Is there ANY sympathy for Scotland?

[Gwylan]

Whoever put the argument that Scotland do relatively well considering their small population is wide of the mark too.

A quick search suggests Scotland's population as of the last census was about 5.2 million.

An equally quick search reveals the following...

Denmark (qualified automatically as group winners) 5.3 million
Montenegro (qualified for play offs) 0.6 million
Republic of Ireland (play offs) 4.2 million
Estonia (play offs) 1.4 million
Slovenia (recently qualified for World Cups) 2.0 million
Slovakia (ditto) 5.4 million
Croatia (play offs, have reached WC semi finals in recent memory) 4.5 million
Bosnia & Herzegovina (play offs) 3.9 million
Armenia (narrowly missed out to Irish) 3.2 million
Norway (missed out to Portugal on goal difference) 4.9 million

I accept you could also use population as a stick to beat England with, so it works both ways, but spare me the "we're only a wee nation" rubbish. Ireland don't even have a league worthy of the name, and not a single member of their squad plays for an Irish team, but they still made it.

It was me making the point that Scotland had done well for a small nation but my argument was based historically not on this year's performance. The current team is too poor

. I can't be arsed to look it up but I bet that Scotland has a better record in reaching championships than nations far bigger.

Obviously, a lot of those countries are only a few years old so it's hard to compare them with Scotland and that might change in the future but my argument was that Scotland had done pretty well for itself over the last 50 years.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Totally agree that Scottish football is in freefall and their fans like the other Celtic countries have their heads buried in a so called glorious past. For most England fans 1966 is now a quaint memory and in our usual self deprocating and realistic way we rather take the p*ss out of our inability to make any mark on the World footie stage. We have more chance of joining the Euro than winning the 2012 Euro Championships.

Part of Scotland's decline is because they no longer enjoy the scale of infiltration in English footie that helped to maintain the Scots excellence. For years in the 60s, 70s & 80s most footie fans could name the Scotland team because they were well known First Div players and at least as good as the English counterparts, now there are only one or two, if that. How many NSCers would have bothered to watch last nights game if CMS wasn't playing?

Mind you the Scots do seem to be able to produce the odd decent Club manager and I acknowledge the Scots do have some great fans who know how to support their team. Although last nights turn out had something to do with being on the Costas so guaranteed a beerfest in the sun. A canny bit of planning by the Spanish FA to guarantee a boost to tourism in Alicante.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Seeing as the penalty Scotland scored last night when CMS was fouled, completely screwed up my 'Goal Rush' accumulator, I f***ing hate Scotland!

I'll be tapping up CMS for lost winnings amounting to £222!

 

[MattBackHome]

I personally would rather the home nations qualify. It does add a certain je ne sais quoi to a tournament.

 

[Storer 68]

Hardly likely. They are now down to the level of Wales and Northern Ireland, and I'm afriad England are rapidly heading in the same direction.

They need to produce players that Premier League clubs want to have, like they used to - Liverpool in the 1980s was based around Alan Hansen (from Partick Thistle) and Kenny dalglish (from Celtic); Man Utd had lou Macari etc - but now the PL clubs can cherry pick from the world - look at Bolton - and pick up cheap cost effective players to make them competitive at that level ( look at Wigan Athletic). The spanish League is heavily based on home based players...........................

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Again, not for a second suggesting that England are remotely decent, but how many of the Scottish team at present would Capello even look at?

 

[hunter121]

One word.. Great! Two words.. Very awesome! Three words.. I love it!

 

[piersa]

If they were not so ungrateful about us funding their lives and did not have such small cuntry syndrome.............yes. As it is, no.

 

[sydney]

after the shit me and two mates put up with from a bunch of scottish/irish twatts at the rugby on saturday arvo , i have no sympathy at all for the jocks.......they are SHIT at EVERYTHING apart from getting chronic asthma and 14 year old birds in the club..........by the age of 46 i have met two jocks who i would lend money and/or help move house........not a very good strike rate i'm afraid .......f*** them big time i say and i ,know it's reciprical.

 

[Bognor Bystander]

nO - they'd support the opposition of anyone we (England) played so CMS apart - sod 'em.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

I'd be far unhappier to see Germany knocked out so as not to give us the opportunity of meeting them. After all they are our historical rivals, not the Div 3 equivalent of international football teams.