Scotland’s Tartan Army celebrate after qualifying for Euro 2024
The Tartan Army is celebrating after Scotland secured qualification for the Euro 2024 tournament.
It was Spain that sealed the deal for the team by beating Norway 1-0 in Oslo on Sunday – guaranteeing Scotland a top-two finish in Group A.
Steve Clarke’s side won their first five games to earn the points to qualify for Germany next year.
Scotland fans are looking forward to the tournament – just the fourth ever Euros qualification for the men’s team.
Hamish Husband, from the association of Tartan Army clubs, told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland that fans’ prayers had been answered.
He said: “It’s great that we are there – we deserve it. The progress under Steve Clarke has been immense.
“However, as a fan of a certain age I would have love to have done it at Hampden.
“One of my greatest ever evenings was when we qualified against Czechoslovakia in 1973, it would have been great if the young folk had experienced that the way I did.”
Image source, SNS Group
Many fans watched the match in Lille ahead of a friendly with France on Tuesday
Mr Husband said for many younger Scotland fans the tournament would “enlighten” their lives and the team would have to set their standards high.
He added: “We have never qualified for the second round.
“Now we’ve qualified its not enough – we have to go one better that the Billy Bremner’s and the Kenny Dalgleish’s.
“I’m sure tens of thousands of Scots are preparing, and doing some German lessons.”
Steve Clarke took charge of the Scotland men’s side in 2019.
He successfully led them to their first major tournament in 23 years after qualifying for Euro 2020.
Image source, Getty Images
Goals from Scott McTominay have helped secure Scotland’s place in the tournament
The SFA’s Chief Executive Ian Maxwell told BBC Scotland that the qualification was the culmination of a huge amount of work.
He said: “The players and Steve deserve a massive amount of credit for the improvements that have happened over the years.
“Ideally you want to do it at Hampden in front of the supporters, everybody together and you can celebrate it as a country. It didn’t quite work out that way, we’re just being a bit greedy.
He said to be one of the first six or seven teams to qualify for the final tournament was an “incredible achievement”.
“The aim at the outset is always to qualify,” her added.
“When we walk out for that first game in Germany nobody is going to remember how we qualified or where we qualified, the most important thing is we got there.”
Draw for the finals in Germany will take place in Hamburg on 2 December.
