The Last Crusade: Scotland v England, Hampden Park

Monday 12 June 2017

Scotland v England, Hampden Park

Scotland v England
FIFA WC 2018
European Qualifying Group F
Hampden Park, Glasgow
Scotland
10 June 2017

Its match day 6 in Group F and England sit proudly at the top of the table, but up next are the Jocks and history shows that we don't get it all our own way at Hampden Park (played 40: won 15, lost 15 and drawn10). The two nations have played a total of 113 times with the overall score being 48 - 41 wins in England's favour, so not that much in it.

Since the scrapping of the British Championship this fixture has been missing from the football calendar, so we only get to play each other during qualifiers or the odd rare friendly. The last meeting was the 'not so' friendly at Celtic Park on 18 Nov 2014 which was a great game to be at, but our last visit to Hampden Park was on 13 Nov 1999 in the 1st leg of the Playoffs for Euro 2000 in Holland and Belgium and on that day England won 2:0, compliments of a Paul Scholes' brace. As this is the first game at Hampden Park for 18 years the allocation of 4761 tickets was snapped up quickly by the the EF travel club.

Nice to see Jermain Defoe on the front cover of the Free Lions even if he only managed to get on in the 92nd minute. Team news was dominated by the absence of Jamie Vardy through injury and the selection as Team Captain for Harry Kane. The game itself was a bit lethargic in the 1st half with lots of poor finishing, especially by England who dominated the early exchanges, but at HT it was still 0:0. In the 2nd Half Oxley Chamberlain was called off the bench to replace Rashford who made an immediate impact and scored with a fine strike on 70 minutes. England were cruising and the fans taunted the Scots with "Your'e just a shit San Marino" and "There'll be no Tartan Army in Moscow".

Then Gordon Strachan played a master stroke to bring on Chris Martin in the 81st minute. Martin caused chaos just outside the English penalty area which caused Gary Cahill to collide with Ryan Fraser, the outcome was a free kick which Leigh Griffiths converted into the top right hand corner with a beautiful strike in the 87th minute. Then two minutes later Chris Martin wins another free kick in a slightly more central position, and Leigh Griffiths steps up to convert that one passed Joe Hart's outstretched glove and into the top left hand corner of the net sending the Scots into raptures and the English into meltdown. I can honestly say that I have now heard the 'Hampden Roar'. With the clock ticking away Harry Kane wins a free kick to the left hand edge of the Scottish penalty area. Erich Dyer steps up and forces a save from the keeper, the ball is cleared but England maintain the pressure as Sterling skips around the rushing defence to send a deep and accurate cross into the path of the sprinting Harry Kane who then thunders in the equaliser from six yards, what an incredible end to a game.

Scotland 2 England 2

Attendance: 48520

After a 5 hour train journey I find myself in need of sustenance, so what better than a Scotch Pie?

5 1/2 Hours later we arrive at

Glasgow Central from Grantham

Then the local train to Mount Florida (4 stops)

A short walk and we arrive at our Glasgow tenement

Those Victorians new how to build, shame that lifts hadn't been invented then!

Massive front door

View of Hampden Park from the Bed room

Hampden from the Lounge

Pano from the Main (South Stand) car park

Are you Millwall in disguise?

Main entrance

Stairs to the East Stand (Celtic End)

Stadium Plan

An odd fact is that Queens Park FC actually own Hampden Park but their own HQ is at Lesser Hampden

QPFC reception and offices, Lesser Hampden

First beer at 'the Clutha' on Stockwell Street, a bar which is built on the site where the Clutha Vaults once stood before the disaster on 29 Nov 2013 when a Police Helicopter crashed into it killing 10 (3 aircrew and 7 on the ground).

One of my favourite Glasgow pubs is the Scotia on Stockwell Street. Had a good chat with some Tartan Army boys in here

George Square, Glasgow's principle public square was originally named after King George III and later to commemorate Sir Walter Scott.

Ashton Lane just next to the Hilltop Subway

station in the West End - visited Jinty McGuinty's and the Tennent's Bar.

Match day - Waking up to views of Lesser Hampden from the lounge whilst eating breakfast

The Club House of Lesser Hampden is reputedly the oldest building within a football stadium in the world.

East End ahead

After a couple of drinks in the Drum and monkey and the Walk About we board the train to Mount Florida with the Tartan Army

Whatever will these boys think of next...

"Doe, a deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name I call myself
Far, a long, long way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow so
Tea, a drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to do oh oh oh"

Sommerville Drive

West End (Rangers End)

I wonder if Kathleen can see us from her window?

Tifo in the South Stand

The National Anthem gets a right booing

0:0 at Half Time as England squander chance after chance.

40 years of going to the football and

I finally see a game at Hampden Park

South West Corner

East Stand ahead

The Ox scores on 70 minutes, 5 minutes after replacing Rashford in the 65th minute.

Blink and you will miss them...3 goals in 6 minutes in the 87th and 90th minute for Scotland from two free kicks and a Harry Kane equaliser in stoppage time for England.

A relieved Harry Kane leads his team to applaud the fans

The "Ginger steward" who waves back to the English following the chant of "Ginger give us a wave" was followed by a standing ovation from the English and then an unprecedented applause from the Scottish Police back to the English - I've seen it all now!