Football Daily - Remember When… We Went to France ‘98

Episode Date: June 2, 2026

In June 1998, Scotland kicked off the World Cup in Paris against the defending champions, Brazil. For the fans that were there, it was a day that they would never forget - and one that’s become Scottish football folklore after years of heartbreak. Rick Edwards is joined by Gordon, Paul and Iain to hear about that halcyon summer following their team across France and what marked the end of an era.02:18 - Remembering the Scotland squad that qualified for the 1998 World Cup 05:10 - Being in the Tartan Army throughout the 70s, 80s & 90s 10:00 - Tartan Armies in other countries 13:37 - Scotland face Brazil in the opening game 17:30 - Iain “borrowing” the flag at Bannockburn 20:00 - Kick-off in the Stade de France 22:20 - That Tom Boyd own goal 25:08 - Taking on Norway in Bordeaux 27:45 - Disaster in the final game against Morocco 30:05 - The end of an era for Scotland 34:03 - Fond memories of France in 1998 37:04 - Looking ahead to World Cup 2026 for Scotland

Hello and welcome to Remember When, the show that brings together football fans to talk about the seismic moments that shape their team's history and had a massive impact on their own lives as well. We're here to talk about the stories, the memories, the moments that unite us as football fans wherever we're from and whoever we support. I'm Rick Edwards and today we're going back to the last time Scotland went to the World Cup, the summer of 1998. The tartan army set out on the long march from the Guadu Boulogne at breakfast time,

full of hope and defiance, but privately expecting it nothing better. than a draw. After failing to reach the World Cup for the first time in 24 years in 1994, Scotland were back on the world stage. Qualifying hadn't been easy. They'd finished behind Austria, but went through as the best runners up in Europe. And under the guidance of Craig Brown, there was really excitement that this Scotland team could be the first to reach the knockouts.

In keeping with the patriotic fervor of their fans, the Scottish team arrived wearing kiltz. A sight as strange to the French as the opening ceremony was to just about everyone else. They were drawn against defending champions Brazil for a 14th. time who they'd face in the opening game of the tournament at the Stad de France in Paris. For better and worse, it would be an unforgettable day. So today we're jumping on the Eurostar and head to Paris in the company of three Scots who were there because this is remember when we went to France 98.

Everyone says that we made the opening game of the World Cup a very good game and that's quite unusual. It was sporting and it was end-to-end stuff. We competed well and we gave I think the glamour opening that the tournament wanted, but a big regret is that we didn't get the draw, which I think we deserve. Okay, let's introduce the three diehard Scotland fans that are with me today. I've got Paul. Hello there. I've got Gordon. Hello there. And I've got Ian. How you doing? So going back to 1998, at that point, getting to the World Cup was pretty routine for Scotland. I know you've missed

out in 94, but before that, five, five World Cup's on the bounce. What did you make of the Scotland's squad that went out there? I think it was workman-like is probably the best way to describe it. It wasn't our most attack-minded. Bearing it was Craig Brown, the schoolmaster who was the boss.

I think it was workman-like. I don't think it was any special. I don't think we had any great expectations that this was going to be a special World Cup performance. and I think those of us who are old enough, look at myself here in the mirror, remember 74 and 78 where we had world-class players.

I think we were devoid of world-class players would be my taking it. Yeah, is that fair, Gordon? Yeah, hard work and 100% guys like Colin Henry, Calderwood, Craig Burley, but John Collins is probably the classic and a player we had. What was the feeling about Ali McCoyce not going here?

It was coming to the end of his international career, but... He had a bit of a running, I think, at the Euros with Craig Brown, and I remember McCoy's saying the person who didn't play him was the first person he ran and cuddled when he scored the goal against Norway. Villa Park, yeah, against Switzerland, sorry, yeah.

And he ran to Craig Brown, and remember McCoy said, I don't know why I ran to him because he didn't play me, so I think there was something simmering in the background why he never went, but I think to not have Ali McCoys in the squad, an out-and-out-goal is what any team cries cries out for. And no Gary McAllister who was injured. Yeah, I was kind of working it out today. Was that

Macalester's era? I was trying to remember. I mean, he was probably a most consistent performer and was the captain as well before I think he was getting injured. So he was a real miss. Again, playing at the top flight in England,

definite miss, not of McAllister on the team. Yeah, missing a bit of creativity and a bit of bit of flair. Yeah. We didn't have the massive names like you say, like the Ducleash and the Jordans and all that.

It was a more hard work, Craig Brown type, give nothing away. Because I think in the, did we not go the first six games in the qualifying and not lose a goal or something? Yeah. You know, we were really hard to beat

good defensive team. And I think the expectations for Scotland fans from 1978 when Ali McLeod told us or we all thought we're going to win the World Cup, you know, I think we started to realise that might, not be the case. And so we kind of were a bit more realistic

going into this World Cup campaign. You've got a dream as a football fan, though, haven't you? We always dream as Scotland fans. The Tartan Army, yeah. A dream is getting out of the group, not win that. What was it like being in the Tartan Army back in those days and before that in the kind of glory days, I suppose?

I think there was a bit of a realisation, I think as Gordon said there, that we didn't have the flare players. And I can remember my own circumstances, about debating whether to go or not and I remember saying to another, a mate of mine from university, another Gordon,

we've got to go because this doesn't look good for the future. I don't know how long it's going to be. And he reminded me that's just a couple of days ago. That's a good prediction, actually. It was a really good prediction. I said, I just don't know when we're going to go back to the World Cup and it's in France.

We've just got to go. And that was the kind of sequence of events. But the writing was in the wall because in that qualifying group as well, Gordon, we didn't really beat anybody significant or it was kind of Latvia, we didn't

really hamming anybody and we were struggling to score goals. So I think the writing was in the wall. Can you remember your first Scotland game, all of you? I can. It was 1974 home internationals Scotland, Scotland England, 2-0

Scotland. At that time I stayed near Inverness in those days that five-hour drive down in So it was, I think it was two on goals actually, but we kind of classified it as Jordan and Jimmy Johnson, but I think it was Mike Pedge it and Colin Todd, but we'll gloss over that well-deserved 2-0-1 before setting off for West Germany as it was in those days.

And I remember 1974 watching it on the telly. I was 11-year-old and I have great memories. That squad could have gone on. That is a squad that could have gone on and won the World Cup. We're so unlucky with Brebner's deflection just inches past the post against Brazil but we went out unbeaten

and with some fantastic players in the team we had Dalglish, McRane Dennis Law off every single one of them were fantastic players so to me that was probably our strongest we might have thought in 1978 we were going to win it but 74 I thought we had a really

realistic chance of the whole set out of I remember two memories really that my first ever game Scotland game was going to my dad to the St. International.

It was an arranged in a February or January of February time against England and we thought this is great and I remember

going before it and my dad said you watch out for that Bobby Moore he's a bit class and we couldn't get near them and we got absolute hammer

so that was my first Scotland game but my first Scotland game going in my own with my mates as an 11 year old was 1973 which was the

Scotland Czechoslovak game with Jim Houghton and Joe Jordan scoring and taking this through to that one and that was magical but it was scary as well as 11 or 12 and I was standing in the open terrace and it was quite something Yeah what was the kind of the fan

culture like back then? Pretty well I mean it's scary's quite an interesting of work because I remember being 11 and thinking gee it was you know with score you know you can I remember dad put me in, I think, in front of a barrier in those days in the terracin, so you weren't getting piled on with people behind.

Yeah. You know? So it was, yeah, the culture was different then. The Tartan Army sort of evolved into a self-policing, maybe more into the 80s, late 70s sort of thing, you know? Yeah. And I remember the qualifying campaign, so it'll be 77. And the covered end at Hamden was where all the sickin started.

And it was, you know, jammed in there. And when Scotland scored, it was dust. The dust just came up and you couldn't see because there was just pure dust coming up from everyone jumping up and down so it's nothing like going to the Handen part now

with its families and nice seating and everything else. It's pretty wild. So how did the Tarzan Army change then over the years, sort of 70s, 80s into the 90s? You know part of it I think when the England fans were causing mayhem

and out of sheer badness we decided to be good. We were going to be popular when we go places. We'll become all cuddly and friendly. Yeah, yeah, we kind of changed because it was getting a bit out of hand of Wembley trips or getting a bit chaotic. Gold post and the grass of Wembley.

The trains down and it was getting chaotic. And remember Ted Croke could try to ban the Tartan Army and then the chain shoot until Wednesday and all sorts of things were going on. And I think the Tartan Army just decided, yeah, let's get the one up and ship and be the super friendly fans. and it's been like that ever since.

Other fans from other countries love what we do and we've got fans in various countries now that are self-proclaimed tartan armies which is a bit strange isn't it? I mean it's really strange

but from where? We've got the guys in our group that are still in touch fairly regularly with some German guys that were over at a game at Hamden many years ago. With the Croatian Tatan Army and Amsterdam

all places and what the Tatan army tend to do is we've got these wee badges call, let's say I've met the Tartan Army. Yeah. People buy them. Tartan Army buy them and all proceeds go to a children's charity. The Tartan Army run the Sunshine Appeal.

Tatten Army Sunshine Appeal. And when a bit of fundraising goes on, so when we're in a different city, a donations made to a children's charity of every away game and every city we go to. And I think that's... That's one of the key things. I think people just kind of see as maybe different football fans.

If you've allied that to the party which is not in stop and a lot of the locals join in in. I still scratch my head as to how you can have the Amsterdam Tartan army and the Poland Tartan army but we do have people come. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But are they actually

go into Scotland games? Yeah. Yeah. That's mad. Yeah, a lot of good... I mean, I love it, but it is mad. It's totally mad. Yeah, especially when we don't win much, so yeah, more glottons for punishment. I mean, what did the Polish lot do when Scotland play Poland? Ah, good point. You're throwing a half-and-half shirt.

It's those horrible scarves. Yeah, yeah, they're the people who buy them. You do see them, you mentioned the Croatians. It was Croatians over at one of the most recent Scotland matches, and they're in city centre, they're going to the pubs, they're doing the marches. They just love it. It's just different, you know?

It's a different fan culture, I guess. It's just the whole vibe. I saw the Tartan army a lot in Germany and the Euros two years back, and the atmosphere was electric. Like, it's a party, basically. And yes, the sort of demographic has changed slightly, but it just feels very good fun. Irrespective what's happening on the pitch, really.

Definitely irrespective what's happening on the pitch. I think you've answered the question. It's got to be. But, yeah, listen, we'll have a good party. We always have done. Think a hugged manet. You know, we've led that celebration in the world. So, yeah, I think you go there with no extra.

expectation. And I think it also goes back to something you mentioned earlier that because we're not at every single tournament when you get there in Germany it was a perfect example. We had that kid on tournament before with the COVID but when we got to Germany it was bingo this is, this is what it's all about.

You missed us, didn't you? World. So there's a little bit of enjoyment going on there, shall we say the least. We like to get the best fans award but taking away from the party and that does not take away from the hut when we get defeat, when we get beat.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, I remember the playoffs when we beat Holland, one hell at hand, and then we went over to Amsterdam and we got absolutely hammered. And that was tough because we were on the verge of qualifying for a campaign. And it took quite a while,

but people ended up jumping into the canals and having a bit of fun at night. And it's kind of resilience as well, you know, it doesn't take away the hut, but we've got to enjoy the party as well. And it's not just the party. the result is the most important thing. The party is a good coping mechanism as well.

Yeah, it's the best coping mechanism ever, thank God, we can have one. I don't know how it would survive it all of some of these results. Let's go back to 1998 then. So June the 10th, Scotland drawn to play defending champions Brazil in the opening game in Paris. When that draw came out, what did you think, Paul? A huge excitement and how the hell did I get a ticket. That was the starting point of it.

I mean, I'd never seen Brazil play, wanted to see him play Scotland, and the opening game. It just was a magical, magical draw for us. It was exciting. How about you guys? Over the moon, it was like, playing the Brazil, I love Brazil,

and playing the world champions at the opening ceremony, it was like our World Cup final. And I'm thinking, this is our World Cup final. Centre stage got to be there. It was just an unbelievable draw We didn't have any expectations It's not even a free hit Because there's no expectation

And the anticipation was Building up to it was so good Because you know you'd known for Four or five months that's who you were playing I think the thing about that Brazil game as well Is like we've played them at various competitions and even in friendlies Yeah, they score four absolute screamers past you

That was a known goal And a scrawny corner kick goal hitting off somebody's shoulder. It was just, it was so hard to take that defeat because we kind of deserved at least a draw out of that. Did you all,

had, with tickets? Did you have tickets? I didn't have tickets. I didn't have tickets for that game. I had for the other two. You were a lucky one then. I was a lucky one. Plus battle.

I was, I was working for a brewery at the time. I had a market agency and we did a big campaign and as part of my reward for pulling it together was, the deal was I was getting two tickets for the first game.

I negotiated that. And then they started to try and get out of it because they couldn't get any tickets. And eventually the only way they could get round out was tickets and hospitality. So I was

very fortunate to be sharing seats with Rod Stewart and Justin Curry of the gentleman betrayed. So when John Collins scored I was and dancing with some interesting chaps. And so did you get in then, Ian? I mean, not in with Rod Stewart, obviously.

No, we weren't that lucky, and I didn't know Paul at that time, so I couldn't even try and beg tickets off them or anything like that. We tried everything, as you said, to get tickets, it was so difficult. And when the draw came out, everybody wanted to be at that game. And we tried everything. Tried agencies in America, everything. But it was all priced way out of our range. But there's five of us there.

And on the day of the game, we thought we'll go and watch it on a big screen somewhere. I don't even think we knew where we were going to watch it. And we ended up at the stadium. We thought, right, we'll watch the stadium and get some photos and have a bit of party with the Brazilians. And then actually all five of us ended up getting in. How we got in. I don't know if we like to say we were here, but we all got in.

It's a lot of table. I can't actually remember how we got in. It's fine. We got in. And you know, sir, there was actually we got in and we got seats. So I think because it was such a lot of corporate and hospitality there that not all tickets. It was really nice, Ian, by the way.

I hope you and Rod had a good time with your prawn sandwiches, but we got not a bad seat as well so not far off the halfway line. We ended up in the square you were talking about at the last Hotel DeVille about 10,000 mostly Scottish supporters of some Brazilians and then anyone who supported anyone not Brazil was supporting us so that's a great atmosphere.

I think there's about 60,000 Scots went over there and clearly not all of them were in. No. Ian, there's no, I just want you to tell me the story about the flag because I've read about it and it's one of the greats. So take it away, please. Well, there's a national heritage site in Stirling, famous for its Battle of Banachburn,

where Scotland in 1314 won the battle for independence. and there's a massive big flagpole there and there's always a flag that looks the size of a postage stamp at the top and for some reason I don't know why we decided to borrow it without, I don't know if this, we wanted to make sure it was borrowed. Also, sorry, I've been there. This is a big flagpole.

A big flagpole. This is a very good flagpole. I don't know how tall that is. Well, if you could think about it being pitch black and the person who had to get to the top did a good job. Well done, Harvey. So we were all up there

and it was quite nerve-wracking and we borrowed the flag but we wanted to make sure that they knew the flag wasn't stolen because it wasn't. It was just on national duty. You've been called up flag. Yeah, yeah.

And we got an old beige curtain and we wrote gone two with the number two, France and put it back up in its place. I never actually thought anything more about it. Obviously, we had to until we started reading the newspapers and it was like everything and they started to say

a dark, an army and flag blag and the story took arms of legs and it was on the national news and we start panicking actually and thinking we have got, how can we go for two or three weeks and not lose this flag? But we did return it and did put up another side of the curtain and said mercy. And what kind of state was the flag in

after a couple of weeks? Well I'm trying to remember the women from the National Heritage said it was battle worn and stained a bit like the Tatarami A bit like the Tatarami I'll tell you what I went back up that flagpole with about

I don't know how many signatures must be about a thousand Tartanami signatures all on the flag as if we put it back up so it was a good story everybody wanted a picture taken with it including Walter Smith and Sandy Jarden just outside the stadium

when two Scottish legends who were actually panicking because they never had tickets to get in either so this was watched by probably you know half a bit of people around the world opening game at the World Cup

when Flower of Scotland was ringing out before the game started how did that feel? Amazing goosebumps, eh? It really did I know the bit as well with the Scotland team come out with the kilts on as well the only time that's ever happened and it was a surprise

you know that just brought the fans and the team together it was really a big lift I think I mean they're not when they come out for the warm up with the kiltz an hour before or whatever the hotel de Ville

ever kind of look oh wow the two things I remember before it watched it in a square were the kiltz and John Collins winking when the national when it's played at the camera

that's the two things that's sticking your mind pre-game and we've already sort of alluded to how the game ended but can you talk me through your sort of thoughts and feelings

as the 90 minutes unfolded in well when we lost the early goal I kind of thought it might be lose a shed load of goals I was kind of panicking and it was scrappy sort of off his shoulder

It was a kind of annoying goal but for me I was actually thinking oh no here we go but we rallied round and actually started playing really good and John Collins scored the penalty I thought we could have gone and won it let's just say we're glad there wasn't any VAR

I'm not sure that penalty to be given It might be a little bit soft. It's a little bit soft. The best compact is it. In today's football, that would be a definite penalty because you just need to look at someone and it's a penalty. They fall over. It's about halfway through the second half.

Ball comes to Kaffu quite close in to the goal who sort of prods it at Leighton, who makes the save. And then Boyd is running back and it just ricochets into his chest. then very, my memory is very slowly goes in. And I mean, it's a heartbreaker, isn't it? Yeah, that was a slow motion goal to break our hearts.

It was absolutely sickening, especially after how well. We were the stronger team at that point. And for it to lose a goal in such a way, it was just sickening. It really was. Because it's one thing to lose to Brazil, if they're scoring kind of Brazil-like goals. But that, that's an ugly goal. It wasn't quite like the goals they got in the 82 against us. Oh, yeah.

And we got the toe poke. It was just, yeah. It's because it took so long you got into the net. I remember Henry going back and he didn't quite make it. It was horrific. It was just the last type of... There's no good own goal, let's be honest. But, you know, if something sclaps off some days

and it's an accident, but it was the way, boy, he just couldn't get out of the way. It was just... It was nothing that you could do. It wasn't a flame at all. It was horrible. It was just horrible to watch. and obviously the inevitable happened

after we just couldn't get back in the game to get the equaliser so it was a horrible experience, I still relive it. Maybe the memory plays tricks, but I see but remember the setting halfway, a wee spell a five or ten minutes at one-one. You can I think, you know, we might have a wee chance, but... No, no, no, there wasn't any tricks. We could have won that thing, I thought you?

No memory tricks here. And at least we got to really, really have that moment when John Collins scored. Yeah. So we had that moment where we weren't getting beat. We scored against the World Champions, Brazil, but at the opening ceremony, life's good. Proud.

And he scored in front of where most of the Scottish fans as well. It's a great picture, actually. It's a brilliant picture I'd join. Could you see it from up in the poshs? Yeah, they give you binoculars. It's sharing a pair of binoculars of Rod's due. Yeah, I hope you. So here's the first ball of this series.

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of that result which was disappointing but, you know, came away with a lot of credit, then went into the Norway game. Where were you watching that? It was that the game down in Bordeaux? In Bordeaux. Yeah. What were you in Rod up to? No, I didn't have corporate hospitality tickets of that one. It was just the first game. Listen, that's another

game we should have won. You always felt with Craig Brown's team and very fortunately, through work. I got to know Craig many years later. You always felt as if we were playing with a handbrake on. He just never kind of let them go and just go for it. And I felt

that should have been the game we were targeting. But also looking ahead, we probably thought Morocco were going to be easy. Yeah, everyone did. Yeah. But Bartley's got a good goal and there was a great atmosphere down in Bordeaux, the sets

of fans. That, the opening game was special because of the opening game like our World Cup final said earlier but down in Bordeaux that was party central that is people, every lamp post every every there was a Scottsman at the top of it

and it was a highlight of the three venues Bordeaux was by far Bordeaux because we think it was five days of Scottish and Norwegian fans and a tented village and the French the French were there

marching out of the streets marching together and it may remember afterwards the Bordeaux Council took out full-page adverts in the newspapers to thank you. Thank you to the Tartan army for coming to our city and party.

We hope you come back and visit us again. I'm saying Gling fans don't get that very often. And in fact we've got exactly the same in Cologne. The same things that happen. Come back to Cologne any time you want. And there's always a Cologne flag at Scotland Games now as Saltmere. One of the things I remember about that is there was one of the bars which

let, stayed open. Was that Conna Mara? And they actually let Scotland fans sleep on the kind of sofas in the bars. They just stayed open. Body's lying everywhere. It was just unbelievable. I don't know how that happened but it just let no way we've

ever been before today. They keep the bar open all night for us. I invite people to sleep, you know. It was special. As they left, Scottish supporters were happy. 25 minutes ago I thought we were out. The competition first people home in the plane and now we're no, looking forward to the next game.

We're hoping to get one by the odd goal. We didn't, but we're still in anyway, so it doesn't matter. So roll on the next game. That won all draw, although a little bit disappointing because probably could have won it, I think the feeling was

that you would go on and then beat Morocco and you just needed Brazil to get a result against Norway, and then you're out of the group. And I think there was genuine optimism that was going to happen. Definitely. I think everyone... Just like to tear in Ian's eye, actually. Yeah, yeah. Bringing back bad memories now.

We actually played well against Norway. You know, okay, Brazil we did all right, but I think we stepped up a bit against Norway. I really, really felt we could and should have won it. Chances near the end of that one. Absolutely. So we were kind of, all right, that's a point in the bag. You know, we're going to get the job done against Morocco.

In no case, it wasn't quite the African Cup of Nations. I think we're in here. I think underestimated them. Totally. And I had a player sent off. I mean, I think there was the Scottish FA were handing out leaflets, weren't they? I remember that, yeah.

This is how you get to Marseille for the first knockout game. Yeah, they were giving you again. I remember getting handed this thing. This is how to get in touch. Now we were due to fly back the next day, so you were kind of thinking

what are you going to do here and we're handing out this, how to contact for the tickets for the Saturday, Marseille, if we'd go through. There's not many games I've been to watch in Scotland where you actually feel embarrassed. And I felt embarrassed about the performance that night. They were so off it.

and Burley who was excellent against Norway Eddie Silly died hair and he just stood out and I don't know what he was thinking about but it was a red card and it was an uphill battle so we just were awful

we weren't at it it's the quietest I can never remember being a stadium with Scotland fans which just killed it such a letdown the funny thing was Craig Brown explained and looked at the stats and said the stats were really good for Scotland

like the shots on goal and everything like that was he an early ex-G adopter I think we deserve to win that I don't think he was too convincing with the argument but stats don't lie

We didn't play as we have done and yet we had many scoring chances even with 10 men we created one or two scoring chances The bads fought bravely And the goals were terrible Colin Henry Jim Leight and normally guys were 100% reliable

They just didn't have good nights You know painful It just didn't happen Unfortunately Watching that Morocco game which obviously was pretty dire from Scotland's point of view. Did you have a sense, as you mentioned earlier on,

ah, this might be, this might be the end of a bit of a good run for Scottish football on the international scene. Definitely. I mean, I just kind of felt with the players that we had and there was a lot of those players as well getting, you know, Colin Caldow with 30, Henry. We'd been there, great servants,

but you didn't see anything coming through. I think that was the thing it's been fairly sparse recently as well but at that time you just didn't feel there was anything coming that was backing up that team and it just felt at the end of the Craig Brown kind of era

because we did kind of go from that to the kind of Bertie Vokes where we seemed to give everyone a cap because there wasn't that much around which backs up what you've just said that we had that era of anybody was getting a cap we almost got a game didn't we yeah yeah yeah

you look at the team and go who's that it's playing don't even recognise them. We didn't think it would be 28 years. No, we're kind of been pretty spoiled and I would now realise how well other teams had done over the years to qualify for so many tournaments, World Cups and the Euros.

I didn't see it coming to that extent. You know, we're just coming back now. What was the atmosphere like when you got back home was everyone pretty glum? I think everyone just went into their house, close the door and never came back out for a couple of. so I don't really know. CET you in, 28 years.

Yeah, yeah, that's it. There's certainly, I think, from the media point of view, I think they started to dissect it quite quickly. And usually when that happens, it's the, right, let's review the game. Why is there no players coming through? Why did we get beat by a team called Morocco? And again, disrespect to, you know,

a nation that we're really aware looking at football properly. So I think everybody just kind of followed that path and just heading under the blankets. It's so different about anything because you didn't know what's going on at home. I mean, I know it's not hundreds of years ago. But in France, you feel like it. You know, you used to phone books, you phone home.

Yeah, I remember sending postcards. But so you didn't actually know it. It wasn't like Germany. No. You know, you actually speaking to people at home through your text messaging or whatever at the game. There you didn't actually have a feedback

of the vibe at home. It's only when you came home, you find out, oh, the schools were shut for the Brazil game. The tele in at the school, everyone's watching it. Yeah, it didn't have that. link what you do now. You've just reminded me

as something of the postcards. We sent a postcard back from every city to the Banickburn Heritage Centre. Flag's doing well. Yeah, no, I signed it from the flag. We said the Banerner looking after us back soon.

Hopefully not too soon, but yeah, the postcard days. Yeah. If someone had told you then that it would be 28 years until Scotland got to another World Cup, what would you have said here? Oh,

I wouldn't have believed them, that's for sure. It's been a really, really tough time and it's even harder at times when your neighbours are qualifying and everybody else is going to the party, the tournaments and we're not there again and you try new managers and you try different things.

You come close, you know, you're so close at times. We could beat France and world champions. Spain? Be Spain. We're nearly beat Italy in a tournament. And so close and so many things that just didn't happen.

So that's why I was so. please now obviously that we're back and I think now we've had two euros we're back at a World Cup I'm hoping now we're coming out with that drought. Bit in momentum. We obviously weren't qualifying for euros either until the COVID one you referred to

it was 22 years without a major tournament and you've got a chance of me two years so we missed X World Cup's but we missed the same number of euros. Yeah it's been tough but we're back now. Back for good as I say yeah

well well don't get out of yourself how do you? How do you reflect then on 1998 now, Paul? Really happy memories. I mean, it was a great experience from start to finish. It was a fairly unique experience for me. I went with my close friend Gordon, who we'd swore that we would go to the World Cup at some stage

and we were in a difficult position because he had a 14-month-old son and his wife was pregnant with these. his second child soon to be on the way and yeah that's a tough sell it was a tough sell and you know hats off to Janet Alexander

she said as long as there's a villa with a pool I'll let you boys go and do the football and you know we had a great great experience but looking back at it it was wonderful and that's all part of the experience

like his son thrown up on me in the back seat of the car and you just can't accept he's like, you know, a 14-month-old kid, who cares. But overall, it was great. It's maybe not as much partying because of that circumstance for us, but I've made up for it post-98, shall we say. Gordon. Yeah, I mean, I went with a good pal from Aberdeen

and another mate from Edinburgh, and yeah, it's just the memories. We were actually, we met up at the weekend there, and we're talking about it, and it's just, you know, you can still picture everything, and then they say something, you think, oh, I'd forgotten about that, and you say something like, And it's just the memories and the France-Germany link was quite strong for me because I thought they were very similar in terms of volume of people, atmosphere. And yeah, I remember in Norway, the Florida Scotland at the Bordeaux Stadium,

really struggling to get it out. And I was the same at Cologne. The Cologne noise just was similar. It just brought me back to that. And it was, I mean, they just give you memories for life these trips. Absolutely. Well, I've got the memories. I've got the memories of five us being crammed in a Honda Civic going across the air.

and the best times ever. We slept in the car, we slept on the road, we slept on bridge, and a foot bridge one time, but a great time, and it was absolutely fantastic. And as you say, when you meet up,

it all comes back all the stories and what a laugh, so fantastic times. And it's a bit like the gap, like the age that we are now, the groups we go with now, the younger guys come in, it's almost like passing the batting.

Some of our guys at France were like, they were at the secondary school or at the end of primary school, and now they were in Germany. And that just feels really, good to know that they are then carrying it on. Yeah, they've heard the France 98 stories too long. They need to make their own stories

and they get the opportunity now. Yeah, they're going to make their own flag. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, there's actually a camera up there now, so I wouldn't advise. Go! Frode Gradesh hesitated and Craig Barley from the midfield role picks up a wonderful pass

over the top by David Weir and elegantly Scotland's player of their ear. Lest Scotland back into the World Cup finals. Scotland won, no we won. And now just finally, looking ahead to this summer, what do you reckon?

Fingers crossed. That's positive. Yeah, that's that one is here. We're getting out of the group. The first game is all that matters. The first game's a one. Yeah, I think we're going to get out of the group. This is a one.

Yeah, definitely. I think they'll win the first one. I think maybe a draw against Morocco. No, Morocco. Morocco is in. your old friends. Yeah, no. I feel we'll get

throughout the group. I really do. I would take three points and a minus one goal difference might be enough. A 1-0-1-2-1-defeats is probably more than likely. I know that sounds really boring, but I'm renowned for that. We'll get us through. Yeah. Fingers crossed. Ian Gordon-Paul, thank you so much. And thank you for listening to this episode of the Football Daily. If today's episode has inspired you to share some of your own memories

and stories from the 1998 World Cup. We'd love to hear them. Get in touch with us on socials at Five Lives Sport. And catch us on the next episode of Remember When, where we'll be talking about the highs and mostly lows of England's golden generation. Bye for now. So much sport today for all the goals

as they go in up and down the league. This is Five Live Sports. It's all right for the lights, not to stop up. Everyone standing around the 18th three. Overhead condition off. He shows to the centre. Oh, go to it.

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