I REFLECTED back to the opening day of the 1998 World Cup in France. I came out of work and was walking along Whitehall Street in Dundee when I was passed by a kilt-wearing guy dressed in a Scotland jersey who was also sporting a tartan tammy. He was heading towards the pub. It dawned on me then that the tournament was starting that day and that we were playing Brazil, but it was nothing to get too excited about as we always qualify for these tournaments, don’t we!

Fast forward more than 22 years to Thursday night and I was like a coiled spring for 120 minutes – and the rest! I let out one almighty roar when David Marshall saved that penalty. The relief was palpable but so was the feeling of sheer joy. Regardless of the sport or circumstances, Scotland never does it the easy way. We’ve been so used to being philosophical and dealing with the “lows” for so many years that getting our heads around a high is a novel experience. It really is great to say, “We did it!” Well done to all of the players and a special thank-you to Stevie Clarke.

Jim Finlayson

I WAS in the truck travelling from Glasgow to Aberlour listening to the game and biting my nails. When Marshall saved the penalty I was punching the air and screaming YESSSSS! That was a shift I will never forget.

John McGowan

ENJOYED the game. Scotland played well. Missed some chances, but were well organised, and the team stuck together.

Credit to Steve Clarke, he has replicated what he had done for my team, Kilmarnock, and placed it into an international setting. The structure he has built has brought the best out in the players. You can spot when things are going well – the number of call-offs is low.

Only negative was the commentary by Davie Provan. He sounds like the Rev I M Jolly of the broadcasting world!

C Stevenson

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IT is appalling that it was not on normal telly with STV showing English footie – it’s not right.

Denise Hooper

THE best game I’ve ever seen Scotland play. I was a little confused as to why the manager made the subs, and why he waited so long before he put Griffiths on.

My nails were bitten to the quick, then the extra time. God, never again! Then the penalties ...

YESSSS! WE HAVE WE DONE IT ... YEESSSS WE DID IT ... THAT MAN MARSHALL ... WE ARE GOING TO THE FINALS. YOU BEEAUUTY!

AJ Young

TYPICAL Scotland – the pain, the joy – let’s stuff England now!

Willie Miller

WHAT a wonderful result for Scotland. Well done to Steve Clarke all his coaches and backroom staff and more importantly the players.

They had the will to win and the mentality to fight on after the scores were levelled in the dying minutes of normal time. They showed a togetherness which can be transmitted to the rest of the Scottish Nation to win our right to be an independent nation despite the protestation of an MSP the like of Alex Cole-Hamilton.

David F Hall

PURE Dead Brilliant!

David Simpson

F***** great!

T Milligan

CONGRATULATIONS to the players for getting the team through, they deserve whatever individual plaudits they receive. However, when they come up against an organised team, ANY organised team, they will be soundly beaten. I want my national team to do well but I am not optimistic. I am happy to be proved wrong but I am also a realist and it won’t happen.

It won’t happen because the club game in Scotland just isn’t good enough, not enough participation at European level to enable players to reach the required ability.

Jim Todd

WHAT a result, well done lads for fantastic teamwork! I only ever watch football when Scotland plays and by god it was worth it.

Judith Delissen

THE game was nail biting. Especially when it came to the penalties, the whole family was white-knuckled. When it was over, we were all elated and desperate to give Ryan Christie a hug when we saw he was in tears.

Karen Tomney

GREAT result for team and the country. The interviews with players after game showed how much it meant to them and how proud they were of being able to do this for the long-suffering supporters who like the team never gave up.

Billy McAndrew

IT was a great game up till they equalised. My heart dropped as we deserved to win it over the 90 minutes. I’m delighted the lads held on through extra-time as they must have felt terrible after they scored. Great penalties and a superb save by David to win it, I’m extremely proud of the players and the management team and hope there’s more to come.

Robert Buirds

GREAT result, fantastic performance by the boys. In the past, we qualified for World Cups. It gave the whole country a lift, just to be taking part in these major tournaments. Now a new generation will experience the build-up and atmosphere around these games especially with the added attraction of playing England at Wembley.

It’s great to be in among the best teams in Europe rather than on outside looking on. Great time for Scottish football and summer footie to look forward too.

Thomas Brady

I THOUGHT it was the best Scotland football performance I’ve seen in around 35 years. Took me back to the days of Archie Gemmill and that group. When they equalised in the last minute I thought, “here we go again, now for the big upsetting part”. But the penalty shoot-out for Scotland was top class. Solid all the way through.

A fine save at the end to win the game, brilliant. We really, really do now need the SNP to get back to their main reason for existence. All this woke agenda – I have nothing against it actually. But as the favourite saying goes, “now is not the time” for that stuff. We have the rest of Scotland’s existence to sort all that and anything else out after we win the true and only real right that matters, to become a normal everyday country.

Now is exactly the time for that.

Gordon Traill

I’M looking forward to extending our 100% record in shoot-outs when we play England, who don’t seem to enjoy them as much...

Alex Browne

I HAD to turn to another channel for 10 minutes during the extra-time period as I had a heart rate of about 150, and I was only sitting on the couch.

Alan in Ayrshire

WE have followed Scotland home and away for many years and last night was one of the best! I was destroyed when that equaliser went in so late in the game and I thought, “here we go again!”

But I’m so happy the team proved me wrong! I hope they realise how proud we all are of them and that they’ve brought a wee bit of happiness to us all during a horrible time (although that’s typically Scottish to qualify for the first time in 22 years when we can’t all be together to celebrate).

Diane Doig

HAVEN’T felt that emotional after a football match in years. Literally was greetin when Ryan Christie gave his interview after the game – when he said they had tried their utmost to give the country a boost after what has been such an awful time with Covid, etc. Still buzzin, what a feeling!!

Richard Montgomery

GREAT result, pity it wasn’t on STV or BBC though as the England game was, why should we pay a TV licence for service like that. Imagine if the tables were turned and the Scottish game was shown in England and the English game wasn’t, don’t think our friends In the south would be too impressed.

Dan Bruce

I WAS there in 1996 in the last Euros and there in 1998 in France at the World Cup. I remember thinking “only another two years to the next tournament” and have followed them home and away since. At last I can pack my bags again. Alas the shirts are a wee bit tighter and the legs a wee bit wearier for the long road to another tournament but I held on and now we’re on the road again. Spent most of last night greetin...

John Young