Euro 2024

Euros 2024.

When I’m not watching fitba, I watch Scotland. I want Scotland to win and England to lose. Scotland didn’t so much get beaten in the opening match as humiliated 5—1 by the host nation Germany. For once, the pubs were busy. Even my gang hut The Drop Inn. One woman customer was on her toes screaming, ‘Penalty! Penalty! Even when a less drunk guy *(if such a thing exists in The Drop Inn) explained to her that it was a penalty not to Scotland, but to Germany, she didn’t get it. She continued screaming, ‘Penalty.’ Maybe she still is. There are penalties for living in a parallel universe.

It was also a red-card. Ryan Porteous will miss the next two games. So it wasn’t that bad.

A sad punter had put Scotland on to win the tournament. His odds were 80—1. Shite odds. 8 000 000 000—1 and I’d stick a pound on our boys.

I’m Celtic through and through. West Germany duly beat Hungary 2—0 and qualified from Group A. I’m thoroughly familiar with European ties and not finishing bottom of the group and finishing bottom, anyway.

The other side of that, of course, is glorious failure. Celtic and Scotland always come up trumps. The first World Cup I watched from start to finish (Germany beat Holland in the final) we beat Zaire and drew with Brazil in the group section. We had to beat them but were squeezed out.

Glorious failure didn’t come better than having to beat the Dutch of Cruyff and Neeskins in 1978 by three clear goals to qualify. Impossible. But we nearly done and it were dreaming when  European Cup winner, Archie Gemmill scored that goal to put us 3—1 up. Holland scored again of course. I forgave them when they gave us Wim Jensen.

Scotland will not win the tournament. I’m not sure we’ll beat Switzerland or Hungary.  

England might win the Euros. I don’t hate England in the way I hate Rangers. I’m largely indifferent to them. Alex Ferguson would call them our ‘noisy neighbours,’ multiplied by media jingoism and flag waving 48 million fold. It’s not a good mix. England have the players to win it. I’m not sure they have the team. Germany, on home soil, looks the team to beat. They haven’t actually played anyone yet. But they have coasted through two matches. England struggled but still won. They’ll meet in the quarter-finals if everything goes according to plan (it rarely does, even for Man City). Penalty! Penalties?

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