We followed Scotland until France 98 and now we dream of another World Cup

The last time Scotland men qualified for the World Cup in 1998, Cher’s Believe was the best-selling song of the year, Tony Blair was UK Prime Minister and a pint of milk cost around 34p.

Tens of thousands of Scots crossed the English Channel on planes, trains and cars to support Craig Brown’s team.

Now, 27 years on, Tartan Army foot soldiers have been telling their stories ahead of the crucial match against Denmark in which Scotland could end the long wait and qualify for next year’s finals.

Ian Stephen, from Perthshire, was 28 when he embarked on a trip to Paris with four friends to watch Scotland play in the tournament’s opening match against Brazil on June 10, 1998.

He sold his car and bought a 1979 VW caravan to cross the English Channel.

“The guys got in the van and we had flags and stickers on the sides. We took the ferry to France and had a great time.”

“It was just fans of all nationalities mixing and having a great time,” he said.

The group toured France to attend all three Scotland matches in the van, although not without a broken clutch cable and a faulty spark plug along the way.

Instead of cash, they paid the mechanics in wine for repairs in an attempt to keep the trip on budget.

Falkirk’s Henry Hepburn was also among those who arrived in Paris for the opening match against Brazil.

He sat his final exam at the University of Glasgow, ironically a French-speaking exam, on the day the World Cup was due to start.

So, at age 23, Henry convinced his college professors to give him the first available appointment that morning to take the exam.

He then ran to the airport to catch his flight to Paris, where he planned to watch the game with the other fans who weren’t lucky enough to have a ticket to the game.

The grand opening match was the only Scotland match for which he did not have a ticket, so he headed to the fan zone at the Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville to watch the action on a giant screen. It arrived just in time.

“I had a friend waiting outside to run to the airport and then we arrived in the big square in the center of Paris, literally at the moment Scotland got a penalty.

“It was just amazing to see that moment, it just went crazy,” he said.

John Collins scored the penalty to tie the score at 1-1 against Brazil, giving fans the belief that there could be an upset against the defending World Cup champions.

Henry, who says he didn’t have the “luxury” of a caravan to stay in during his stay, toured France, even sleeping in someone’s back garden in Bordeaux, as hotel rooms were hard to find and friendly locals offered their outdoor space to campers.

Being in France was one thing, but getting a ticket for Scotland’s opening match was like “gold dust”, according to Stirling’s Kevyn Whitelaw.

He was also 23 years old when he was lucky enough to enter the Stade de France in Saint Denis for that match.

Kevyn attended all of Scotland’s France 98 matches, but the first one, where his father Graham was able to accompany him, was special.

Even though Scotland ultimately lost 2-1 to Brazil, that day brings back nothing but positive memories.

“My dad and I were lucky enough to get a ticket on the ballot, where you had to write in and apply for tickets in the past,” Kevyn said.

His father, Graham, called in sick from work to go to the game with his son, opting to wear a costume in case one of the television cameras caught him during the game.

The memory of his father in sunglasses, tartan hat and wig still makes Kevyn, 51, laugh.

Looking back, he says the biggest surprise of all was the cost of his ticket for game day.

“A category four ticket for the stretch where most of the Scottish fans were was £22 and £4 shipping.

“It’s just the idea of ​​getting to the opening match of a World Cup now for £26… it was incredible when you think about it.”

In the end, Scotland were eliminated from the 1998 tournament in the group stage after two defeats and a draw.

Since then, the men’s team has failed to qualify for the tournament.

Kevin Donnelly, a loyal infantryman in the Edinburgh Tartan Army, can remember a time when Scotland regularly competed on the world stage.

Over the years, he has followed the team to four World Cups and four European Championships.

The 64-year-old was unwilling to reveal how much he had spent as a traveling supporter over the years, but says he will “definitely” go to North America if Scotland make the 2026 World Cup.

His memories of France include meeting singer Rod Stewart in Bordeaux. He then traveled to the Sporting Club de Monaco after the World Cup to collect an award on behalf of the Tartan Army.

He recognized the good behavior of the Scottish fans who had followed his team to France.

Kevin is “optimistic” that Scotland will be able to qualify for the World Cup next year.

Steve Clarke’s team must win against Denmark to automatically qualify for the tournament and avoid the play-offs.

Kevin said: “We are in a much better position than we expected at the start of the qualifiers.

“If they had offered us this position from the beginning, we would have bitten their hand off. We are still in control of our own destiny and are not dependent on other results.”

He said that for some members of the squad, this would represent the last chance to reach a World Cup and that the team needed to take advantage of the opportunity.

“Sometimes you think we are a nation of dreamers when it comes to football. Let’s dare to dream.”

Scotland will play Denmark at Hampden on Tuesday 12 November at 7.45pm.

You can watch Scotland v Denmark on BBC Scotland, BBC Two and iPlayer from 19:15 GMT.