Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock……It’s the waiting that’s the killer isn’t it? For Chrissakes, Thursday 8th October – where the hell are you? It’s a perverse double-whammy of [a] wishing your life away and [b] putting your life on hold as we keep 12 to 17 November clear in our diaries in case we make the play-offs. Yes I know there are much more important things in life to worry about but when you are a Scotland supporter all sense of perspective tends to go out of the window – along with the tv, the cat and the mother-in-law especially right after the ‘Torture in Tbilisi’ fixture.
Tick-tock, tick-tock. Poland have visited Hampden on three previous occasions with the visitors winning the first two matches [in 1960 and 1965] before drawing 1-1 in May 1990. Not very good is it – unless you are Polish – so time now to start improving that home record. Massochists who want to read more more about these three matches can refer back to an article posted on 19 May. Meantime attached are images of the programme from the 1965 game plus a photograph of the view from the uncovered east terracing taken at the match in 1990.
Tick-tock, tick-tock. Of course we also need our German friends to do the business in Dublin. The Republic of Ireland have played Germany/West Germany nine times in Dublin and have won four, drawn two and lost three. The most recent Irish victory came about in 1975, however their most recent home match against Deutschland – a world cup qualifier in 2012 resulted in a 6-1 mauling from the Germans. Now I’m not a cruel man so I’ll not be selling my soul in return for another mauling – I’ll take a 2-0 victory for Germany so long as both goals come early on….
Tick-tock, tick-tock. I suppose there’s always club football to help pass the time – which is especially fine if you are an Aberdeen or a Rangers supporter and your team is top of their league or a Celtic fan with the added excitement of European football to savour. My club is Partick Thistle………
Tick-tock, tick-tock. Salvation – sort of. There’s the Rugby Union World Cup to look forward to and Scotland’s group matches against Japan, USA, South Africa and Samoa. So be warned there may be some therapeutic egg-chasing articles coming you way.
Tick-tock, tick-tock……
Robert Marshall
First posted on Facebook September 16th, 2015
The Scotland Epistles Football Magazine 
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