Scotland v Denmark

EN 

2 DENMARK 1 

D 2 DENMARK 1 SCOTLAND 

2 DENMARK 1 SCOTLAND 2 DENMARK 1 SC 

SCOTLAND 2 DENMARK 1 SCOTLAND 

LAND 2 DENMARK 1 SCOTLAND 2 DENMARK 

ENMARK 1 SCOTLAND 2 DENMARK 1 SCOTL 

European Qualifiers for 

The FIFA World Cup 2022 

SCOTLAND v 

DENMARK 

Monday, 

15 November 2021 

Hampden Park, Glasgow 

Kick-off 7.45pm 

Official matchday programme £4 

Lead partners of the 

Scotland National Teams 

AND 2 DENMARK 1 SCOTLAND 2 DENM 

MARK 1 SCOTLAND 2 DENMARK 1 SCOTLAN 

COTLAND 2 DENMARK 1 SCOTLAND 2 DENM 

1 SCOTLAND 2 DENMARK 1 SCOTLAND 2 DE 

ND 2 DENMARK 1 SCOTLAND 2 DENMARK 1 

MARK 1 SCOTLAND 2 DENMARK 

SCOTLAND 2 DENMA 

10 AUGUST 2011 

HAMPDEN PARK 

SCOTLAND 2 DENMARK 1 SCOTLAND 2 DEN 

ND 2 DENMARK 1 SCOTLAND 2 DENMARK 1 

V

LIGHT UP THE PITCH 

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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 

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Production: David Middleton 

Photography: 

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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 

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IN THIS ISSUE... 

04 / MANAGER’S NOTES 

Steve Clarke welcomes 

another full-house back to 

Hampden Park for the visit of 

Denmark 

06 /THE FINAL PUSH 

Qatar 2022 is now in 

Scotland’s sightlines ahead of 

Group F finale 

12 /JUST THE BEGINNING 

FOR McGINN 

The Aston Villa midfielder is 

determined to build on recent 

progress 

18 /WE’VE MET BEFORE 

Scotland 1-0 Denmark 

10 August, 2011 

20 /DREAMING BIG 

Denmark are aiming high after 

an impressive Euro 2020 and 

2022 World Cup qualification 

campaign 

26 /DENMARK IN NUMBERS 

28 /PREVIOUS MEETINGS 

Scotland and Denmark have 

yet to record a draw in 17 

encounters 

34 /ON THIS DATE 

Scotland 1-0 Netherlands, 

15 November, 2003 

36 LEWIS FERGUSON Q&A 

The Aberdeen midfielder was 

named in a senior Scotland 

squad for the third time after 

receiving his first call-up in 

August 

42 SEIZING HIS CHANCE 

Before having an eventful night 

in Moldova, Nathan Patterson 

spoke about making the most of 

his Scotland opportunity 

48 END OF AN ERA 

One member of the Scotland 

backroom staff is ending a 

four-decade stint with the 

national teams 

52 /A SCOTTISH 

FOOTBALL GREAT 

Scotland goalkeeper 

Craig Gordon pays tribute to 

former boss Walter Smith 

58 THE POWER OF FOOTBALL 

Young people are engaging with 

education thanks to football-led 

initiatives 

64 DESTINATION DENMARK 

Lewis Connolly back on his 

Scotland travels 

66 TONIGHT’S SQUADS 

MATCH OFFICIALS 

Referee: 

Alejandro Jose Hernandez 

Hernandez (SPA) 

Assistant referee 1: 

Jose Enrique Naranjo 

Perez (SPA) 

Assistant referee 2: 

Teodoro Sobrino Magan 

(SPA) 

4th official: 

Jose Maria Sanchez 

Martinez (SPA) 

HAMPDEN PARK / MONDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 2021 

SCOTLAND v DENMARK / 3

HAMPDEN PARK / MONDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 2021 SCOTLAND v DENMARK / 4

MANAGER’S WELCOME 

Good evening and welcome to Hampden Park. 

We go into tonight’s match knowing that 

we have already secured a play-off spot for 

the 2022 FIFA World Cup after Friday’s win 

against Moldova. 

At the start of the year, I noted that when 

entering the last month of a qualification 

campaign you want to be involved in matches 

that are significant. Over the course of this 

year we have proven that we are a good side 

with our performances and results. As a result 

of this we have finished above our seeding in 

the group, which was the goal from the start. 

In qualification for Euro 2020 - while we did 

achieve success in the play-offs - we were 

a distant third in the group and, having now 

secured second in this qualification campaign 

with one match to spare, we have shown 

everyone the progress we have made. 

The players enjoy being part of this group 

and we have worked hard to create a good 

atmosphere. Continuity in the squad is a factor 

that should and does help and is one of the 

things I picked up on early in my tenure as 

head coach. The players love meeting up with 

each other - they can’t wait to get into camp 

and see their team-mates again. It is fantastic 

to see every time and it is most certainly a 

significant factor in our recent successes. 

Tonight we take on Denmark, who are 

undoubtedly the best team in the group. Since 

we lost to Denmark every game has been a 

step on the road to Qatar. We have won five 

games in a row - the first Scotland side to do 

so in more than a decade - since that night 

in Copenhagen and we can now approach 

this match with a degree of freedom, with the 

play-off spot secured. 

While both teams have secured first and 

second in the group, a lot still rides on tonight’s 

result. Denmark will want to end the campaign 

with a perfect record, while we will, most likely, 

need to take something from the match to 

ensure we are at home in the first match in the 

play-offs. It will by no means be an exhibition 

match and I expect an extremely tough game, 

but one in which we can look to measure 

ourselves against a top quality European side. 

Your support will be crucial as we strive to get 

the performance and result we need. 

Tonight will be another full house at Hampden 

Park and you only have to look to our last 

home game against Israel for an example 

of how much of a difference the Scotland 

supporters can make. The atmosphere that 

night was special and gave the players the 

impetus to push on and get that late winner. 

These are the small margins that help at this 

level - we turned one point into three with that 

injury-time goal and we can see now how 

important that was in this group. 

The players and I enjoyed that experience 

and I implore you to give us similar backing 

tonight. You - the Scotland supporters - can 

undoubtedly be the twelfth man. 

Thank you for your support in this campaign, 

it’s very much appreciated by myself, my 

staff and my players - not only at Hampden 

but everywhere we go across Europe. Please 

continue that tonight and give us one more 

push into the play-offs next year. 

Enjoy the game. 



HAMPDEN PARK / MONDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 2021 SCOTLAND v DENMARK / 6 

› › › 

THE FINAL 

PUSH 

SCOTLAND ARE LOOKING TO BOOST 

THEIR PLAY-OFF HOPES WITH VICTORY 

OVER THE GROUP F WINNERS . 

WORDS: ALISON McCONNELL

› › › 



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Lead partner of the Scotland teams

Scotland dare to dream. 

They do, though, like 

to make sure that it 

is always interesting. 

Steve Clarke’s men did 

their level best until the 

final stages of Friday 

night’s 2-0 win over Moldova 

to encourage edge-of-the-seat 

entertainment. 

Craig Gordon’s penalty save and 

Kieran Tierney’s bravery to take 

him careering into a post rather 

than allow the rebound to end 

up in the back of the net made 

for another dramatic finale to a 

World Cup qualifier. 

It’s becoming quite the habit. 

As is the winning: the Moldova 

victory was Scotland’s fifth 

straight win in Group F, the best 

run of victories within 90 minutes 

since 2007. 

Those wins have brought into 

sharp focus the possibility of 

ending a 24-year absence from 

World Cup extravaganzas. And 

regardless of what happened 

against Moldova, there was never 

a chance of this being a ‘nothing’ 

game against Denmark tonight. 

Scotland might not need anything 

on paper from the final group 

fixture given that they are assured 

their play-off spot for the one-off 

ties in March. Being seeded, 

though, would help bolster their 

cause as they look to negotiate a 

play-off semi-final with seeded 

teams enjoying home advantage. 

And any thoughts on Denmark 

turning up for a training session 

this evening can be quickly 

dismissed too - Kasper Hjulmand 

has made no secret of enjoying 

his side’s status of being one of 

the dark horses to win the World 

Cup in Qatar next year. 

The Danes qualified for the 

tournament emphatically, winning 

each of their nine qualifiers to 

date, scoring 30 goals while 

conceding just one, in the 3-1 win 

over the Faroe Islands on Friday. 

It is not the form of a side who 

will be ready to down tools this 

evening, not when these games 

are seen as serious preparations 




for a World Cup where they fancy 

themselves to go deep into the 

competition against the global 

heavyweights. 

A sell-out Hampden crowd have 

had their part to play in recent 

qualifiers and Clarke’s side will 

need all the encouragement 

they can get this evening as 

they concentrate on getting their 

own house in order rather than 

applauding the work of their 

visitors. 

Having qualified for the play-offs 

with a game to spare, they are 

not the only ones who will use 

this game as something more 

than simply a round-off to the 

qualifying campaign. 

Full-back Nathan Patterson, who 

scored his first international goal 

and set up the other on Friday 

evening, is suspended for the 

game after picking up another 

yellow card in Moldova but Clarke 

can welcome back attacker Ryan 

Christie and striker Lyndon Dykes 

from suspension. 

Dykes’ goals for his adopted 

country and Christie’s tears in 

Serbia as Scotland booked their 

place at the 2020 European 

Championship have earned both 

significant status within the eyes 

of the Tartan Army, but making 

an impact this evening would 

further endear them. 

Scotland will need luck as well 

as intelligence if they are to find 

a way through such a resolute 

backline that so far has given little 

away. 

It is worth noting, though, that the 

start to this World Cup campaign 

- draws against Austria and 

Israel - cast doubt on whether 

Scotland would make it so far as 

to the position they currently find 

themselves in. Yet, it would not 

be a Scottish campaign without a 

rollercoaster element. 

THE MOLDOVA 

VICTORY WAS 

SCOTLAND’S 

FIFTH STRAIGHT 

WIN IN GROUP F, 

THE BEST RUN 

OF VICTORIES 

WITHIN 90 

MINUTES SINCE 

2007

SCOTLAND CAN 

APPROACH 

THIS EVENING 

KNOWING 

THAT THE 

EXPERIENCE 

GIVES THEM 

ANOTHER 

INSIGHT INTO 

THE STANDARD 

OF SIDE THEY 

COULD EXPECT 

TO COMPETE 

AGAINST IN 

QATAR 

If the low point came with 

the 2-0 defeat to Denmark in 

Copenhagen in September, the 

first game in a triple header, 

the high came at Hampden last 

month as a dramatic 3-2 injurytime 

win over Israel injected 

energy and confidence straight 

back into the campaign. 

Arguably, the biggest result, 

though, was the 1-0 win in 

Austria which followed the 1-0 

home win over Moldova - games 

which got Scotland back on to a 

solid footing. 

The late winner in the Faroe 

Islands courtesy of Dykes might 

have pointed to that growing 

sense of belief within Clarke’s 

squad, as a team who have 

grown together over the last 30 

months start to show signs of 

maturation. 

Denmark, who made it to the 

semi-finals of this summer’s 

European Championship, will be 

a considerable test of just how far 

Scotland are into that journey. 

Clarke’s side may be emboldened 

by their draw and the way they 

performed against England at 

Wembley in June - Denmark’s 

ultimate conquerors in the 

tournament - and they will need 

to draw on every bit of tactical 

nous from that experience. 

While the visitors have players 

of considerable repute and who 

are capable of doing serious 

damage, they also share a bond 

that was forged as they came 

through the traumatic incident 

with Christian Eriksen in June 

this year. His on-field cardiac 

arrest and how the players, team 

and country responded to it has 

created a spirit that has fed into 

performances. 

Hjulmand’s handling of the 

situation strengthened the 

relationships he has with his 

players - captain Simon Kjaer 

praised his leadership in the 

aftermath of the incident, while 

full-back Joakim Maehle said 

he had become as much of a 

friend as a coach. That sense of 

unity in addition to the quality of 

performance make Denmark a 

difficult proposition. 

In some ways, though, the 

pressure is off Scotland. 

The Danes were always 

favourites to top the group but, 

having engineered a play-off 

place, Scotland can approach 

this evening knowing that the 

experience gives them another 

insight into the standard of side 

they could expect to compete 

against in Qatar. 

And how they would dearly like 

for it be more than just a glimpse 

of the big stage. 




SCOTLAND v DENMARK / 12 

JUST THE 

BEGINNING 

FOR McGINN 

The Aston Villa midfielder is 

determined to build on recent 

progress 

John McGinn was thrilled 

to help Scotland secure 

a 2022 World Cup 

qualifying play-off spot 

ahead of tonight’s game 

against Denmark at Hampden 

Park and is now looking for a 

blueprint for future success put 

in place. 

The Scots’ 2-0 win over Moldova 

in Chisinau on Friday night - a 

fifth successive victory - ensured 

Steve Clarke’s side finished 

behind the flawless Danes in 

Group F with a game to spare. 

Scotland have to negotiate two 

play-off ties next March to reach 

Qatar the following November, 

which, should it happen, would 

be the Tartan Army’s first 

appearance in the World Cup 

finals since France ‘98. 

McGinn, who turned in a terrific 

performance against Moldova, 

is keen to get the positive 

result tonight which should see 

Scotland seeded for the first 

play-off, which guarantees the 

game played at Hampden Park.


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!

In addition, after reaching the 

2020 Euros, he wants to keep the 

big tournament action coming for 

the next generation of Scotland 

players and beyond. 

“We want more,” said the 

27-year-old Aston Villa midfielder, 

who has developed into a key 

player for Scotland under Clarke. 

“The route for us to get to the 

World Cup is extremely difficult. 

We have given ourselves a 

chance now. We are two games 

away but we want the first one 

to be at Hampden. I spent an 

afternoon finding out what we 

needed to play at home and it 

looks like we will need at least a 

point, but we will go out for three 

points. 

“We want to start building 

something. If we win against 

Denmark, the ranking goes up, 

the chance of becoming second 

seeds for Euro ‘24 qualifiers goes 

up as well. 

“We don’t want to just build for 

my generation, I’m getting on, 

but we will build for Nathan 

Patterson, Billy Gilmour, Jacob 

Brown, everyone going forward. 

We want to make this a regular 

occurrence and we want to win 

tonight.” 

While McGinn spoke with passion 

about a successful pathway to 

the future for Scotland’s young 

guns, he acknowledged the 

part the squad’s oldest player, 

38-year-old goalkeeper Craig 

Gordon, played in the victory over 

Moldova in particular and for 

Scotland in general. 

Patterson scored his first 

international goal in the Zimbru 

Stadium in the 38th minute after 

running on to McGinn’s layoff. 

The 20-year-old Rangers 

full-back also set up the second 

for Che Adams in the 65th minute 

with a cross from the right which 

required only a close-range 

finish by the Southampton striker, 

who had the ball in the net on two 

other occasions only for offside 

infringements to rule goals out. 

The Scots - missing regulars 

such as Grant Hanley, Scott 

McTominay, Ryan Christie and 

Lyndon Dykes through injury, 

illness or suspension - ran out 

WE WANT 

TO START 

BUILDING 

SOMETHING. 

IF WE WIN 

AGAINST 

DENMARK, 

THE RANKING 

GOES UP 



comfortable winners in the end 

and indeed the scoreline may 

have been more emphatic. 

However, it took a terrific reaction 

save from Gordon in the firsthalf 

from Moldova captain Artur 

Ionita’s close-range header, and 

a penalty save with eight minutes 

remaining, to keep a fourth clean 

sheet in the last five games for 

the visitors. 

The Hearts number one guessed 

the right way to save Vadim 

Rata’s spot kick, with Arsenal 

defender Kieran Tierney’s 

magnificent sliding challenge 

preventing the penalty-taker 

tapping the loose ball into the net, 

all of which impressed McGinn. 

The former St Mirren and 

Hibernian player joked: “Craig 

is old enough to play in Masters 

Football but he is some ‘keeper. 

I know from playing against him 

that he is a top, top goalkeeper. 

“He must have been a bit cold at 

times on Friday but he made a 

brilliant save in the first half and, 

when it could easily have been a 

horrible last 10 minutes for us, he 

produced a world-class save from 

the penalty. 

“But credit to KT for following it in. 

The amount of times I have seen 

that, penalties being saved and 

then a goal, so KT did brilliantly to 

get back. 

“And Nathan’s goal was brilliant. 

Nathan is a top player, obviously 

he might be a wee bit frustrated 

not getting so many minutes at 

Rangers but he is like a young 

Alan Hutton, galloping up and 

down the wing. The best part 

about him is that he has a nice 

combination of confidence and 

humility. He wants to learn, 

he wants to get better. He 

is still raw but he made two 

massive contributions to the goals 

and he has been a huge part of 

our success.” 

“It was a huge victory for us,” 

McGinn continued. “Over the 

years that game could have been 

a banana skin, I think everyone 

knows it. But we have a group 

going in a certain direction and 

Friday was a huge step towards 

that. It wasn’t the complete 

performance but it was 2-0 away 

from home and everyone had to 

stand up and play their part in a 

huge win that gets us into a playoff 

spot. 

“It means we go into the Denmark 

game with momentum. 

“Over the piece we have had 

some huge results, maybe results 

we didn’t get credit for, like a late 

equaliser at home to Austria, a 

second-half performance in Israel 

that got us a point. We have 

managed the group very well and 

it really is a brilliant achievement 

to finish second.” 

WE HAVE A 

GROUP GOING 

IN A CERTAIN 

DIRECTION 

AND FRIDAY 

WAS A 

HUGE STEP 

TOWARDS 

THAT 



WE’VE MET 

BEFORE 

SCOTLAND 2 

DENMARK 1 

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY | 10 AUGUST, 2011 

ROBERT SNODGRASS MADE A 

GOALSCORING INTERNATIONAL DEBUT 

AT HAMPDEN PARK IN AUGUST 2011, AS 

SCOTLAND EARNED A FIRST WIN OVER 

DENMARK IN 36 YEARS. 

The Danes enjoyed the lion’s share of 

possession in the early stages, but it was the 

hosts who broke the deadlock against the 

run of play on 23 minutes as Charlie Adam’s 

free kick was deflected in off William Kvist 

Jorgensen. 

Allan McGregor had a moment to forget just 

nine minutes later as the Danes restored 

parity through a set-piece of their own. 

Scotland’s No.1 misjudged a floated Christian 

Eriksen free kick that drifted over his head and 

into the net. 

Craig Levein’s men were back in front before 

the interval though when a slick passing 

move linking Gary Caldwell, Don Cowie and 

lone striker Kenny Miller allowed Snodgrass 

to stoop low and head the Scots ahead once 

more. 

Despite Danish perseverance in the second 

half in torrential conditions, the hosts took the 

sting out of the contest to earn a first success 

against their opponents since 1975.




DREAMING 

BIG 

Denmark 

Morten Wieghorst was at the 

heart of Denmark’s best-ever 

World Cup effort. 

Now, more than 23 years on 

from being part of the squad 

which reached the last eight at 

France ‘98, the coach is hoping 

to help set a new milestone next 

year in Qatar. 

Denmark go into tonight’s 

encounter with their place 

in next year’s Middle East 

showpiece already safely 

secured. Under the management 

of Kasper Hjulmand, an exciting 

new team has brought together 

a nation. 

Denmark are, of course, no 

strangers to success on the 

international stage. Almost 

30 years ago they wrote one 

are 

aiming high after 

an impressive 

Euro 2020 and 

qualification 

campaign 

WORDS: CRAIG SWAN, DAILY RECORD 

of football’s finest fairytales 

with their memorable triumph 

at Euro ‘92. Just a few months 

ago, Hjulmand’s men reached 

the semi-finals of the same 

competition before losing out to 

England at Wembley. 

On the biggest stage, though, 

the run to the 1998 quarterfinals 

before losing to Brazil in 

Nantes remains the benchmark. 

Wieghorst, who was in manager 

Bo Johansson’s squad in France, 

was also a huge admirer of the 

1986 Mexico World Cup side 

and said: “They are guiding 

stars. 

“The team of the 1980s is the 

team I enjoyed the most, great 

players, great personalities, it 

was the start of it all.

› › › 



EXCLUSIVE RETAIL PARTNER 

KSI MUSICIAN

Brazil captain Dunga vies for 

the ball against Denmark’s 

Michael Laudrup during the 

1998 World Cup quarter-final 

YOU STICK TO 

A PLAN OVER 

A NUMBER 

OF YEARS 

AND YOU GET 

THE RESULTS 

FURTHER DOWN 

THE LINE. YOU 

NEED TO BE 

PATIENT 

“The team of 1992 won the 

Euros, but that was special 

circumstances, they didn’t 

actually qualify for the finals 

in Sweden, but because of the 

Yugoslavia situation, we came in. 

“Then the team of the 1998 

World Cup where we got to the 

quarter-finals, that is the best 

we have done in a World Cup 

so far. 

“When we play it next year 

in Qatar, we will be trying to 

go better than that. We are 

dreaming, but you don’t know. 

“The Euro finals we played this 

year, we got to the semi-final 

and, to do that, you need to 

play well and you also need a 

bit of luck. 

“You look at how close we 

came to being knocked out in 

the group stage. We had to 

hope for a narrow Belgium win 

when they played Finland in the 

final game and we had to beat 

Russia and that happened. 

“As a small nation you need a bit 

of luck, but we are dreaming of 

winning something big and 

we have a strong group of 

players now.” 

Denmark’s recent progression 

has not come around by 

accident. Improvement in 

standards across the board 

has come due to increased 

professionalism and hard work. 

Wieghorst explained: “Before the 

1980s we didn’t really compete. 

In fact, when we qualified for the 

Euros in France in 1984, that was 

the first major finals we had and 

we had the 1986 World Cup in 

Mexico with a wonderful team 

where we played Scotland in the 

group stage. 

“We have built up a bit of a 

history. The game in Denmark 

has become more professional. 

“Scotland has a long history 

of professional football, but 

professional football in Denmark 

was only started in the late 

1970s, early 1980s. 

“The FA, especially in the last 20 

years since Morten Olson came 

in, started to look at the talent in 

the country and look at a way of 

playing. 




“You have to stick to a plan. You 

can’t start something now and 

want the results in two years’ 

time. That is not how it goes. You 

stick to a plan over a number 

of years and you get the results 

further down the line. That could 

be eight or 10 years. You need to 

be patient.” 

Wieghorst’s history in Scotland 

is, obviously, well documented. 

The midfielder first arrived when 

joining Dundee in 1992 and 

spent three years on Tayside 

before signing for Celtic. 

The Dane had a successful 

period in Glasgow and also 

bravely fought through Guillain– 

Barre syndrome whilst homed in 

the country. 

Wieghorst has previous as an 

international against Scotland 

with two appearances. 

“I do remember they were in 

different circumstances,” he 

said. “One was at Ibrox leading 

up to the 1998 World Cup 

when we won 1-0 and it was 

the first game for young Martin 

Jorgensen, who went on to have 

a great career in Italy. 

“The second one was very 

special. That was my first 

international game for Denmark 

after my illness. I had gone back 

to play for Brondby after leaving 

Celtic, so it was very special, 

very emotional for myself when 

I went on to the pitch in the 

second half.” 

Memories go deeper as he 

continued: “Every time I come 

back, I get such a good feeling 

when I touch down in Scotland. 

“I am looking forward to 

playing the game, to walk on

to Hampden, such a historical 

place and a stadium that I have 

been to a few times for cup 

finals. 

“Not only myself, my family 

are coming across for this 

game, they enjoyed their time 

in Scotland and they want to 

have a look around since they 

haven’t been here for some 

time. It brings back very good 

memories. 

“Our kids were small when they 

left Scotland, but Scotland has 

a place in their hearts. I am 

pretty sure they will support 

Denmark though! My daughter 

was born in Glasgow, my son 

was born in Denmark during a 

summer holiday, when we lived 

in Glasgow. They were both 

brought up in their early years in 

Scotland.” 

Selecting the finest memory isn’t 

easy. “It’s so hard to pick,” he 

said. “On the pitch it was when 

we won the league with Celtic in 

1998. It is a stand out because it 

was such an important thing for 

everyone. 

“Off it, it is just all the wonderful 

people we have met, we made 

many friends, so we had a 

wonderful time.” 

Wieghorst is hoping to create 

another special Scottish memory 

this evening, yet knows Steve 

Clarke’s team will be tough 

opposition. 

Hjulmand’s side ran out 2-0 

winners when the teams met in 

September in Copenhagen, but 

the coach remains wary of the 

home threat. 

Wieghorst said: “We all know 

Andy Robertson and Kieran 

Tierney because they play for 

high-profile clubs in England. 

Robertson played on the right 

in Copenhagen which was a bit 

unusual. Scotland were missing 

that strong left side with Tierney 

and him together. We had 

prepared for that, so it might be 

different this time. 

“Scott McTominay didn’t play 

the game, but he plays for a big 

club as well, Manchester United. 

Young Billy Gilmour, I think he 

will become a very important 

player for Scotland. He is a great 

prospect and Lyndon Dykes has 

scored some very important 

goals for Scotland, but, overall, 

what I see is a team, structured 

and disciplined and that is the 

same for us, the onus is on the 

team. 

“You look at the late goals they 

have scored then you can see 

that they have spirit as well and 

you have to put that down to 

Clarke and his staff.” 

I AM LOOKING 

FORWARD TO 

PLAYING THE 

GAME, TO 

WALK ON TO 

HAMPDEN, 

SUCH A 

HISTORICAL 

PLACE AND A 

STADIUM THAT I 

HAVE BEEN TO A 

FEW TIMES FOR 

CUP FINALS 




DENMARK 

IN NUMBERS 

The Danes have 

beaten their 

hosts on seven 

occasions, the last 

being a 2-0 victory 

in Copenhagen on 

1 September. 

have lost 

times to 

Scotland ahead 

of tonight’s 2022 

World Cup qualifier 

- they are also 

10Denmark 

ranked 10th in 

the FIFA world 

rankings. 

Kasper Schmeichel is the oldest player in 

the current Denmark squad at 35. 

Former Manchester United goalkeeper 

Peter Schmeichel is the nation’s most 

capped player with 129 appearances. 

Denmark have scored 

14 times against 

Scotland in their history.


qualified for 

nine European 

Championships, 

the first in 1964. 

The first encounter 

between Scotland 

and Denmark 

came at Hampden 

in 1951, with 

Scotland winning 

3-1. 


conceded 20 

goals to Scotland. 

Denmark stunned Europe 29 years ago by 

winning the 1992 Euros in Sweden, beating 

Germany in the final. 

Denmark have 

appeared in five 

World Cup finals, 

the first being in 

1986. 

Jon Dahl Tomasson and Poul “Tist” 

Nielsen are joint top scorers for 

Denmark with 52 goals each. 




PREVIOUS 

MEETINGS 

Scotland and Denmark 

have yet to record a 

draw in 17 encounters 

Scotland’s rivalry with 

Denmark has ebbed 

and flowed for 70 years 

and tonight sees the 18th 

meeting between the two 

countries. 

Perhaps the most notable 

statistic is that there has 

never been a draw in all 

those games, which include 

friendlies, World Cup group 

fixtures, World Cup qualifiers 

and European Championship 

qualifiers. 

The Scots have come out 

on top 10 times, with seven 

triumphs for the De Rod- 

Hvide (Red and White) who 

were a slow burner in terms 

of international football. 

Ahead of this 2022 World 

Cup qualifier at Hampden 

Park, already-qualified 

Denmark are firmly 

established as one of the top 

football nations in Europe, if 

not the world. 

However, Danish football 

had still to embrace 

professionalism when the 

national team first played 

Scotland in 1951. 

Selectors picked the Scotland 

team in those days and 

they jointly came up with 11 

names to beat the visitors 

3-1 in a friendly at Hampden. 

Billy Steel, Lawrie Reilly and 

Robert Mitchell were the 

scorers in a comprehensive 

win.



It takes all our 

tricks to help 

protect the climate. 

#EveryTrickCounts

Scotland won eight of the 

nine encounters from 1951 

to 1975. 

Willie Thornton and Reilly 

scored the goals in a 2-1 

friendly win in Copenhagen 

in 1952 and a Bobby Lennox 

goal was enough to give the 

Scots the victory in the same 

city 16 years later. 

Then the games became 

serious. 

Scotland and Denmark were 

drawn in the same group 

for the 1972 European 

Championship qualifiers and 

on 11 November 1970, a goal 

from John O’Hare was the 

difference between the teams 

at Hampden. 

However, Ronnie McDevitt’s 

excellent book, Scotland 

in the 70s: The Definitive 

Account of the Scotland 

Football Team 1970- 

1979, collates some press 

dissatisfaction with the 

performance. 

Norman MacDonald labelled 

it an “exercise in boredom” 

in his Press & Journal report, 

summarising with: “It was an 

untidy and unsatisfactory 90 

minutes. The Scots lacked the 

inspiration and imagination 

to demolish an unimpressive, 

all-amateur Danish team.” 

John MacKenzie was just as 

critical in the Scottish Daily 

Express, describing a “rock 

bottom performance” and 

adding, “With the derisive 

whistles of an impatient, 

bitterly disappointed crowd 

ringing in their ears, they 

crept from Hampden with 

a solitary, lucky goal to 

show for 90 minutes of 

unimpressive endeavour.” 

In the return meeting in June 

1971, the Scots went down 

by the same margin, thus 

suffering their first defeat to 

Denmark. 

Scotland had not been to a 

World Cup finals since 1958 

when the two countries were 

drawn together, along with 

Czechoslovakia, in the same 

section for the 1974 World 

Cup qualifiers. 

A comprehensive 4-1 win 

for Scotland in Copenhagen 

on 18 October 1972 was 

followed up by a 2-0 

home win at Hampden the 

following month. Ultimately 

Willie Ormond’s side made 

the 1974 finals in West 

Germany, albeit Tommy 

Docherty had done some of 

the early spadework in the 

group before departing to 

manage Manchester United. 

Scotland beat Denmark 3-1 

at home and 1-0 away in 

the 1976 Euro qualifiers but 

the Danes became a force to 

be reckoned with and, when 

the two countries faced each 

other at the 1986 World Cup 

in Mexico, Denmark had the 

confidence in a side that had 

reached the semi-finals of the 

European Championship two 

years previously. 

Players such as Soren 

Lerby, Jesper Olsen, Michael 

Laudrup and Preben Elkjaer 

would become household 

names and it was the latter 

who scored the only goal of 

the game. 

Denmark won the next four 

matches against Scotland, 

all of them friendlies; 2-0 at 

the Parken Stadium in 1996, 

1-0 at Ibrox in 1998, 1-0 at 

Hampden in 2002, and 1-0 in 

Copenhagen in 2004. 

There was a seven-year gap 

until the next meeting with 

Robert Snodgrass, making his 

first start, scoring the winner 

in a 2-1 friendly victory at 

Hampden. 

Matt Ritchie was the 

Hampden hero with the only 

goal of the game after eight 

minutes in another friendly 

at the national stadium in 

March 2016. However, on 

a night when John McGinn, 

Kieran Tierney and Oliver 

Burke made their debuts, it 

was a terrific display by 

Craig Gordon which secured 

the win. 

The success over Denmark 

followed the 1-0 win over 

Czech Republic in Prague, 

where he started with a 

different XI, and manager 

Gordon Strachan was candid 

in his assessment. 

He said: “The better side 

were Denmark. We kept 



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

Matt Ritchie scored the only 

goal of the game when the 

teams met in 2016 

ourselves in it with a bit of grit 

and determination because 

if you look at the Danish 

players they are all playing 

at a good level, physically 

playing every week. If you 

look at our side four or five 

guys don’t even get a game. 

“We won two games of 

football, that’s great. The 

other side of it, if you look at 

the physical side of Denmark 

compared to us, it was night 

and day. It was heavyweight 

against a middleweight. We 

learn from that. 

“Our team spirit kept us in 

it, good defending, good 

goalkeeping. We had a 

couple of chances in the 

second half but they were the 

better side because basically 

they are at the top of their 

game.” 

Denmark continued their 

progress and reached the 

semi-finals of Euro 2020, 

where they were beaten 

by England, and they were 

simply too strong for Scotland 

in September’s World Cup 

qualifier in Copenhagen when 

goals by Daniel Wass and 

Joakim Maehle gave the hosts 

a comfortable 2-0 win. 

Steve Clarke said: “It was a 

difficult first half for us, the 

Danish team started really 

well with good intensity, 

power and pace. We had to 

weather the storm and we 

couldn’t do that, we conceded 

two goals in quick succession 

which made it a long night 

for us. From 30 minutes we 

started to get a foothold 

but the match was a little 

bit beyond our reach at 2-0 

down, it was always going to 

be a tough night after that.” 

Tonight, Clarke and Scotland 

get the chance to make 

amends. 

12 May 1951 Scotland v Denmark W 3-1 International Friendly 

25 May 1952 Denmark v Scotland W 1-2 International Friendly 

16 Oct 1968 Denmark v Scotland W 0-1 International Friendly 

11 Nov 1970 Scotland v Denmark W 1-0 UEFA EUROS 

09 Jun 1971 Denmark v Scotland L 1-0 UEFA EUROS 

18 Oct 1972 Denmark v Scotland W 1-4 FIFA World Cup 

15 Nov 1972 Scotland v Denmark W 2-0 FIFA World Cup 

03 Sep 1975 Denmark v Scotland W 0-1 UEFA EUROS 

29 Oct 1975 Scotland v Denmark W 3-1 UEFA EUROS 

04 Jun 1986 Denmark v Scotland L 1-0 FIFA World Cup 

24 Apr 1996 Denmark v Scotland L 2-0 International Friendly 

25 Mar 1998 Scotland v Denmark L 0-1 International Friendly 

21 Aug 2002 Scotland v Denmark L 0-1 International Friendly 

28 Apr 2004 Denmark v Scotland L 1-0 International Friendly 

10 Aug 2011 Scotland v Denmark W 2-1 International Friendly 

29 Mar 2016 Scotland v Denmark W 1-0 International Friendly 

01 Sep 2021 Denmark v Scotland L 2-0 FIFA World Cup 




SCOTLAND 1 

NETHERLANDS 0 

SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER, 

2003 | WORLD CUP QUALIFIER 

Scotland upset the odds on this 

date in 2003 as they kept their 

hopes of reaching the European 

Championships alive with an 

unexpected play-off first-leg 

victory against the Netherlands. 

Despite the Dutch being ranked 

fifth in the world and boasting 

a plethora of stars including 

Edgar Davids, Marc Overmars, 

Clarence Seedorf and Patrick 

Kluivert, it proved a famous 

afternoon at Hampden Park for 

Berti Vogts’ men. 

After an early speculative 

long-range effort from Barry 

Ferguson, it was James 

McFadden’s first-half goal that 

proved decisive. The then- 

Everton youngster played a 

clever one-two with Darren 

Fletcher before powering a 

shot into the net via a Dutch 

deflection. 

The hosts then had to work 

valiantly to protect their 

slender lead. Goalkeeper 

Rab Douglas saved Jaap 

Stam’s close-range header, 

Andy van der Meyde rattled 

the crossbar and Lee Wilkie 

and Gary Naismith both came 

to the rescue with goal-line 

clearances. 

Unfortunately the return leg 

in Amsterdam four days 

later didn’t go to plan for 

the Scots, as Ruud van 

Nistelrooy claimed a 

hat-trick in a 6-0 win. 




LEWIS FERGUSON 

Lewis Ferguson has been named in a 

senior Scotland squad for the third time 

after receiving his first call-up in August. 

Speaking prior to Friday night’s match against Moldova, 

the Aberdeen midfielder reflected on the success of last 

month, his aspirations in a Scotland shirt and the chance 

of making a slice of history with his team-mates. 

Q 

Lewis, you’ve earned a third 

consecutive call-up to the 

national team and for what is a 

huge week - how are you feeling 

for it? 

A 

First and foremost I’m proud 

to be called-up again. I 

know players will always say 

that but it’s a brilliant feeling to 

be selected by the manager to 

come away with the squad and 

represent your country, no matter 

if it’s the first time or the third 

time like you say. 

Huge is probably an 

understatement when you look 

at the picture of qualification, 

but the most important thing in 

my opinion is the mentality and 

approach the whole group have 

as a collective. Nobody will feel 

overwhelmed going into this 

game. It’s the same for this camp 

as it was for the last camp, and 

the one before that, we’ll take it 

one game at a time. 

Q 

We keep hearing about the 

importance of continuity 

among the squad but this time 

around seems more glaring than 

ever, with one change in the 

goalkeeping department, one 

new face added in Jacob Brown 

and a late call-up for John 

Souttar. What does that do for 

the squad? 

A 

It seems obvious to say 

but it creates more of a 

club atmosphere, for one way 

of putting it. Obviously in 

international football you don’t 

get huge chunks of time together 

as a group, so if the squad 

was chopping and changing



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IT’S A 

BRILLIANT 

FEELING TO BE 

SELECTED BY 

THE MANAGER 

TO COME AWAY 

WITH THE 

SQUAD AND 

REPRESENT 

YOUR COUNTRY 

drastically then I guess it would 

make the process slightly more 

disjointed. 

When you’ve got a team of 

people together like this, the 

more you get used to working 

together then the better it is in 

training and that can only help 

preparation for matches. 

Q 

We’re seeing a good balance 

among the squad too, with 

a good blend of youth and 

experience. As one of the young 

players in the squad, does it 

help having a good core of guys 

you’ve played with through the 

youth teams? 

A 

For me, it’s great having 

boys like David Turnbull, Billy 

Gilmour and Nathan Patterson 

in the squad because we’ve 

been around the youth teams 

at similar times. To be honest 

though, I think regardless of 

that, the lads would make any 

new face or young player feel 

welcome. I was made to feel a 

part of it from day one and that 

applies from the skipper and runs 

all the way through the group, 

which is a credit to what the 

gaffer is doing here. 

Q 

We’ll be back at a sold-out 

Hampden on Monday night 

for the second time in as many 

months. Just how special was 

that feeling against Israel and 

seeing the stadium at capacity? 

A 

It was incredible wasn’t it? 

The atmosphere before kickoff 

was special enough but after 

full-time was something none of 

us will forget. It had been a good 

few years since Hampden was a 

sell out so I know how much the 

fans will have enjoyed that night 

and everything that came with 

it. We’ve got the chance against 

Denmark to give the supporters 

another night to remember, 

but first and foremost we’ll be 

focussed on Moldova to try and 

get three huge points on the 

board. 




A WIN AWAY IN 

AUSTRIA WAS AN 

EVEN PROUDER 

MOMENT IF I’M 

HONEST, I WAS 

DELIGHTED TO BE 

INVOLVED ON SUCH 

A BIG NIGHT AWAY 

FROM HOME

Q 

People will naturally talk 

about the achievements 

of your dad [Derek] and 

uncle [Barry], who have both 

represented Scotland of course. 

That must be a huge support 

to have and turn to throughout 

your career? 

A 

Of course. My family are a 

huge support to me in all 

aspects of my career - on the 

pitch and off it. Wanting to make 

them proud every time I take to 

the pitch is a huge motivation. 

It’s obviously quite rare that you 

can turn to people in your family 

who have first-hand experience 

of playing for Scotland, so it’s 

only natural that my dad and 

uncle are two people I can speak 

to. My dad played through the 

youth groups as well which 

helped me then and it’s not 

just his experiences that help 

me, there are so many ways he 

supports me as a player and a 

person. 

Q 

Just looking at Denmark on 

Monday night, it’s obviously 

going to be a really difficult 

game, but for you personally, 

is there anything special about 

it given this is the nation you 

made your debut against? 

A 

It’s not something I’ve 

thought about but I’m sure a 

part of it will bring back special 

memories for me. No one will 

ever forget their debut, of course, 

and coming off the bench in 

Copenhagen was something 

that probably felt better when I 

actually allowed myself to look 

back on it a bit, because in the 

moment we were losing the 

game and that’s the thing that’s 

at the forefront of your thinking. 

Following that up with a win 

away in Austria was an even 

prouder moment if I’m honest, 

I was delighted to be involved 

on such a big night away from 

home. 

Q 

To finish up Lewis, what 

would it mean if we clinched 

second spot in the group and, 

with it, a play-off spot for the 

World Cup finals? 

A 

It’s hard to put that into 

words to be honest. It would 

mean so much to so many people 

and for me it would be incredible 

to be a part of that. On one hand 

it’s about making people proud, 

but there’s also a real drive within 

the squad that is building with 

every camp. It’s not just about 

getting to another tournament, 

it’s about driving our momentum 

on for as long as we can. We’re 

on a four-game winning run right 

now and we know that if we can 

keep that run going for as long as 

possible, it’ll take us to the right 

places. 




SEIZING 

HIS 

CHANCE 

One of Scotland’s brightest 

prospects aims to further 

enhance his reputation tonight 

WORDS: CHRISTOPHER JACK, 

HERALD AND TIMES 

› › ›



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NATHAN PATTERSON FINDS 

HIMSELF IN THE RIGHT 

PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME 

FOR CLUB AND COUNTRY. 

Whether it be with Rangers or 

Scotland, the future is bright for one of 

our most promising young talents. The 

right-back has performed with aplomb 

in both domestic and European arenas. 

Now he is targeting the world stage 

under the guidance of Steve Clarke. 

A place in Qatar next year would be 

the highlight of Patterson’s fledgling 

career so far and he is one of a 

generation of rising stars that have the 

opportunity of a lifetime. Indeed, it is a 

chance that many of his predecessors 

were not fortunate enough to 

experience. 

The 20-year-old was born three years 

after Scotland’s last appearance 

at a World Cup, but the weight of 

history and expectation doesn’t daunt 

Clarke or his players. Having ended 

one agonising wait for the Tartan 

Army, they can now become national 

treasures all over again. 

“It is good to be part of it,” Patterson 

said as he reflected on Scotland’s 

European Championship campaign 

and World Cup aspirations. “I am 

lucky that I am part of the generation 

that is getting the opportunity to do 

that. I’m looking forward to it and 

hopefully we can go on and qualify for 

the World Cup. 

“Obviously that (Euro 2020) was my 

first involvement with the squad and 

it was a major tournament. It was 

a great experience and I just want 

to keep getting more of that and 

hopefully we can do that by qualifying 

for the World Cup and we are more 

than capable. Personally, it would be a 

great experience again. 

“The World Cup is a wee bit harder to 

qualify for than the Euros. The World 

Cup is a great tournament, everyone 

across the world watches it supporting 

Patterson 

celebrates 

his assist for 

Lyndon Dykes 

as Scotland 

go 1-0 ahead 

during a World 

Cup qualifier 

against 

Moldova 




The 20-yearold 

relished 

being involved 

in Scotland’s 

Euro 2020 

squad 

their countries and it is just great to 

represent your country. I just hope we 

can get there. 

“We have a great squad, we have 

great depth and we are all together 

and having that togetherness got us to 

the Euros, so I don’t see why we can’t 

get to the World Cup when we have 

the talent in the team that we do.” 

Scotland still have some distance 

to travel on the road to Qatar but 

Patterson’s own journey acts as 

inspiration, as proof of what can be 

achieved when opportunities are 

grasped at the right moment. 

His debut against Luxembourg in June 

was followed with an appearance off 

the bench on that ultimately agonising 

evening against Croatia. With each 

outing that has followed, Patterson’s 

stock has only risen. 

He now seems destined to be a 

mainstay of the Scotland squad for 

many years to come and the Tartan 

Army are rightly excited about what

he can bring to the team now that he 

has risen through the ranks at Ibrox 

and Hampden. 

“I was eight when I went to Rangers,” 

Patterson said. “I was trialling out at 

a few other teams and was pretty 

close to signing with Hearts and a few 

days before it Rangers came in and 

it was an easy decision as my family 

and myself are Rangers fans. I wasn’t 

going to turn down that opportunity. 

“When you are younger you just aim 

to be a professional footballer for any 

team and if you get the opportunity 

to represent your country, that is 

just a bonus. No matter what age 

you are, young or old, you need to 

take it in your stride and it is a great 

achievement. I didn’t have a plan but 

obviously it has worked out earlier 

than I hoped. 

“The first Scotland squad at my age 

- under-15s - I wasn’t in it so I was 

disappointed. Since then, I got picked 

and made sure I stayed in the squad 

and got to the 21s, got a few caps and 

realised there was still a lot of talent 

and good players in front of me before 

I got into the first team. So I thought 

I would take a wee bit longer but got 

the nod sooner than I expected and it 

has been a good journey. 

“Through the years I have developed. 

I was quite small so I have developed 

to become more of a man now rather 

than a wee guy.” 

Patterson owes thanks to many 

for their help in ensuring he is now 

realising his potential and there is a 

deserved debt of gratitude for the 

endeavours of his national boss. He 

and Billy Gilmour have progressed 

from the Scottish FA Performance 

School programme to become full 

internationals. That process would 

not have been completed without 

Clarke’s faith. 

“He’s been great with me really,” 

Patterson said. “He has been very 

honest with me from the start and 

that has been one of the main benefits 

for me. He has spoken to me at each 

camp about where I have to improve 

and it has benefited me. He is a great 

manager with a great reputation and 

he has done really well for the squad.” 

Scotland will round off their Group 

F campaign against Denmark this 

evening. After a difficult start to the 

group, Clarke’s side can now finish on 

a real high at Hampden. 

Goals from Daniel Wass and Joakim 

Maehle earned the Danes victory on 

home soil in September, but there 

is confidence within the camp that 

Scotland can turn the tables on the 

runaway section winners this time 

around. 

“They are obviously a great side but 

hopefully we can get a good result 

against them at home,” Patterson said. 

“They have top players from leagues 

all across the world so they are going 

to be a top side, well-organised 

because they have a good manager 

as well. 

“We have a great squad, with good 

depth and we are all together so 

hopefully we can get one over on them 

at home.” 

The Rangers 

defender 

comes on 

during a 

qualifier 

against Faroe 

Islands at 

Torsvollur 




END OF 

AN ERA 

One member of the Scotland backroom 

staff is ending a four-decade stint with 

the national teams 

Tonight marks the end of an 

era as Dr John MacLean takes 

his place among the Scotland 

backroom staff for the last time. 

After almost 40 years with the 

Scottish FA, the Glaswegian will 

step down from his post although 

his work as medical director 

and chief executive of Hampden 

Sports Clinic continues, along 

with his involvement with the 

Covid-19 Joint Response Group, 

and various medical roles with 

UEFA and FIFA. 

Since starting out with the 

Scotland youth teams in 1983, 

MacLean has worked with some 

of the great and the good of 

Scottish football such as Andy 

Roxburgh, Craig Brown, Walter 

Smith, and of course, latterly, 

Steve Clarke. 

There have been ups and downs 

and a lifetime of memories 

during a journey which has taken 

MacLean all over the world to 

safeguard the health and safety 

of those chosen to wear the dark 

blue. 

Ahead of bowing out on his 

229th appearance in the 

technical area, he looked back on 

his national teams’ service with 

fondness. 

“I have been with the Scottish 

FA for nearly 40 years, I have 

been with the big team for 25 

years,” said MacLean. “I have had 

a good run at it and it is a good 

time to step back.

I HAVE 

MET SOME 

FANTASTIC 

PLAYERS AND 

I CALL SO 

MANY OF THEM 

FRIENDS FOR 

LIFE 

“It started with a trip to Russia 

with the youth team in 1983. It 

was the era of Paul McStay, Pat 

Nevin and Ally Dick. I was initially 

with the under-18s and under- 

16s and then in 1987 I went 

to the under-20s World Cup in 

Chile when Scotland got to the 

quarter-finals and lost out on 

pens to West Germany, at that 

time managed by Berti Vogts. 

“However, the big one with the 

youth team was in 1989 when 

we got to the under-16s World 

Cup Final at Hampden against 

Saudi Arabia and again lost a 

penalty shoot-out. But to be part 

of a Scotland backroom team in a 

World Cup Final was a fantastic 

experience. 

“The other highlights would be 

Euro ‘96, where I was there as 

a second doctor to Stuart Hillis, 

the 1998 World Cup in France, as 

well as the Euro play-off final 

penalty shoot-out in Serbia and 

the recent Euros.” 

MacLean has witnessed a 

change in mindset among 

players over the years with a 

much greater understanding 

of the benefits of fitness, 

preparation and lifestyle. 

He said: “Natural ability is still 

the most important thing but 

you have to have that fitness 

and attitude. The term marginal 

gains is bandied around and you 

look at sports science, nutrition, 

rehydration and paying attention 

to sleep. 

“Kenny Dalglish was one of the 

players who first recognised the 

importance of rest. He would 

sleep in the afternoon and spend 

time with his feet up. Gordon 

Strachan played until late 30s/40 

and he paid attention to nutrition, 

fitness and rest.” 

Latterly, MacLean has been 

immersed in helping Scottish 

football cope with the pandemic, 

which, since March 2020, has 

dramatically changed the 

landscape. 

He admits “a bit of pride” at 

being at the centre of all the 

guidelines and protocols drawn 

up by the Scottish FA and the 

Scottish Government in order to 

get football played, although it 

has taken its toll. 

He said: “It has been hard 

work and not the same normal 

enjoyment that you would get 

being away with the team. 

You are constantly waiting for 

the next round of testing and 

constantly trying to get players 

to look after their health, 

not sit next to each other and all 

these things. But I think there is 

light at the end of the tunnel.” 

While hoping to finish on a high 

tonight, MacLean looks forward 

to spending more time with his 



WALTER BROUGHT BACK FUN 

Dr John MacLean was an ever-present during 

Walter Smith’s tenure as Scotland boss. 

Indeed, his relationship with the former Rangers 

and Everton manager, who died last month at the 

age of 73, went back almost 40 years to when 

Smith was building his managerial and coaching 

reputation with the national youth teams. 

They were reunited when Smith took charge of 

Scotland in late 2004. 

“Things were a bit low when Walter came after 

Berti Vogts and he immediately changed the 

atmosphere around the squad,” Dr MacLean said. 

“There was Walter, Tommy Burns, Ally McCoist 

and Jim Stewart, a fantastic group and real fun 

to be with. Walter brought back the fun but he 

brought back results as well. 

“As a fan, I could see he had the ability to organise 

teams, change during games and some of my 

highlights were listening to some of his half-time 

talks about what he expected from players, what 

they weren’t doing right and how they could 

correct that and affect the game in the second 

half, in a way players understood.” 

While MacLean was always impressed by 

Smith’s professionalism, he revealed how he 

could be more relaxed when looking after his 

backroom staff. 

He said: “We used to stay at Cameron House 

and at that time games were usually Saturday/ 

Wednesday. Walter would often give the players 

the Saturday night off and they would be in for 

five o’clock on the Sunday to train or do their 

recovery. 

“The staff could stay or go home but if we went 

home, we would be encouraged to bring our wives 

and families down on the Sunday. The kids would 

go for a swim in the pool and then we would all 

meet for lunch together, the families and kids of 

Walter, Tommy, Ally and Jim. Walter would make 

it a special hour or two for the families and all the 

kids mixed, which was great. 

“Walter recognised it was a sacrifice for our 

families when we were away with the team and 

he wanted to do something for us. 

“After he retired, if you ever bumped into him, he 

had always time to speak to you. We have lost a 

great, on and off the park.” 

wife, Maureen, and children Craig 

and Victoria. 

“I will miss the people most of 

all,” he said. “It is the dream job 

to have but when you are away 

for 10 days or longer it is hard 

work and, unless you like football, 

it can be a bit monotonous. So it 

is the people who make it. 

“I have been fortunate to 

have worked with 10 or 11 

international managers, some 

fantastic doctors, physios and 

masseurs. The players look on 

the staff as one group, they see 

us as an essential part of trying 

to keep them fit, healthy and in 

the best condition. I have met 

some fantastic players and I call 

so many of them friends for life. 

“Also, having the opportunity 

to travel to some fantastic 

places, from the USA to the Far 

East, and going to three major 

championships with the senior 

men’s team, has been fantastic 

and I will miss it. There is no 

doubt. 

“But there will be more time for 

my family. My wife Maureen 

has been absolutely fantastic 

during all that time and my 

kids Craig and Victoria have 

been fantastically supportive. 

Maureen put up with the fact that 

in the 32 years we have been 

married I have missed birthdays, 

anniversaries and holidays. She 

has given me the best support 

and encouragement and so it will 

be nice to spend a wee bit more 

time with her.” 




A 

SCOTTISH 

FOOTBALL 

GREAT 

Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon pays 

tribute to former boss Walter Smith 

Craig Gordon joined a nation in 

mourning last month following 

the death of Walter Smith. 

The 38-year-old goalkeeper 

was the number one during the 

former Rangers and Everton 

manager’s successful spell in the 

Hampden Park hotseat and he 

owes the man from Carmyle a 

lot, professionally and personally. 

Smith, who died at the age of 

73, was in charge of Scotland 

for the 16 games which took 

place between March 2005 and 

October 2006 and, when Gordon 

was available, he was given the 

gloves. 

However, their relationship 

began with the former Celtic 

and Sunderland ‘keeper being 

overlooked for Rab Douglas for 

Smith’s first match in charge, a 

2006 World Cup qualifier against 

Italy in the San Siro. 

The then Celtic ‘keeper, however, 

picked up an injury in the first 

half and Gordon, in his first spell 

at Hearts, came on for his sixth 

cap. 

He remained first choice until 

Smith left the following year, 

albeit a 2006 Scottish Cup Final 

win over Gretna cost him a 

couple of Kirin Cup caps. 



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“I had played the previous 

couple of games under Berti 

and when Walter came in he 

went with a bit more experience 

and brought Rab Douglas back 

in,” said Gordon, who made his 

debut under Berti Vogts in a 4-1 

friendly win against Trinidad and 

Tobago in May 2004 at the age 

of 21. 

“He picked up a groin injury in 

the first half and tried to make it 

to half-time but I came on before 

the interval. I kept my place from 

that point onwards.” 

Walter showed great faith 

in what was still a fairly 

young goalkeeper in terms 

of international games and 

experience at that point. 

“The goalkeeping department 

for Scotland has been strong 

throughout my career,” Gordon 

continues. “No matter who was 

playing there were always good 

goalkeepers on the bench and in 

the squad. It was difficult to rack 

up a lot of caps and I was very 

fortunate to have the manager’s 

trust to go out there and perform 

in all those internationals. 

“We had a good run of games 

and going in there at an early 

age was a huge part of my 

learning.” 

Gordon believes it was Smith’s 

man-management, the way he 

could inspire and encourage 

players, which made him stand 

out from his peers. 

He said: “That was a strength of 

all his teams, that they played as 

a team, that they were greater 

than the sum of all their parts. It 

was that ability to judge players 

and know what they needed at 

different times which made him 

so good. 

“That’s what a great manager 

can do. He had a great way with 

the players, good respect both 

ways, and he just knew how to 

treat individuals to get the best 

out of them. 

“It was such a good time for the 

national team. We had a very 

good team. 

“He was very good at making 

everybody understand their 

jobs. He didn’t give too much 

information but, what he did say, 

you had to listen and carry it out 

exactly. 

“It was a fantastic Scotland 

squad to be around when Walter 

was in charge with players that 

could go and win us matches, but 

at the other end of the pitch he 

had everybody working hard for 

WE LOST A 

SCOTTISH 

FOOTBALL 

GREAT. 

ABSOLUTELY. 

HE ACHIEVED 

SOME 

FANTASTIC 

THINGS, HIS 

MANAGERIAL 

CAREER WAS 

OUTSTANDING 



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each other to make sure we were 

difficult to beat. That was what 

we needed at that moment in 

time, he made us difficult to beat. 

We didn’t lose many goals and 

he did that when he went back 

to Rangers and took them to the 

final of the UEFA Cup. 

“He steadied the ship towards 

the end of the 2006 campaign 

and we finished third behind 

Norway and Italy and we had 

a great start into the 2008 Euro 

qualifying group with France, 

Ukraine and Italy. It was such 

a difficult group but there were 

some great performances along 

the way.” 

Smith’s last match as Scotland 

boss was a 2-0 defeat in Ukraine 

on 11 October 2006, where 

Gordon was between the sticks 

as usual. He returned to Rangers 

in January 2007 and he would 

win another three league titles, 

among other honours, and take 

the Govan club to the 2008 UEFA 

Cup Final before calling it a day 

in 2011. 

Gordon moved to Sunderland in 

August 2007 for a then record 

fee for a goalkeeper of £9million. 

After a few injury problems 

which kept him out of the 

game for a couple of years, he 

signed for Celtic in 2014 having 

trained at Rangers - a decision 

subsequently questioned in a 

good-natured way by Smith. 

“I bumped into Walter a couple 

of times after he retired,” said 

Gordon, who had a hugely 

successful career at Parkhead 

and whose international career 

now spans 17 years. 

“He was at the top table when I 

won the Football Writers’ Player 

of the Year award when I was at 

Celtic and he wasn’t too happy at 

my decision to go to Celtic rather 

than Rangers! But that was all in 

good humour and he was good 

to talk to as usual. He always 

had time to speak to everybody. 

“We lost a Scottish football great. 

Absolutely. He achieved some 

fantastic things, his managerial 

career was outstanding. Not 

just the trophies he won, the 

big games he won, UEFA Cup 

run, Scotland games, some 

massive results along the 

way and to do it as 

consistently as he did 

with the teams that 

he did, you have to be 

someone pretty special to 

be able to pull that off time 

and time again. 

“He was just a great football 

person, a great person, and it is 

such a sad loss.” 




THE POWER 

OF FOOTBALL 

Young people are engaging with education 

thanks to football-led initiatives 

The Scottish FA’s CashBack for 

Communities programme continues to 

go from strength to strength. 

For 12 years the Scottish FA has 

worked diligently on a two-pronged 

initiative involving young people from 

areas of social deprivation around the 

country. 

The first part is My Football 

Community (MFC), which has three 

strands - Schools of Football at 

13 schools, Club Engagement and 

Go-Fitba. The other part is the 

Volunteer Inspire Programme (VIP), 

which provides a tailored pathway of 

development for young people aged 

between 16 and 24 with an interest in 

pursuing a career in the game. 

Paul McNeill, the Scottish FA’s Head 

of Community Development, outlined 

the increasingly successful project 

which most recently involved 1,680 

participants (1,171 males and 509 

females) and stressed that it was “not 

just the Scottish FA rocking up with a 

bag of balls”. 

He said: “It is an initiative that helps 

us engage with disengaged young 

people, boys and girls, and provide 

them with lifelines to opportunities. 

Everyone has to buy into it. Schools 

need to move the timetable for S1 

and S2, drop an hour of a subject in 

curriculum hours for the schools of 

football, every day. 

“We are not looking for the next 

Scotland captain. The most important 

thing is education, secondary is 

football. The idea is to engage with 

young people through football to help 

them stay in school and we have a 

chance of educating them and, if we 

do that, then we have the chance to 

set them on the right pathway. 

“If they end up playing football, 

brilliant, but if they stay on the straight 

and narrow, even better. That is the 

ultimate aim. 

“When I speak to head teachers, they 

say this initiative engages the young 

people and gets them to school and 

regardless of how we get them to 

school, we then educate them and that 

is the most important thing. 

“In each one of the communities we 

work in, we have an anchor club - for 

example at Lornshill Academy it is 

Alloa Athletic - and their coaches are 

in the school delivering on our behalf, 

but they also run some Go-Fitba 

projects in the community. 

“We run a programme at holiday 

periods. We know the wraparound 

care that school provides 

unfortunately isn’t there during 

those times so they get a couple of 

hours of running about and enjoying 

themselves and they also get a healthy 

snack, which is important.



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“Also, a lot of young people find 

the coach is like a brother or sister, 

someone they can confide in, someone 

they trust.” 

VIP was still able to be delivered 

during the pandemic and, as in the 

case of the Schools of Football, 

feedback to an independent evaluator 

on the worthiness of the CashBack for 

Communities programmes has been, 

according to McNeill, “outrageous”. 

He said: “In the VIP programme, 

where the target age is 16-21, there 

are four mandatory workshops and 

the young people are referred from 

our stakeholders, clubs, agencies and 

partners. 

“It is free at the point of contact which 

is important because maybe some of 

the young people from some areas of 

deprivation can’t get involved due to 

circumstances. 

“They get coach education 

qualifications and we also work in 

partnership with Scotland Sports 

Futures, (an organisation which uses 

the power of sport and physical 

activity to engage with vulnerable 

and disadvantaged young people and 

families in Scotland and empower 

them to be confident, healthy and 

happy) and they get another two 

qualifications out of them. 

“So they leave with a few things in 

their pocket and they also go into the 

community and do volunteer work, all 

of which helps with networking. 

“There is an independent evaluator 

who does a lot of work for us - it is 

not me who is saying this is good 

even though I would - and does some 

questionnaires and face-to-face 

interviews and the stats are through 

the roof. 

“We saw in the 2021 annual report 

that 92 per cent of young people say 

their confidence is increased, and 96 

per cent say their attendance is better 

- crazy stats. 

“It was all mega-positive. We have 

shown that if we can engage with 

young people, give them a chance, 

they potentially won’t end up back in 

the Justice system. They will choose to 

go down the right path. It shows the 

power of football.” 



CAPTURING PUPILS’ ATTENTION 

Tom Black, headteacher at Lornshill 

Academy in Alloa, has boys and girls 

involved in the Schools of Football 

programme. 

He has been so impressed with the 

results and the “incredible” feedback 

stats that he would like to see the 

template used for other sports, 

interests and pastimes. 

He said: “It is a superb initiative. 

Education is not just what happens in 

classrooms. In terms of young people 

who have particular challenges, an 

area of real interest helps to develop 

and support wider education. 

“Football is the medium but it is about 

helping the young people develop a 

strong set of values and standards as 

an individual and as a collective, and 

builds their confidence. 

“They engage with it, they enjoy it 

more and it rubs off in all other aspects 

of their schooling and education. 

“Alloa Athletic coach Max, who is 

not directly connected to the school, 

comes in and talks to the young 

people, repeats the messages, values 

and standards of the school and it has 

an impact on them. 

“The parents love it. We are online 

at the moment due to the Covid 

situation but if you speak to a principal 

teacher, we are getting 80-90 per cent 

engagement on the parents’ evenings, 

but not only that, it is not just mum 

and dad but uncles, aunts and grans - 

it is a family affair on occasions. 

“There is a real interest and that is 

really important for the young people 

going forward. 

“We need it through other mediums. 

Football is one but as a head teacher, 

give us a rugby one, give us a music 

one, give us a literature one because 

it really does capture the attention of 

young people.” 




DESTINATION 

DENMARK 

It was a bizarre experience at the start of 

September as we jetted off to cosmopolitan 

Copenhagen to watch our recent World Cup 

Qualifier against Denmark. 

It was with more than a small sense of 

trepidation that I made my way to the airport, 

the thought of international travel and mixing 

with people again was one that initially 

caused me a natural unease after living like 

a hermit akin to Tom Hanks in ‘Castaway’ 

for the previous 18 months. Any nerves 

were easily overcome though by the burning 

desire to see Scotland play overseas again, 

something that we’d missed so much during 

the enforced hiatus. 

One short trip, two-and-a-half days and three 

negative tests later, things had gone smoothly 

and I was back home in the tropical Costa Del 

Falkirk, with time to reflect on the trip. 

It was brilliant to be back on foreign soil 

again. We had managed to buy tickets online 

for the home end and were looking forward to 

the match. We revisited old turf sightseeing 

and took a wander down through the main 

square towards Nyhavn and reacquainted 

ourselves with the hospitality on offer at the 

Dubliner, where we had spent many a happy 

hour both before and after Ebbe Sand scored 

WORDS - LEWIS CONNOLLY 

Scotland fan Lewis Connolly recalls a post-lockdown 

trip to Copenhagen. 

the winner on our last visit in 2004. You’d 

barely have known that Covid was a thing 

over in Copenhagen, the Danes being very 

sensible yet relaxed about things. 

The biggest concern we had was whether 

our usual attire would stop us getting into 

the game as, let’s be honest here, a kilt and 

Glengarry isn’t exactly traditional Danish 

clothing. With that in mind, we took a midmorning 

recce up to the stadium the next 

day, about eight hours ahead of the game. 

We found a little information office at the 

ground and chatted to a very helpful man by 

the name of Thomas. We asked if our outfits 

would be a problem, knowing that the locals 

would be welcoming, but hesitant that some

steward on the turnstile would stop us from 

seeing the match if we weren’t incognito. 

Thomas just smiled and said: “No problem, 

I’ll brief the stewards that anyone in Scottish 

clothing can be let in, as your fans are always 

friendly.” When we asked what he meant by 

“he” would brief the stewards, he laughed 

and properly introduced himself and it turned 

out we had inadvertently bumped into the 

head of security for the Danish FA. Thomas 

was now, at least in our eyes, a legend. 

We toddled back into town, our spirits uplifted 

and promptly set about uplifting spirits of 

a different kind. We bounced around a few 

bars, enjoying the sunshine, and for a few 

hours it just felt like life was normal again. It 

felt like a whole different world, like we had 

a bit of normality back and the thing that we 

loved the most. 

We’d taken a few recommendations for bars 

around the centre then headed out to one that 

had been suggested to us in the pub the night 

before. Turns out we unsuspectingly found 

ourselves at the main gathering point for the 

Danish ultras. We wandered headlong into 

this bar, a narrow and inconspicuous entrance 

suddenly opening up into an absolute sea 

of red and white shirts. To say we got a few 

strange looks would be an understatement. 

We approached the bar and it was like one 

of those scenes from an old Western when 

the saloon doors swing open and everything 

suddenly stops. The barman takes our order 

when up beside me appears an extremely 

tall muscular young chap who looks like he’s 

just eaten Dolph Lundgren. I straightened up 

to my full towering 5ft 6ins frame and made 

like a hole in the air as he stared me up, then 

down, then up again. I turn to face him and 

awaited the worst, only for him to look at me 

and my mates and say “You guys have got 

some real guts walking in here…. let me buy 

you all a drink”. 

The Danish fans were brilliant, happy-golucky, 

down to earth and pleasantly surprised 

to be able to respectfully talk football with 

opposition fans again. We finished up and 

made it to the stadium and had that moment 

of joy when we were scanned through the 

turnstile by security staff with a welcoming 

nod and smile (cheers Thomas). The Danes 

obviously weren’t expecting any away fans to 

be present and were a little surprised when 

they heard ‘Flower of Scotland’ being belted 

out at the top of our lungs, but the round of 

applause from them upon completion was a 

classy touch. 

The match itself threatened to turn ugly 

after the Danes chalked up two strikes in 

a 90-second period, but a much-improved 

second-half performance from the lads 

saw us keep things respectable, especially 

given the Danes’ run to the semi-final of 

the European Championship this summer 

and their recent 5-0 demolition of Israel. 

Ultimately, it was defeat in Denmark, 

something that most would have expected 

prior to a ball even being kicked, but we found 

a little bit of our souls again. Tartan Army 

travels were back. 




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 

Craig Gordon 

Heart of Midlothian 

Jon McLaughlin 

Rangers 

Zander Clark 

St Johnstone 

Liam Cooper 

Leeds United 

John Souttar 

Heart of Midlothian 

Jack Hendry 

Club Brugge 

Scott McKenna 

Nottingham Forest 

Stephen O’Donnell 

Motherwell 

Andy Robertson 

Liverpool 

Kieran Tierney 

Arsenal 

Stuart Armstrong 

Southampton 

Lewis Ferguson 

Aberdeen 

Billy Gilmour 

Norwich City * 

John McGinn 

Aston Villa 

Callum McGregor 

Celtic 

Kenny McLean 

Norwich City 

Scott McTominay 

Manchester United 

David Turnbull 

Celtic 

Ché Adams 

Southampton 

Jacob Brown 

Stoke City 

Ryan Christie 

Bournemouth 

O Lyndon Dykes 

Queens Park Rangers 

O Kevin Nisbet 

Hibernian 

*on loan from Chelsea 

DENMARK 

MANAGER: 

Kasper Hjulmand 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

Kasper Schmeichel 

Leicester City 

Frederik Rønnow 

Union Berlin 

Peter Vindahl Jensen 

AZ Alkmaar 

Joachim Andersen 

Crystal Palace 

Jannik Vestergaard 

Leicester City 

Simon Kjaer 

Milan 

Joakim Maehle 

Atalanta 

Andreas Christensen 

Chelsea 

Rasmus Nissen 

Red Bull Salzburg 

Jens Stryger Larsen 

Udinese 

Thomas Delaney 

Sevilla 

Christian Nørgaard 

Brentford 

Daniel Wass 

Valencia 

Jens Jønsson 

Cádiz 

Jesper Lindstrøm 

Eintracht Frankfurt 

Mohamed Daramy 

Ajax 

Jacob Bruun Larsen 

1899 Hoffenheim 

Andreas Skov Olsen 

Bologna 

Jonas Wind 

Copenhagen 

Yussuf Poulsen 

RB Leipzig 

Andreas Cornelius 

Trabzonspor 

Pione Sisto 

Midtjylland 

Anders Dreyer 

Rubin Kazan

THE 

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SUPPORTERS 

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Scotland v Denmark

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