with the 

first team, more the second team, 

but just seeing that in operation 

opened my eyes. 

“I have been to Manchester City 

and watched Pep Guardiola 

coach and that was inspiring, 

seeing probably the best football 

manager, on a wet cold day, out 

there teaching his players, being

eally motivated about it and 

loving it. 

“I have had two really good 

meetings with Roberto Martinez, 

one in Brussels when he looked 

after me for the day. He wasn’t 

coaching at the time, he gave 

me what he learned from 

moving from club coaching to 

international coaching, which is 

the transition I was making at 

that time. 

“During lockdown, all his 

coaching staff including Shaun 

Maloney had a zoom session 

with all our coaching staff, so 

that was brilliant. 

“You feel privileged to get those 

opportunities, especially at a 

successful club or with successful 

managers, they are obviously 

doing something right that you 

can take to your own sport.” 

The sharing of best practices 

hasn’t been a one-way street. 

Townsend regularly speaks 

on UEFA Pro Licence courses 

delivered by the Scottish FA with 

Jack Ross one of many highprofile 

names in Scottish football 

impressed with what he heard. 

“His presentation reassured me 

that a lot of the work I am doing 

is on a similar page,” said the 

Hibernian head coach. 

Townsend said: “It was a real 

privilege to talk about my 

coaching experience and also 

what happens in rugby from a 

coaching and management point 

of view. It was good to see some 

of the young managers coming 

through who have gone on to be 

successful. 

“It is what the people on the 

course find relevant. They might 

take one little thing that they 

want to use.” 

Townsend tapped into the 

euphoria which surrounded Steve 

Clarke’s side qualifying for this 

summer’s Euros when preparing 

his team for their 2021 Six 

Nations opener against England. 

The 11-6 victory was the first 

win for the Scots at Twickenham 

in 38 years. 

He said: “Sport means a lot to 

a nation and it was good to 

see Scotland doing well. We 

referenced the boost that the win 

(in Serbia) and the celebrations 

gave the whole country a lot 

during the Six Nations. I am sure 

our win against England went 

down similarly well.” 

DURING 

LOCKDOWN, ALL 

HIS COACHING 

STAFF INCLUDING 

SHAUN MALONEY 

HAD A ZOOM 

SESSION WITH ALL 

OUR COACHING 

STAFF, SO THAT 

WAS BRILLIANT 




TEAM UNITED 

A new league has been launched for a group of young 

people who had limited opportunities in football 

“Everyone has their place in football, 

we just had to find where it is,” said 

Ann Brown, who has worked tirelessly 

and diligently to ensure young people 

in Scotland with autism now have 

their own league and cup tournament. 

The first matches in the world’s first 

ever Autism Football League took 

place last weekend at Oriam, near 

Edinburgh, and it was a huge success. 

“The kids were superb and everything 

went well,” said Brown. “We kept 

everything as football-focused as 

possible from a programme, to entry 

music and referees. It was great.” 

The league, which was designed and 

created by the award-winning charity 

Team United, founded by Brown, 

consists of nine teams of children and 

young people with autism and it has 

been a long time coming. 

The launch of the league came during 

UEFA Grassroots Week, the annual 

celebration of all the work that goes on 

in grassroots football across Europe. 

Team United supports young people 

with disabilities in overcoming social 

barriers they often face when taking 

part in sport and physical activity, 

particularly team sports, and helps to 

build confidence and self-esteem. 

The charity, which won both a Sunday 

Mail sportscotland Scottish Sports 

award and the Scottish FA Best Para 

Programme award in 2018, focuses on 

supporting young people with autism 

aged 8-16. It has worked with football 

clubs and organisations across 

Scotland with the aim of enabling 

more clubs to support young people 

with autism. 

Fife-based Brown acknowledges the 

significance of the latest orgnised 

addition to the Scottish football 

family. Brown, who is vice-chair of the 

Scottish FA Para Football Board and 

disability liaison officer at Hibernian, 

said: “I think it is huge. The awareness 

hasn’t been there. A lot of people feel 

pan-disability must cover everything 

but actually it doesn’t. 

“There is amputee football, a physical 

disability, there is deaf/blind football, 

a sensory disability and these are 

catered under Scottish disability sport. 

“But there was no place for autism 

because autism isn’t physical, it 

isn’t sensory and it isn’t a learning 

disability, it is a developmental 

disability, so therefore there is no 

pathway. 

“So for me, working with the Scottish 

FA over years, to get them to recognise 

autism and us being the game leader 

in Scotland, is huge, absolutely huge. 

So I am delighted. “ 

The league will run across four fixture 

dates in October, November, February 

and April, with the cup competition 

taking place in May next year. Teams 

include Dalkeith Thistle, Monifeith 

Athletic, Bayside, Partick Thistle,



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Murieston United, Rangers Charity 

Foundation, Hibernian, Livingston and 

Bonnyrigg Rose. 

Brown founded Team United because 

there was a gap in provision for young 

people with autism who were not 

included like their other disabled peers 

in terms of disability sport. 

She said: “There were no football 

pathways for young people with 

autism. They have certain social 

barriers that they find really difficult to 

overcome. 

“Taking them from being an individual 

to being a team player is not easy. 

There will be sports that people with 

autism will be good at it. Kids with 

autism will go to individual sports like 

swimming because you don’t really 

have to be part of a team. 

“Having a better understanding 

of that, building that trust and 

motivation, help makes them the 

player and team player that they 

always wanted to be. 

“If you attend mainstream school and 

are in a special autism hub or even 

attend special schools, PE isn’t on the 

curriculum for these kids and, if it is, 

there is very little of it. A lot of people 

don’t know that. 

“So to get them to play with their peer 

group or get selected for the school 

football team, or to get progress to any 

level is impossible.” 

Brown takes inspiration from her 

autistic son Andrew, who was part of 

the Team GB side which won gold at 

the 2007 Special Olympic Games held 

in Shanghai. 

She said: “Andrew was part of the 

Special Olympic movement and that 

was mostly for learning disability and 

he did well. 

“His journey ended because Special 

Olympics changed the boundaries. But 

he went to China and got a football 

gold so there were positives for him, 

from a social aspect in terms of his 

confidence. 

“I thought if I could replicate that for 

lots of other young people then what 

could be achieved? I think I am on that 

journey.” 

Team United received an award from 

the UEFA Foundation last year for 

their innovative approach to working 

with children and young people with 

autism. 

It is also partially funded by the 

Scottish FA, who invest £100,000 

annually into the development of 



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Para-Football through game leader 

organisations such as Brown’s, whose 

members come mostly from around 

the Lothians and Fife but is growing 

every week. 

Laura Anderson, Community Project 

Co-ordinator at the Scottish FA, 

describes Brown as “a force, very 

passionate with a clear vision in her 

mind as to what she wants to achieve” 

and is thrilled to see the emergence 

of the autism league with its many 

benefits. 

She said: “There is definitely a need 

and the really exciting thing about 

what Ann is trying to do with the 

autism league is that the whole 

ethos is about preparing kids to be 

involved and feel included within the 

mainstream environment. 

“It is more than just football and it is 

going to have some real impact for 

these kids as they develop and get 

a bit older. It is really exciting to see 

and we are just really happy to be 

working with Ann and her team as a 

partnership. 

“We recognise the passion and 

hunger that there is for football in 

Scotland, we strive to make the game 

as accessible and as inclusive as we 

possibly can and we need everyone to 

do their bit.” 

TO GET 

THEM TO 

RECOGNISE 

AUTISM AND 

US BEING 

THE GAME 

LEADER IN 

SCOTLAND, 

IS HUGE, 

ABSOLUTELY 

HUGE. 

SO I AM 

DELIGHTED 




LAST TIME OUT 

OHHHHH VIENNA… 

Lyndon Dykes scored the only goal of a frantic encounter 

as Scotland secured a momentous first-ever qualification 

win in Austria last time out. 

The QPR forward converted from the penalty spot on the 

half-hour mark - after a VAR check concluded Che Adams 

had been bundled over by Martin Hinteregger - to register 

international goals in consecutive games for the first time, 

having also provided the winner against Moldova. 

The result moved Steve Clarke’s side into a play-off place 

in Group F, as dreams of reaching a first World Cup finals 

since 1998 edged closer. 



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SUN, SAND AND 

NO MAN’S LAND 

Scotland fan Ross Mitchell recalls an eventful trip to 

Israel for a World Cup qualifier 

It sounded like a 

good idea at the 

time. 

A jolly to Tel Aviv in 

February 1981 to 

see Scotland play 

Israel for the first 

time in a competitive 

game, a crucial 

World Cup qualifier, 

and with plenty of 

time to play with, a bit of sightseeing across 

the border in Egypt. 

It turned out to be an unforgettable 

experience for Ross Mitchell but not in the 

way he envisaged. 

The Tartan Army footsoldier lost his passport 

in Egypt, was incarcerated after trying to 

sneak back into Israel, was accused of being 

a spy, was basically taken into protective 

custody by the British Embassy in Cairo and 

missed Kenny Dalglish scoring the only goal 

of the game in the Ramat Gan Stadium. 

Mitchell, now 62, cannot hear or see the name 

of tonight’s opponents without recalling a 

traumatic time 40 years ago which spawned 

the legend of the ‘Desert Fox’, although he 

can see the amusing side of it these days. 

He said: “You have to remember that 

communication was totally different 

in those days, there was no internet or 

mobiles and everything was done on the hoof. 

“A few of us flew to Israel then went on a 

trip to Egypt - it wasn’t the best idea as it 

turned out. I am not sure we knew what we 

were doing. It was a long journey from Tel 

Aviv to Cairo so we shared taxis with other 

people to split the costs. 

“We got across the border and hit the Suez 

Canal and had to stop to let a queue of ships 

past and so we got out. I had left my passport 

and other stuff in the boot and it was only 

when I got to Cairo that I found out that my 

bag and passport were missing. 

“We went to the British Embassy in Cairo, 

filled in an application for a passport but there 

were delays and I didn’t have a photograph. I 

needed to get that and it was the weekend 

with the Embassy closed on the Sunday and 

so unfortunately there was a further delay.” 

The delay was long enough to encourage 

Mitchell to attempt to slip back over the 

border to Israel. 

He said: “We chanced it coming back 

on a bus to Tel Aviv. The conductor was 

taking all the passports in and realised he 

was one short. He was looking at all the 

photos and then started watching me. 

“We got off at the border checkpoint and 

I said to the guys, “What am I going to 



do?’ They said I should try jumping over 

the wall into the no-man’s land, which 

was maybe a good mile and a half from 

Israel! 

“I didn’t want to chance it so I had to come 

clean. I was hoping they would feel sorry for 

me and let me go back without a passport but 

they weren’t having it. I was stuck there. 

“I was meant to be taken back to Cairo fairly 

quickly but there was a sandstorm and I was 

stuck at the police station. I had to sit on this 

bench for about two days before we set off on 

a bus with a stack of prisoners on it. 

“The game was still to be played and that 

was what was keeping me going, even 

though it would have taken a miracle for me 

to get back in time to see it. 

“When we got to Cairo I was put into the 

foreigners’ section of this jail while some of 

the other guys went into the dungeons. 

“The next day I was taken to see the secret 

police and they told me they couldn’t trace me 

and accused me of being an Israeli spy! I 

had inadvertently given them a wrong 

passport number and they couldn’t trace me. 

They were checking airport arrivals, although 

we had come through the desert in a couple 

of taxis.” 

By this time Mitchell was unkempt, 

bedraggled and contact lens problems 

meant his eyes were half shut. He was taken 

to the British Embassy, whose officials took 

one look at him, took him behind the counter 

and refused to let him back out. 

“THE NEXT DAY I WAS TAKEN TO 

SEE THE SECRET POLICE AND 

THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN’T 

TRACE ME AND ACCUSED ME OF 

BEING AN ISRAELI SPY!” 

He said: “The two guys were wanting 

to take me back to the prison but 

the Embassy people were not having that. 

That’s when I was told it was 1-0 to Scotland 

and that cheered me up. A Scottish guy from 

the Embassy and his wife put me up in their 

apartment and looked after me until I got my 

passport. 

“I had to get the bus back from Cairo to 

Tel Aviv and it was the same conductor 

again and he was watching me like a 

hawk but I was feeling a bit happier. They 

took me aside at the border again but off 

we eventually went through no-man’s land 

and into Israel. 

“I was a relieved man and I met up with 

the guys again and I got the nickname 

‘The Desert Fox’ - although I think I probably 

made it up myself! 

“We went for two weeks and I got two days 

in Israel at the start and two days at the end. 

“I do occasionally think back and obviously 

more recently with the number of times 

Scotland have played Israel. 

“It could have been worse. I could have 

jumped that wall into no-man’s land and who 

knows what would have happened. It was 

certainly a trip to remember.” 




SCOTLAND 

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 

Craig Gordon 

Hearts 

Jon McLaughlin 

Rangers 

Liam Kelly 

Motherwell 

Stephen O’Donnell 

Motherwell 

Nathan Patterson 

Rangers 

Jack Hendry 

Club Brugge 

Scott McKenna 

Nottingham Forest 

Liam Cooper 

Leeds United 

Kieran Tierney 

Arsenal 

Andy Robertson 

Liverpool 

Billy Gilmour 

Norwich City* 

Kenny McLean 

Norwich City 

Callum McGregor 

Celtic 

Stuart Armstrong 

Southampton 

David Turnbull 

Celtic 

John McGinn 

Aston Villa 

Lewis Ferguson 

Aberdeen 

Scott McTominay 

Manchester United 

Lyndon Dykes 

Queens Park Rangers 

Che Adams 

Southampton 

Ryan Christie 

AFC Bournemouth 

Ryan Fraser 

Newcastle United 

Kevin Nisbet 

Hibernian 

*on loan from Chelsea 

ISRAEL 

HEAD COACH: 

Willi Ruttensteiner 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

Daniel Peretz 

Maccabi Tel Aviv 

Itamar Nitzan 

Beitar Jerusalem 

Ofir Marciano 

Feyenoord 

Joel Abu Hanna 

Legia Warsaw 

Eyad Abu Abaid 

Hapoel Be’er Sheva 

Idan Nachmias 


Ofir Davidzada 


Eli Dasa 

SBV Vitesse 

Edward Gotlib 

Hapoel Tel Aviv 

Sun Menachem 

Maccabi Haifa 

Ofri Arad 

Maccabi Haifa 

Bibras Natcho 

Partizan Belgrade 

Dan Glezer 


Goni Naor 

Hapoel Jerusalem 

Manor Solomon 

Shakhtar Donetsk 

Dor Peretz 

Venezia FC 

Gadi Kinda 

Sporting Kansas City 

Nir Bitton 

Celtic 

Eran Zahavi 

PSV Eindhoven 

Liel Abada 

Celtic 

Suf Podgoreanu 

Spezia 

Eden Shamir 

Maccabi Tel Aviv* 

Shon Zalman Weissman 

Real Valladolid 

Munas Dabbur 

Hoffenheim 

*on loan from Standard Liege

THIS 

IS 

CRUCIAL 

SCOTLAND v DENMARK 

MON, 15 NOVEMBER | 7.45PM 

TICKETS.SCOTTISHFA.CO.UK

Scotland v Israel

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