Scotland at European Championships

Scotland at the UEFA European Football Championships

The UEFA European Football Championships first took place in France in 1960 when four teams faced off against each other to be crowned continental champions of Europe.  The tournament has taken place every four years since with host nations including Italy, Spain, Belgium, Sweden and England. While the competition may have changed in format and increased in number throughout the years, it remains a glorious celebration of the beautiful game. Scotland have played a number of memorable qualifying campaigns and reached the finals on two occasions, playing both events during the 1990s.

Euro 1992

After reaching the World Cup two years earlier, Scotland Manager Andy Roxburgh guided his team  through qualification to finish top of their group to take them to the finals in Sweden.  At the tournament proper, they were to face off against the Netherlands, Germany and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Scotland squad was rich in home-based talent with just four players in the 20-man squad based in England. The team was led by the captain Richard Gough, and included talented players including Andy Goram, Ally McCoist, Maurice Malpas, Brian McClair, Gary McAllister, Tom Boyd and a young Duncan Ferguson.

Scotland’s first match took place in Gothenburg and resulted in a narrow loss to a strong Netherlands team with Dennis Bergkamp scoring the only goal. Just three days later, Roxburgh’s men lost by two goals to the eventual finalists Germany who were playing as a united country for the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall. There was plenty of joy for Scotland’s faithful followers when the team emerged victorious with a 3-0 win against the CIS with McStay, McClair and McAllister all on the scoresheet. While it was a night to remember, it wasn’t enough to take Scotland through to the knockout stages.

Euro 1996

Having never qualified for a the finals before 1992, the national team were on a roll with new manager Craig Brown guiding his squad to their second successive European Championships. England was the host nation of a major tournament for the first time since they hosted and won the World Cup in 1966. Football’s Coming Home became the anthem of the summer and the Scotland supporters descended into England in their droves. Scotland was drawn in Group A which meant they were to face up against the host nation, England, known to some as the “Auld Enemy”. The Netherlands and Switzerland completed the group.

Scotland had a strong squad, made up of players including John Collins, Colin Hendry, Kevin Gallacher and team captain Gary McAllister. Fans gained hope after the opening match  - a creditable 0-0 draw with a Netherlands team that included Ronald de Boer, Clarence Seedorf and Edgar Davids.  The match against England will live long in the memory and on another day, Scotland could have taken something. A penalty was saved at a crucial moment with England keeper David Seaman on top form throughout the match. Great goals from England’s world-class players Shearer and Gascoigne meant Scotland were beaten but could take heart from the performance. Victory came in the final match with McCoist scoring the only goal against the Swiss. Scotland took a decent four points from the group, just like the Netherlands, but the Dutch’s superior goals tally put them through to the knockout stages.

A bright European future

Successive managers have valiantly competed in the qualification rounds in an effort to guide Scotland to another European Championships. Now there is an even greater chance as the tournament has grown from 16 teams to 24. There have been near misses with chances lost only at the play-off stage for the 2000 and 2004 tournaments. It went down to the wire with a final match defeat against Italy in the bid to reach Euro 2008. Each campaign has posed its own unique challenges but there have always been signs of hope and one day the European Championships will hear the sounds of thousands singing Flower of Scotland once again.