For too lengthy the tortured Tartan Military’s mantra remained: ‘It’s the hope that kills you’.
But for Craig Brown - nonetheless the final man to information Scotland to a World Cup Finals 24 years in the past - the outcry that accompanied failure to achieve main tournaments again within the 90s was akin to having killed somebody himself.
Having certified for 5 consecutive World Cups between 1974 and 1990 the nation anticipated - not hoped - to take it’s place on the best present on earth.
When that exceptional run lastly got here to an finish forward of USA 94 there was uproar.
Fortunately Brown, who had been assistant to Andy Roxburgh for that qualifying marketing campaign by which we completed behind Italy, Switzerland and Portugal in a ridiculously laborious group, restored normality 4 years later by guiding Scotland to France 98.
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However then got here the barren years. Greater than twenty years and 5 World Cups within the wilderness.
Expectation had turned to forlorn hope among the many footsoldiers on the terraces.
That was till Steve Clarke arrived on the scene precisely three years in the past and commenced a restoration job that noticed us finish the key finals exile by main Scotland to final 12 months’s European Championships.
A 12 months on and Scotland stand on the cusp once more with a primary World Cup since Brown’s heroes opened France 98 towards Brazil looming like an enormous promised land forward of two large play-off hurdles within the form of Ukraine after which Wales.
Brown is assured. Not solely that however he believes the expectation which for too lengthy turned to hope is reverting again to confidence once more.
Brown stated: “It’s fairly superb it’s been so lengthy since we have been at a World Cup.
“Once I was within the job when you didn’t qualify - and I used to be the assistant after we didn't qualify in 94 - you then thought you’d killed your subsequent of kin.
“There was an expectation again then.
“However then that turned to hope as extra campaigns handed by with out Scotland getting there.
“Now I might say it’s turning into extra of an expectation once more due to the way in which the crew is taking part in.
“I’m anticipating us to qualify. We've an outstanding supervisor and an excellent crew so I’m very optimistic about what’s going to occur within the subsequent few days.
“Steve is a soccer supervisor of functionality. There have been superb managers down the years who possibly simply didn’t have the luck required.
“Gordon Strachan, Alex McLeish, they didn’t handle to qualify however they by no means had the standard of squad.
“I had a greater squad within the Nineties than that they had - in 1998 I had three gamers who had simply received the English Premier League with Blackburn Rovers, Colin Hendry, Billy McKinlay and Kevin Gallacher.
“That is the perfect group of gamers since then.
“Gamers are available in cycles and we're on a very good one proper now. There’s unbelievable high quality within the crew and the supervisor has them studying off the identical hymn sheet.”
Whereas Brown, now 81, is assured Clarke’s gamers can negotiate two very tough play-off fixtures, he’s additionally effectively conscious of the menace posed by Ukraine.
Not solely is Oleksandr Petrakov’s facet stuffed with high quality however additionally they have the added motivation to present their war-torn nation and victimised nation one thing to cheer.
And the supervisor himself has a cv which has caught Brown’s eye having received the World U20 Championship with Ukraine again in 2019.
Brown reckons it’s a fear that not considered one of that U20 facet featured in Ukraine’s final qualifiers.
He stated: “We've a tough recreation right here. Petrakov received the World U20 Championship with Ukraine three years in the past.
“If the perfect U20 gamers on the earth three years in the past are actually 22-23 and never in his facet it tells you the extent of crew he has.
“Petrakov is unbeaten in seven matches, though 5 of them have been attracts .. that’s my trick!
“He has labored proper via the age teams for the previous 12 years - from U16s proper as much as the highest crew - a bit like Andy Roxburgh who received the Euro Championships with the Scotland U18 crew.
“A number of gamers like Paul McStay, Pat Nevin and these guys got here via to the primary crew with him.
“So Petrakov is aware of the expertise accessible to him.
“There can even be an edge to Ukraine’s efficiency. They're representing their nation which has been so closely victimised and they're out to show one thing.
“They wish to give their nation a morale increase. Everybody in soccer will need Ukraine to win. If I wasn’t Scottish I might need them to win.”
Clarke faces an enormous choice on the left facet of defence the place Kieran Tierney misses out via damage.
However Brown reckons there’s a prepared made alternative.
He stated: “You noticed on the weekend how good Scott McKenna is. He jogs my memory of David Weir.
“They're each clever guys and really humble.
“I really keep in mind saying to the press again within the day that David was son in regulation materials. He phoned me later and stated ‘what’s this all about?!’
“However McKenna is like that. He's humble off the park however on it he has the unassuming method of Weir.
“He may be extra left-sided however he has the identical authority with out being the sort who goes out shouting the percentages.
“When David stated one thing within the dressing room he was revered, I really feel McKenna has that presence too.”
• Craig Brown was speaking on the launch of the e-book Scotland’s Swedish Journey: The Story of Scotland’s European Championship Debut by John Bleasdale.