Living up to a Legend is a pain in the Archie

[forameuss]

Chapter 1 - An Unpopular Move - "Present" Day

Dundee, Scotland

29th June, 2056

Scottish Summers are a bit of a crapshoot. One day you can be out in the garden, drinking yourself into a stereotypical stupor, and the other you're fleeing horizontal rain, trying to avert your eyes from the light dusting of white on the hills in the distance. Today though, it was just grey. Grey, damp, and dreary. As a result the street ahead of him was quiet, and that was something that didn't usually happen on this particular street at any other part of the year. To most people, Tannadice Street wouldn't mean much, but fans of Scottish football will know it as the home to two football teams - city rivals Dundee and Dundee United - creating what is, to this day, the closest football rivalry in senior football in the United Kingdom. It was that 200 yard gap that somebody walked, head bowed, hands in pockets, mind racing.

He remembered visiting here in his youth, on tour with the Partick Thistle travelling support, visiting both Dens Park and Tannadice. Now the area had been completely transformed. He looked up, taking in the vast North Stand of Booth Park, new home of Dundee that was built on the site of the old Dens Park. He remembered the opposition that the plan to redevelop had encountered, but when you're doubling your attendance most weeks, and creating an admittedly good atmosphere in the era of faceless identikit shells for stadiums, then it soon dissipated. There was also a certain hint of jealousy as they looked the 200 yards down the road to the shiny, new Jim McLean stadium, home to their rivals. That had replaced Tannadice several years before, and the size was often said - mostly by those of a tangerine persuasion - to put Dundee in the shade. It was always tongue in cheek, but in a way absolutely true, now that Dundee United held the second biggest stadium in the country.

The man strolled down Tannadice Street, barely taking his eyes off the steep sides of the Jim McLean Arena. So much so that he almost walked straight into someone walking in the other direction. At the last moment, he stepped aside, mumbling an apology to him as he passed. He started to walk away, but heard the man speak behind him.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked, a confused lilt to his voice.

The man sighed and turned half around with a small grin on his face. "Maybe just one of those faces," he said flippantly, hoping that was the end of it.

There was a short pause, before the smaller man clicked his fingers and pointed. "Archie Glengarrie," he said confidently, "You're a long way from home, aren't you?"

Archie smiled and turned back around, knowing he'd been caught. "Aye, I guess so."

"What brings you up here?" the man asked, eyes narrowing slightly, before a grin broke out, "Wanting to visit the Champions?"

"Aye, something like that," Archie said, a little too shifty, "Maybe steal a couple of players for next season"

The man nodded slowly, a look in his eyes that suggested he wasn't quite buying it. "Well good luck for next season, pal. Thistle were great this year, deserved more."

"Thanks," Archie smiled, genuinely meaning it, watching as the man turned to shuffle his way up Tannadice Street again. Archie went to move away too, before hearing a shout from behind him again.

"What happened in that League Cup Final, pal?! Letting that mob fae' the Booth beat you 4-1?! Shocking!"

Archie shook his head and grinned, continuing to walk away. He wasn't aware that the news of him being spotted in close proximity to the home of Dundee United was just minutes away from being spread far and wide across the internet.

Pie and Bovril Forums - Scottish Premiership section

30th June, 2056

Hearing from a friend that Archie Glengarrie was spotted at Tannadice yesterday #ITK

Seems like a good fit for you lot. Nothing manager, achieved nothing. Not like his dad

Bit harsh, but I guess you're just salty at having to watch us lift the title #oneteamindundee

Just passing on what I was told. He was walking down Tannadice Street last night

Aye, leading Shergar along with him.

If this is true, I've lost all respect for him! He's supposed to be a Jag, and he's going to that lot?!

Maybe he wanted to be relevant at a big club, rather than your lot?

This lot had a shot of the title last season remember. And if he goes I hope yous got relegated

To be fair to him, at least he's not come from any other club in Glasgow

^^^ Obsessed with the Rangers

^^^ Canny beat St Mirren

Again, just reporting what I heard guys. Don't believe it myself, but we'll see what happens in the next few days

Bearsden, Glasgow

1st July, 2056

Archie knew that this would be a very difficult afternoon. He was on his way to visit the man he had looked up to for as long as he could remember. In fact, he was a man that most of the country looked up to, given his service to football. Hamish Glengarrie, the man who had brought two European Championship titles to Scotland, along with one Confederations Cup. When Archie was born, Scotland were at an extremely low ebb, and Hamish was a 28-year-old regular in the side. He earned 41 caps, scoring 9 goals, but that was about it for his career. It was only once he retired that he came to prominence, taking over from Gordon Strachan as manager, and going on to be the most successful man in the history of the job. He was the only reason that Archie Glengarrie pursued a career in management. Then came the problems. Archie's career had hardly taken off, and the tepid nature of Hamish's opinion of his son's career grew colder.

The truth was that he had been approached just as he was preparing for pre-season with Thistle. He had been at the stadium sorting out a few things when Chairman Ashley McDermott called him in, informing them that they had received an approach. His initial thought was to rebuff the offer, but a long talk with his boss just made things harder. On one hand, he had loved Partick Thistle for as long as he could remember, but on the other he found himself unable to immediately reject the advances of the Champions of Scotland. He was given a few days off to think things over, with the promise that he would reach a decision by the time he returned.

Now he had made his decision to leave the club that his father had supported since he was a boy, he knew that he would be letting down the one man he never wanted to let down. He pulled up the long drive, nodding to the numerous gardeners employed to tend to the obscenely large grounds. He slowed to a stop, noticing the light on in the study. He shut the engine off, sighed, and left the car.

Pie and Bovril Forums - Scottish Premiership section

2nd July, 2056

Archie to sign in the morning #lovebeingright

Source?

Ooft, can almost smell the fear from the Booth Piggery

Nice try. In all seriousness, seems a poor appointment. He's not really done anything in his career

He had a good few seasons with Linfield - got into the Champions League Group Stages. Should be at the Rangers.

Oh aye, so he was. No-ones perfect I guess, if they had to manage at the Rangers of Northern Ireland

Managing in a diddy league like that, anyone could do it.

Heard he applied for the job. I'm old enough to remember Jackie McNamara, Archie's worse. Dead to me.

Jim McLean Stadium, Dundee

3rd July, 2056

Cesar - you sit here with your new man. How does it feel to have succeeded in attracting him to the club?

It feels great. When we parted company with our previous manager, there was a shortlist of potential candidates, but it became clear early on that Archie was top of that particular list. He's achieved a lot in his short career, and we believe we have the man to continue our success and take us to the next level.

Were negotiations difficult with Partick Thistle?

Absolutely not. We expected a little resistance, as it's clear that he was loved back at Firhill, but they were extremely fair. They weren't going to stand in the way of Archie going to a bigger club, and we've come to an agreement that suits all parties

What are your expectations going to be for the coming season?

It would be unfair to speak about specifics before myself and Archie have had a chance to discuss them, but we will be expecting the same level of success the fans of this great club have become accustomed to

Now if we could just turn our attentions to the man himself - Archie, how does it feel to be here?

It feels great. I want to again thank Cesar Gimeno for allowing me this chance to manage at such a prestigious club

Did you believe that the move may fall through after the news leaked earlier this week?

No, never. Information now flows more freely than ever these days, and we were always going to struggle to keep this under wraps. It didn't affect anything

What it did affect, seemingly, is your relationship with the Partick Thistle fans. They seem most upset that you're leaving, and there's a lot of anger at Firhill

Yes...*clears throat*...I want to be clear. While I'm happy to be here at Dundee United, I want to make sure that everyone knows how tough a decision it was. I was handed a unique opportunity here, one that was extremely difficult to pass up. But my love for Partick Thistle saw me spend days over the decision. In the end, I owed it to myself to accept and test my skills against the best. But it was with a very heavy heart.

One person that seemed most upset was your father, Hamish. I hear he took the news badly?

I have no comment on that.

...alright. We asked your new boss about expectations this season, and he was understandably coy. Do you have any personal expectations of yourself ahead of the new season?

While I'd echo what Cesar said about waiting until we have a chance to sit down and discuss it, I would also say that I'm determined to keep up the good work that the previous manager achieved. I feel that it's extremely important for us to mount a title challenge at the very least.

You took charge of Linfield for a historic run in the UEFA Champions League Group Stages some years ago - are you looking forward to being there again?

Of course. Unfortunately this club hasn't been there often enough, so I hope I can give the fans some good memories

With that, Archie was guided out of the press conference and into the featureless corridors in the bowels of the stadium.

"Good?" the chairman asked, holding two thumbs up, walking him down the corridor.

"Yeah, good," Archie said, slightly uneasily, "Did you think so?"

"Of course. You handled them well. Apologies for that comment about your father though. Understand why you wouldn't want to discuss that."

Archie just nodded, unwilling to think about the noise and chaos of yesterday's conversation.

"So you ready to begin?" Cesar smiled, motioning to the door to the Chairman's office in front of them.

"As I'll ever be," Archie said confidently, following his new boss inside.

[forameuss]

A new poster, so be gentle. Above is the first chapter of what will hopefully be a fairly long story linked to the career thread I've got going in FMCU. I enjoy writing in my personal time, so thought this would get the old creative juices flowing by writing a hopefully-not-too-libellous background to the career I've built up. Second chapter hopefully up soon, where we'll find out a lot more about Archie, and certainly about Hamish

[mark wilson27]

Welcome to FMS forameuss. We are good bunch here. As we always say here is if you enjoy writing it we will enjoy reading it.

[edtheguy]

Welcome aboard, I've fallen waaay behind, but I love Hamish's story over in that other section of the forums, for a long time it was accompaniment for my morning coffee, now I'll have to get caught up and follow both....

Your style is always enjoyable and I can't wait to see what happens when you let those creative juices take over!

[forameuss]

Hampden Park, Glasgow

Monday 8th September, 2014

A storm was brewing inside Hampden. The boos were deafening as the men in blue probed at the amassed ranks of white-shirted Georgians, unable to find a way through. 88 minutes gone, and Scotland were locked in a goalless draw with Georgia in the opening game of qualifying for Euro 2016. Just a couple of hours earlier, spirits were high. Gordon Strachan had taken over from the eternally unpopular Craig Levein in January of 2013, and had carved out a good reputation for himself amongst the Tartan Army. This was going to be their year. With 24 teams out of 52 in Europe qualifying, this was going to be the year that Scotland made it. The first tournament since France 98.

Then the game kicked off. Georgia were happy to get men behind the ball and frustrate their opponents, and as the minutes ticked by they did just that. The first boos were heard as the half-time whistle blew, and only grew as the match went on. From hope springs eternal to same old story for fans who had seen it all before. Even those up in the posh seats, where Hamish Glengarrie sat, stoic, watching the match with a frown on his face. He sat next to his son Archie, who at 12 years old was still amazed by the whole experience. He turned to look at his father, as he had a number of times throughout the match, noting that his expression hadn't changed.

"What do you think he's going to do now, Dad?" he asked hopefully, then groaning as another attempted through ball was gobbled up and booted long to the half-way line.

"Probably nothing. He's set up the wrong way. Pushing everyone forward and just crowding the box. He should be withdrawing and trying to force them out then hitting them down the flanks," he growled in his gruff tones, not taking his eyes off the ball.

The crowd roared as Scott Brown won the ball back in midfield, driving forward, but then let out an even louder collective groan as his attempt at a quick pass was again intercepted. He chased down the Georgian midfielder and gave away a foul, which every person in the stadium knew wasn't his first. The referee produced a second yellow, and most headed for the exits, shooting angry words over their shoulders as they went.

Moments later, the final whistle blew, and the remaining fans sounded their discontent. Archie looked up at his father. "Maybe you should be the manager, Dad. You'd be much better"

"Maybe I should, Son," he said with a small smile, "Maybe I should"

Pie and Bovril Forums - Tartan Army Ramblings Section

Tuesday 14th October, 2014

I can't believe we're really discussing getting rid of a manager less than a year after he took over - does nobody remember Levein?

He's just not good enough. If you can't beat Georgia at home, you don't deserve the job. Fact.

He's unbeaten in the group so far! I can't believe some of the morons in this support...

He's beaten Southern Ireland and Gibraltar, hardly a World beater. And he's an arrogant wee tit

A bit of realism here. Georgia was a shocking result, but we're hardly out of it - we've not lost a game yet. If we beat Poland, we're well in it ahead of the Germany game.

I said when he was appointed that was a bad idea - mark my words, I'll be proved right

Sunday Herald Sports Pullout

Sunday 16th November, 2014

It was a case of winless in Warsaw last night as the Scotland National Team stumbled to another 0-0 draw in their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. However, the match itself ended up playing second fiddle to events that followed. After manager Gordon Strachan didn't show for his post-match media commitments, assistant Mark McGhee seemed distracted and evasive when asked about his boss. The press conference itself was fairly uneventful, but afterwards rumours began to swirl around the future of the 57-year-old. It was suggested that he had tendered his resignation, or even that he had been sacked, but nothing, as of yet, has been confirmed.

Gordon Strachan seemed happy in the role, so it would be quite a shock if he was to leave after less than a year in charge, but the silence from the Scotland camp is becoming deafening. There are no more fixtures for the National Side until March, so there is some time to manoeuvre. If he is to leave his post, his replacement could come from an unlikely source. Bookies are taking a flurry of bets on ex-Scotland forward Hamish Glengarrie taking the reigns. That would be quite a departure, given that Glengarrie has no previous management experience, and would represent a significant risk.

Evening Times Sports Section

Monday 22nd December, 2014

The Scotland National side was shocked to the core today as Gordon Strachan walked away from his role as manager with immediate effect. He made a short comment to the assembled media, but left the reasons behind his decision up in the air.

As one door closes, another one opens, and the SFA are on the lookout for a new manager. The early favourite continues to be Hamish Glengarrie, but the man himself has stayed tight-lipped on the subject. He recently reiterated his support for Gordon Strachan, and that he had no interest in having him removed. When asked whether he would take the job if offered, he was non-committal, but the bets continue to roll in to the bookies.

Maryhill, Glasgow

Tuesday 6th January, 2015

Archie peered out of the window of the family home in Maryhill, staring intently at the amassed ranks of journalists at the end of the drive. The day before, Hamish had been announced as the new manager of Scotland, and the reception had been mixed at best. Through it all though, Hamish remained quiet but focused. There had been calls with backroom staff and the SFA, and plans were being hatched, but he seemed largely unaffected by the media maelstrom.

Archie moved away from the window and walked through to the spare room that passed for his Father's office. He sat back in his favourite leather executive chair, phone pressed to his ear, eyes closed.

"...yeah, I agree. We've got a couple of months, but best we start now. I'll be there tomorrow morning first thing. See you then."

With that, he turned around, opening his eyes, smiling at his son. "They still out there?" he asked.

Archie nodded. "More now."

"Figures. The wee animals love to chase a non-story."

"Non-story?" Archie frowned, "Why do you say that?"

Hamish grinned, a facial expression that suggested he knew something his Son didn't, a little patronising. "Because they'll end up making up their own version anyway. If you ever get into my position, you'll see what I mean. The only thing the media loves more than a story is building one up for themselves. You'll probably hear a lot about it over the next few weeks, but none of it matters."

Before Archie could reply, Hamish was fielding another call from someone within the SFA. Archie turned and left the room, his Father's words ringing in his ears. Despite looking up to his Father, he had never really considered following in his footsteps. He was a pretty decent footballer, but didn't really have much of an interest in a career in the sport. As he peered out of the window again, he wondered whether he'd been too hasty.

[tenthreeleader]

Welcome. Really do like this format. I'm going to circle back this weekend and take a closer look but for now, delighted to have new work here as always. Looking forward to more!

[Terk]

Jesus, the idea of Pie and Bovril still being going in 2056 is terrifying.

[Darius1998]

Will you be putting up a story based on the entire FM career or just Archie's part?

[forameuss]

Welcome. Really do like this format. I'm going to circle back this weekend and take a closer look but for now, delighted to have new work here as always. Looking forward to more!

Cheers! Not entirely sold on the format yet, so it may change, although probably not a million miles from where it is now.

Jesus, the idea of Pie and Bovril still being going in 2056 is terrifying.

Angry men will always need a home on the internet.

Will you be putting up a story based on the entire FM career or just Archie's part?

Probably the entirety. I won't cover anything in punishing detail unless I feel it's warranted, probably just colour in some of the more interesting parts. Then I'll build up to where the save is currently, or where it is when I get round to it. Hoping to at that point just let the story continue, moving wherever the save does, but might branch off if I think of a decent enough storyline that the save doesn't manage.

[forameuss]

Hampden Park, Glasgow

28th March 2015

The roar of the throngs of German fans inside Hampden rose to the darkened sky as the final whistle blew. As white-shirted players headed to thank their travelling fans, the men in blue sat dejected on the turf, staring up at the thousands and thousands of disappointed Scotland fans leaving the stadium. David Marshall, hero goalkeeper, in particular stared to the heavens, not quite believing how close Scotland had just come to shocking the World Champions. However, to find the most disappointed person in the stadium, you had to look to the dugout, as a tall, shaven-headed figure stood applauding the players that left the pitch.

His assistant sidled up to him, mimicking the applause. "We almost had them..." he said, shaking his head, just loud enough to be heard above the din inside the stadium. Hamish turned his head slightly, taking in the sight of his shorter, fatter, but indispensable right-hand man. They had been through every coaching course they had ever taken together, and when Hamish was offered the job, his first demand was to hire his best friend too.

"Almost doesn't really cut it," he sighed, stopping to clap a couple of his players off the pitch, "They deserved to beat us."

In the days that followed, most parties would end up agreeing with Hamish. Scotland put in a monumental performance to keep the Germans at bay for 84 minutes before Marco Reus was given a yard of space in the box, allowing him to turn and curl a wonderful shot over the despairing David Marshall and into the top corner. With just six minutes to go, Scotland fans could perhaps be forgiven for rueing that they didn't manage to secure a draw, but the truth was that the World Champions had run all over Scotland up to that point. The 0-0 scoreline was purely down to a combination of German profligacy, stout defending and the heroics of David Marshall. One passage of play saw him make four saves in as many seconds, the final two striking him right in the face as he desperately tried to make himself big. But it was all for nothing - Scotland ended the day in the same position as they started it.

Clyde One Super Scoreboard Phone-in

30th March 2015

Gerry McCulloch - You join us on the Monday after the weekend before, with Scotland picking up the pieces of a heart-breaking - and equally damaging - defeat to the World Champions. I'm joined by Hugh Keevins and Mark Guidi, and we'll hear from you the callers as well. It's time for you to have your say.

GM - As you heard at the top of the show, we're going to be discussing Scotland's latest result in European Championship qualifying that saw them fall further behind the rampant Germans at the top of the table in Group D. We held our own for 84 minutes, and it looked as though new manager Hamish Glengarrie was going to have a wonderful first result. Unfortunately the massive pressure eventually broke the dam as Marco Reus struck a wonderful late effort, breaking the hearts of every Scotland fan in attendance. So tonight we'd like to hear from all of you on your opinions of last night's match. Have the SFA made the right choice in hiring Hamish Glengarrie? Do we still stand a chance of qualifying? Does last night's result even matter in the grand scheme of things? We'd love to hear from you, but first, we'll hear from the two joining me tonight, Mark Guidi and Hugh Keevins. Hello to you both. So we'll start with Hugh, and where better to start than with the questions I've just asked.

Hugh Keevins - To begin with question one, I think anyone who says definitively either way on whether the SFA have made the right decision will do so from a position of ignorance. Hamish was had one game so far, against the World Champions no less, so to judge him after that would be silly. He could still turn out to be the worst or best decision that they've made, but we won't find that out until November at least. If in November we're sitting discussing a team that has already qualified, he'll be a success. If we're discussing the upcoming playoff game involving Scotland, then we'll need to defer judgement until that one's over. If we sit discussing another year of glorious failure, then I don't think it's too harsh to say that he will have failed.

Mark Guidi - Have to agree with Hugh. We can't judge him after 90 minutes - although I'm sure there will be some that will call up tonight and do just that - but come November we'll have a clearer picture. There was definitely room for optimism after last night.

GM - Do you think that last night's result even mattered? That was a point I put out on Twitter earlier this morning, and it's fair to say I got a mixed reaction, which I guess showed it needed to be asked.

HK - Of course it matters! Every game Scotland play matters!

GM - I know that Hugh, but I'm not talking about the game, more the result. If we had grabbed a point, or even a win, then great. But losing to the World Champions and falling further behind them isn't necessarily the worst thing that could have happened, is it?

MG - Look, I see where you're coming from, but with only ten games in the group every result needs to matter. We have two other great sides in this group in Poland and Ireland, and if they go and get anything from Germany, then we're at a disadvantage. The only way the result won't matter is if we get the same number of points from Germany as our rivals do.

GM - We've opened up the lines, and looks like a lot of you are wanting to have your say on the subject of Scotland. First up it's Tam from Barmulloch - Hello, Tam. I hear that you have an opinion on the new boss?

Tam - I do Gerry. I was at Hampden last night, and thought we'd be in for a new beginning. But all its proved is that the SFA have got it wrong again. They got it wrong with Gordon Strachan and they've got it wrong with Hamish Glengarrie.

MG - What makes you say that Tam?

Tam - Well it's clear, isn't it? He's just not good enough!

HK - He's had one game. I hardly think you can draw that conclusion after one game, especially when where we played not too badly for the most part.

Tam - Someone with no experience shouldn't be in charge of our national side!

GM - To be fair to him, he's had a pretty storied career for Scotland as a player, does that not rule in his favour?

Tam - Storied career *laughs* aye, right. He was a forward that barely scored during a terrible era. And that's who is supposed to guide us to the Euros? Nah, not for me.

GM - Thanks Tam. that was Tam from Barmulloch, apologies but we've got a lot of calls to get through today. Next up is Brian from Bearsden who wants to give us a view from the other side, is that right?

Brian - Aye, that's right. I'm not sure how these people can be on Glengarrie's back already after just one game. I was at Hampden too last night and I saw Scotland put in a great performance. We were facing the World Champions, a side who less than a year ago smashed 7 past Brazil, and we lost to a very late goal. It isn't a bad result, and I'd even go as far as saying it's a good result. We need to stop with these knee-jerk reactions and get behind the team.

GM - Hugh, Mark, what do you think?

MG - I'm probably more on the side of Brian in this one than Tam, I think it's ridiculous to get on a manager's back after just one game, he needs to be given a chance. He may well end up not delivering what was promised, and in that case he'll probably be let go, but it seems as though some people just want him to fail.

Brian - Aye, totally agree Mark. I don't think these people are really Scotland supporters, probably Rangers fans or something

HK - I'm not sure where Rangers come into it, but your main point is understandable. Tomorrow night we face Peru in a friendly at Hampden, and we should be able to see how this side can bounce back in a match with little pressure on it. If they lose that heavily, I still don't believe he will be under pressure, but the volume of criticism will rise. But it's the match away in Tbilisi in June that we'll really need to focus on. After all, we've got history with Georgia away, and if points are dropped there, I'm not sure Hamish will have too many friends.

GM - Thanks Brian, we'll be back with more of your calls after the traffic and travel.

The day after, Scotland put in a creditable but ultimately unspectacular performance against Peru, winning 1-0. In the aftermath, Hamish Glengarrie was positive about the performances in both games to the media, but was a little less guarded in front of his players. He had always promised himself that he would foster an honest environment in the squads he put together, making sure the players were praised for their strengths but also informed of their weaknesses. Overall, he was happy, but inside he felt the storm clouds forming. He couldn't help but hear of the criticism he'd been receiving, and although he didn't agree with any of the points, it was still tough to hear. He wasn't going to give up though - his aim was to take his team to France next summer, and these days it seemed less like an aim, and more like a burning need.

But on the horizon was something much more frightening. Hamish had been part of the team which traveled to Tbilisi in 2007 with dreams of qualification for Euro 2008. He played for 70 minutes of that game, pulled off in the aftermath of Georgia's second goal, a result which was both completely unexpected and immensely damaging. The match indirectly led to him hanging up his International boots, and he had never quite gotten over that night. Now, for the first time, he was going back.

Mikael Meskhi, Tbilisi

13th June 2015

If you were a native English speaker in the corridors of the Mikael Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi, you could be forgiven for blushing as you walked past the Scotland dressing room. Inside, a downbeat squad was being given an absolute roasting by a furious Hamish Glengarrie. This was the first time that any of those players had experienced the treatment, and it was fair to say they didn't like it. A lot of the stronger personalities would have probably hit back, but every word he was saying was justified. After all, they had just dropped points to a youthful looking Georgia side. Again.

"I mean, how do you even throw away a game like that from a winning position?!" Hamish screamed, almost digging a hole into the ground in the middle of the changing room with his marching back and forth. "We were better than them! Faster! Stronger! More experienced! And we were ****ing winning! What the **** happened?!"

He wheeled around, trying to lock eyes with any of the squad, but finding only bowed heads.

"Aye, you're all right to stare at your feet. There's a few of you that forgot how to use them today!" he exclaimed, gesticulating wildly. He paced a few more times, but a lot of the aggression had left him. "I'll have to go and talk to the media and explain this **** show in a minute. We all know that we're better than this, but we have to act like it. I sat down with all of you when I started this job, and we set out a path to where we wanted to be. If any of you believe we're not going to make it there, I want them to speak now." He waited for a long few moments of silence before nodding. "That's what I thought. Today was terrible, granted, and if I was allowed to knock you all about a bit, I would," he grinned, trying to lighten the tone, "But I'm not. So I want you all to think about what went wrong today. There were positives, of course." He turned to where Matt Phillips and Andy Robertson sat. "You both did well. Wonderful assist for the goal and a great finish. In fact, the entire team did well for the first hour or so. But we can't go on like we did for the last part of the game. If we perform like that again, I'll have every one of you in at Cathkin Park in the Summer running up hills for twelve hours rather than at the Euros. Your choice."

With that, Hamish turned and left the dressing room, still not quite ready to face the media who would no doubt have the knives out already. His message was going to be clear - four games to go, four wins needed.

The Evening Times Sports Section

16th June 2015

The SFA have come out in support of their beleaguered manager Hamish Glengarrie, but only until the end of the current campaign. A 2-1 win in a friendly against Latvia cannot take the attention away from the shock 1-1 draw in Tbilisi last week, and now Scotland are left with an uphill battle to qualify for the European Championships in France next summer. Glengarrie is now left with four games to save his job

|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |      6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |  18 |   0 | +18 |  18 |
| 2nd | Poland    |      6 | 3 | 1 | 2 |   8 |   6 | + 2 |  10 |
| 3rd | Scotland  |      6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |   7 |   3 | + 4 |   9 |
| 4th | Ireland   |      6 | 3 | 0 | 3 |   8 |   8 |   0 |   9 |
| 5th | Georgia   |      6 | 1 | 2 | 3 |   6 |  10 | - 4 |   5 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |      6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |   0 |  20 | -20 |   0 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

Poland's expected win against Gibraltar puts them up into the automatic qualification spots, leaving Ireland and Scotland sweating over who will take the playoff spot. Georgia's point against Scotland leaves them with an outside chance of qualifying.

[forameuss]

St Petersburg, Russia

Saturday 25 July 2015

"Should've bought some pringles..." Hamish's assistant Mark Mather murmured, fidgeting in his seat. They were seated fairly far back in the large auditorium, which both men had noted as a personal slight on their status in the game. They could barely see the minions milling around the stage ahead of them preparing for the draw to start. Hamish looked down at the order of ceremony in his hands and shook his head.

"Is this all really necessary?" he asked rhetorically.

"You don't think a five hour draw is necessary?" Mark grinned.

"They should probably stop around the 3rd dance number," he shot back, "That way they won't need to go on until Blatter dies." A few dignitaries within earshot shot him looks that could kill, but Hamish barely noticed. "Looks like our draw is in about two hours"

"That all?" Mark grinned, "How many intermissions?"

Before Hamish could answer, the lights dimmed, and it appeared that the show was about to begin. Onto the stage walked a pair that appeared to be a during and after shot of a nuclear atrocity - Vladimir Putin and Sepp Blatter - two of the least popular men in the building.

Over the course of the next couple of hours, Hamish and Mark sat awkwardly fidgeting through a series of needless and at times excruciating skits from FIFA's great and good. They stared in confusion as a dancing troupe pranced their way through a baffling interpretation of Pink's "Get the Party Started"; they cringed with the rest of the room as Jerome Valcke tried to flirt with host Natalia Vodianova; and then felt a great deal of sympathy for the continent of Oceania as they were again drawn to face South America in the playoff. During the African draw, Mark pointed out the irony of FIFA excluding Zimbabwe ("because if there's one thing FIFA cannot stand it's a kleptocracy run by a bunkered-in old maniac" he said with a grin). The CONCACAF draw passed by with little fanfare, apart from Hamish and Mark disagreeing on Americans playing "soccer". The Oceania draw was similar, but was talked over in hushed tones about a bet on how many goals New Zealand would score, and then how many they'd be beaten by when they reached the playoff. The South American draw elicited a sigh from most in the room at the pointlessness of it all. The men on the stage - including legends Diego Forland and El Fenomeno himself Ronaldo - tried their best to sell it, but there's only so much interest most can have in a draw involving one group.

After what seemed like in interminable amount of time, Hamish and Mark were shaken awake at the announcement that the European draw would now take place. They shifted in their seats, nudging each other in excitement, desperate to find out who they would be facing. In a conversation the previous night, Hamish and Mark did not agree on their ideal opponents. Mark wanted to play it safe and draw Wales and Czech Republic from the top two pots, whereas Hamish...well, Hamish said he didn't care who he got from pot 2, but he demanded England from the top pot. No amount of "but they're better" counter-points from Mark would sway his decision either.

The bottom pot was drawn out to little fanfare.

Group A: Luxembourg
Group B: Andorra
Group C: San Marino
Group D: Georgia
Group E: Kazakhstan
Group F: Malta
Group G: Liechtenstein

The host explained that groups H and I would not receive a side from the bottom pot, and contain only five sides. The one thing that Mark and Hamish agreed on was that they didn't want one of these groups.

Group A: Belarus, Luxembourg
Group B: Latvia, Andorra
Group C: Azerbaijan, San Marino
Group D: Moldova, Georgia
Group E: Armenia, Kazakhstan
Group F: Lithuania, Malta
Group G: FYR Macedonia, Liechtenstein
Group H: Cyprus
Group I: Finland

"Group C?" Hamish asked Mark with one eyebrow raised.

"Certainly not Group D...you're dreadful in Tbilisi..." he shot back.

"That's true. If we do draw them, I'm just resigning. It'll be easier."

Hamish looked around, seeing all the dignitaries and staff from the other nations furiously writing things down. Then he spied Greg Dyke going the same, sitting beside Roy Hodgson. He locked eyes with him, holding the stare until the ex-Director General of the BBC looked down, more than a little perturbed.

Group A: Bulgaria, Belarus, Luxembourg
Group B: Faroe Islands, Latvia, Andorra
Group C: Norway, Azerbaijan, San Marino
Group D: Republic of Ireland, Moldova, Georgia
Group E: Montenegro, Armenia, Kazakhstan
Group F: Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta
Group G: Israel, FYR Macedonia, Liechtenstein
Group H: Estonia, Cyprus
Group I: Turkey, Finland

"Fancy a reunion with Ireland AND Georgia?" Mark asked rhetorically, both men now getting a sinking feeling that that's exactly what was going to happen.

"I ******* hope not. Still Group C for me."

Group A: Sweden, Bulgaria, Belarus, Luxembourg
Group B: Hungary, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Andorra
Group C: Northern Ireland, Norway, Azerbaijan, San Marino
Group D: Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Moldova, Georgia
Group E: Poland, Montenegro, Armenia, Kazakhstan
Group F: SCOTLAND, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta
Group G: Albania, Israel, FYR Macedonia, Liechtenstein
Group H: Greece, Estonia, Cyprus
Group I: Ukraine, Turkey, Finland

Hamish let out a long sigh, and for once both men were silent. Malta and Lithuania were not too bad a draw, but Slovenia were the sort of side that nightmares were made of for a Scotland fan. The sort of team that's a bit of an unknown quantity, but probably technically better than Scotland. With two pots to go, the draw could go either way.

"Well, it's not the worst..." Mark whispered.

"Aye, unlucky Serbia..." Hamish replied with little humour, "It's all about the next two. As long as we avoid France and Italy..."

Group A: France, Sweden, Bulgaria, Belarus, Luxembourg
Group B: Switzerland, Hungary, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Andorra
Group C: Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Norway, Azerbaijan, San Marino
Group D: Austria, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Moldova, Georgia
Group E: Denmark, Poland, Montenegro, Armenia, Kazakhstan
Group F: Slovakia, SCOTLAND, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta
Group G: Italy, Albania, Israel, FYR Macedonia, Liechtenstein
Group H: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Estonia, Cyprus
Group I: Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland

"At least we avoided France and Italy," Hamish confirmed, feeling overcome with relief. Still, he knew that Slovakia were no mugs, and were far from the first option he would've chosen from pot 2.

"Group C still looking pretty good unfortunately," Mark pointed out, drawing a glare from his boss.

"Wales or Croatia now...come on..." Hamish whispered, staring intently down to the stage as though he could manipulate the final pot with his mind.

"And the first team from pot 1, who will go into Group A.......the Netherlands," Oliver Bierhoff, one of the man responsible for the draw, revealed.

"Good one to avoid," murmured Mark, "Remember that 6-0 playoff defeat? Ooft."

"And into Group B......Portugal," Alexander Kerzakhov - the other man responsible for the European draw - added.

Hamish rolled his eyes in mock outrage. "I really wanted Ronaldo's autograph as well. Boy's a babe."

Mark chuckled beside him. "Will be much better to meet in the World Cup Final instead."

"Group C, joining Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Norway, Azerbaijan and San Marino......will be......Germany."

"Another good one to avoid...down to one of Wales, Romania, Spain, Belgium and Croatia now..." Mark said excitedly.

"You forgetting one?" Hamish raised an eyebrow.

"Don't think so..." he grinned, "You're obsessed, man, you don't really want England."

"And in Group D...Wales."

Hamish heard Mark deflate in disappointment, his pick gone. He heard whispered expletives as he looked down a few rows to the Welsh delegation nodding happily. He silently wondered whether or not the Welsh would have the same problems in Tbilisi that they did.

"Group E, joining Denmark, Poland, Montenegro, Armenia and Kazakhstan......Romania."

"Odd group that one," Hamish murmured, but his attention elsewhere. Group F was next up. Scotland's group. As the hand went into the pot, grabbing for Scotland's destiny, Hamish's hand lowered, hand trembling. He was one of hundreds in the room, but right now it felt as though German legend Oliver Bierhoff was right in front of them, drawing just for them.

"And Group F now......"

Hamish's hand gripped Mark's knee tightly.

"......England."

It was all he could do to stop himself leaping to his feet and let out a primal cry of joy. Instead, he shook the knee of his boss, who cringed at the grip, and stared intently over at Greg Dyke and Roy Hodgson, who were deep in conversation. Both men suddenly looked around, meeting his gaze, the first showdown in a battle that would take place next year. He barely even registered the rest of the draw, but for tonight he would celebrate. After that, he had a lot of work to do to make sure that he was still around in the job come those mouth-watering England games.

The Sunday Herald Sports Section

Sunday 26th July 2015

Scottish Football woke up this morning to the news that there would be two competitive qualifying matches with the Auld Enemy for the first time since 1999. The World Cup 2018 Qualifying Group will also contain Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta and Lithuania, but all eyes so far are focused on the match between the two old rivals.

Scotland manager Hamish Glengarrie has proclaimed itas a wonderful day for Scotland fans everywhere, but refused to be drawn on the possible outcomes of the games. He was quick to point out that there are some very important games in the group before they even reach England, and that his Scotland team will be fully focused on those before they even begin to think about England. He then added that he would trade in anything against England for success in their current campaign.

"I think it's wonderful for the country," he told assembled reporters, "And I believe that we'll get two wonderful games at the end of it. I have the utmost respect for Roy Hodgson, and I look forward to going up against him"

England manager Roy Hodgson was similar complimentary when he spoke to reporters. "I think Hamishhas got Scotland playing some great stuff, and they'll give us a tough game, that's for sure. I think I can speak for the whole country when I say that I'm looking forward to it."

Pundits in both countries however, seem to be united in their predictions for the games. It seems to be universally accepted that Scotland stand little chance in these matches, and that they'll be left fighting it out with the other sides in the group for 2nd place.

One thing is for sure though - these matches have captured the imagination of an entire island nation.

[tenthreeleader]

You write well. Enjoying the read -- and having you here.

[forameuss]

The Studio, Volksparkstadion

19:01, 12th October 2015

David Tanner - Good Evening from a rainy Hamburg, and welcome to our coverage of Scotland's clash with World Champions Germany. Although we'll be concentrating on the action on the pitch behind us, it's a massively important evening in both Dublin and Warsaw, with the Republic of Ireland playing Gibraltar, and Poland playing Georgia. Only Germany are assured of their place in France next summer, but the other spots are still up for grabs during the next 90 minutes. Billy Dodds joins me, along with currently injured Scotland goalkeeper, David Marshall. Hello to you both.

David Tanner - We're going to head for a quick break, but when we come back we'll cover what has happened in the group so far, and then preview all three games as the atmosphere builds in Hamburg. Join us then.

--------------------------

David Tanner - Welcome back. We've previously covered the early days of this qualifying group, so now we'll take a look at the past couple of months. If we look at the table after six games now...

|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |      6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |  18 |   0 | +18 |  18 |
| 2nd | Poland    |      6 | 3 | 1 | 2 |   8 |   6 | + 2 |  10 |
| 3rd | Scotland  |      6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |   7 |   3 | + 4 |   9 |
| 4th | Ireland   |      6 | 3 | 0 | 3 |   8 |   8 |   0 |   9 |
| 5th | Georgia   |      6 | 1 | 2 | 3 |   6 |  10 | - 4 |   5 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |      6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |   0 |  20 | -20 |   0 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

DT - David - what was the morale like in the Scotland camp at this point?

David Marshall - The morale has never been terrible, but we had just drawn with Georgia in this window, so obviously there was a lot of disappointment there. Looking at the table though, you can see how close everything was. Everyone expected Germany to dominate, but I don't think anyone realised just how close the other teams would be. It seemed like every game saw the positions below Germany switch around.

DT - Of course, the next international window saw more drama...

Voiceover, played over clips of the matches

"...Scotland expects, and they expect a lot against a side like Gibraltar..."

"...Griffiths! Taken down! It's a penalty to Scotland..."

"...1-0. Griffiths strokes the penalty into the corner, and they're off and running in the Autumn sun"

"...Ritchie cuts inside, beats his man easily, one-on-one with the keeper...4-0! Scotland running riot in the first half!"

"...tight match here in Warsaw, ball into the box towards Lewandowski...goal! Goal for Poland! Massive goal in this group!"

"...Griffiths completes his hat-trick. It's 6-0 here, and job well and truly done!"

"...Hampden is bouncing as the teams line up - Scotland vs Poland, another massive game for the group..."

"...Griffiths running at the defence, Poland backing off, shot fired in...HANDBALL! Penalty to Scotland!"

"...rolled calmly into the corner, and Scotland are ahead inside five minutes!"

"...there's a roar from the crowd, because Georgia are now ahead in Tbilisi against Ireland! How important could that be?"

"...Griffiths breaks through! One-on-one with the keeper at the angle...goal for Scotland! They're 2-0 up against Poland!"

"Mchedlidze has put Georgia 2-0 up against Ireland! Roy Keane and Martin O'Neil are furious on the touchline - are they watching their qualification hopes disintegrate in Tbilisi?!"

"It's full time here, and party time in Glasgow. Scotland win 2-0!"

DT - Six huge games in the group over that window. David, you were on the bench for those two, how was the atmosphere inside the stadium?

DM - It was a wonderful atmosphere, the sort of game you play football for. We expected the win against Gibraltar, but the boys really did themselves proud against Poland.

DT - Looking at the table...

|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |      8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |  26 |   0 | +26 |  24 |
| 2nd | Scotland  |      8 | 4 | 3 | 1 |  15 |   3 | +12 |  15 |
| 3rd | Poland    |      8 | 4 | 1 | 3 |   9 |   8 | + 1 |  13 |
| 4th | Ireland   |      8 | 3 | 0 | 5 |   9 |  11 | - 2 |   9 |
| 5th | Georgia   |      8 | 2 | 2 | 4 |   8 |  14 | - 6 |   8 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |      8 | 0 | 0 | 8 |   0 |  31 | -31 |   0 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

DT - ...it looked like a massive boost. Scotland now six points clear of Ireland, and with the chance to eliminate them from the running in the next match in Dublin. In fact, a win there, combined with Poland dropping points would mean Scotland would finish second. Billy - do you think Scotland could have been forgiven for thinking it was job done?

BD - It's tough to say. Obviously the man sitting next to me would be in a better position to say, but I doubt anyone in the camp believed it was over in any way, shape or form. Despite what happened in the next game.

DM - Yeah, Billy's totally right. We had taken a big step towards qualification, but we were under no illusions about how far we had left to go.

DT - Which brings us to the end of last week, when Group D played its penultimate round of fixtures.

"...and we're off and running here in Dublin, the next 90 minutes could be so important , not just for these two, but for Poland as well..."

"...McArthur dives in, and that'll be a booking. A long time for the Scotland center back to survive on a yellow..."

"...Ritchie...strikes the crossbar from the free-kick! So, so close to the perfect hit, Kieran Westwood beaten all ends up"

"...corner fired in...headed clear by Murray Wallace, but only as far as James McClean...goal for Ireland! A massive goal in the race for qualification!"

"...McArthur pulls back McClean, and he could be in big trouble here...it's a red. Scotland will spend the final few minutes of the game with ten men, and McArthur will miss the now crucial game with Germany"

"...the full time whistle blows! Ireland have picked up a massive three points here in Dublin, made all the more important with Poland dropping points against Germany. Scotland will be left wondering what might have been"

DT - It was a terrible result for Scotland on Friday, wasn't it?

BD - In isolation, you'd say no, but given how much was riding on it, and what a win would have meant, it has to go down as that. Poland's point in Warsaw wouldn't have been enough, and Scotland would be heading to Hamburg for a party. Now they need something from tonight.

DT - Let's take a little look at the table as it stands now following Friday's results...

|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |      9 | 8 | 1 | 0 |  26 |   0 | +26 |  25 |
| 2nd | Scotland  |      9 | 4 | 3 | 2 |  15 |   4 | +11 |  15 |
| 3rd | Poland    |      9 | 4 | 2 | 3 |   9 |   8 | + 1 |  14 |
| 4th | Ireland   |      9 | 4 | 0 | 5 |  10 |  11 | - 1 |  12 |
| 5th | Georgia   |      9 | 2 | 3 | 4 |  10 |  16 | - 6 |   9 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |      9 | 0 | 1 | 8 |   2 |  33 | -31 |   1 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

DT - It doesn't look too bad for Scotland, does it?

BD - *laughs* Of course, but when you look at the last fixtures for each side it does. Poland and Ireland both have winnable games, and thanks to head-to-head Ireland will overtake Scotland with a win. They had things in their hands, now they don't. If they don't qualify from here, then Ireland can take all the credit. They've truly left themselves with a mountain to climb.

DT - One person that will hopefully be a bit more positive about Scotland's chances is their manager, Hamish Glengarrie. He's with Mark Guidi right now.

The Tunnel, Volksparkstadion

19:25, 12th October 2015

Mark Guidi - Thanks David. Hamish, you're on the verge of the most important game of your career so far. How are you feeling?

Hamish - Pretty good actually, Mark. Very chilled.

MG - Surely you must be feeling the pressure after what happened in Dublin on Friday?

HG - Not really. There isn't much we can do about it now, the game is over. We covered what happened with the players on Friday night, and then before training on Saturday, and they know exactly what went wrong. It's over, and we're focusing on tonight.

MG - Will you be keeping an ear out for what's happening elsewhere?

HG - Depends how good our game is. If we're 4-0 up and playing keep ball, I might have a look.

MG - Can you give us an insight into how you'll be instructing your team to play?

HG - Only if you promise not to tell the Germans...

MG - ...

HG - Promise me *stares intently at the camera*

MG - I...promise?

HG - Cheers. We'll be going out there to win the game, that's what my plan is.

MG - ...thanks for that. Good luck out there Hamish.

HG - Cheers Mark.

The Studio, Volksparkstadion

19:27, 12th October 2015

DT - *smiles* A typically unusual interview for Hamish Glengarrie there. It's almost time for kick-off here, and the stadium is looking resplendent. As always, there's a large travelling support. Will they be celebrating come full time? Last minute predictions?

BD - I think Scotland will come out here and attack Germany. Hamish Glengarrie has always spoken about how we instructs his teams to attack, and I'm not sure he would be best suited to setting up to contain. If they go out and believe they can win, then I don't think there can be any complaints, whatever the result.

DT - Do you believe they can do it though?

BD - ...I'm not sure. My heart says that they can nick a point, but my head keeps trying to be more realistic! If I'm being totally honest, I think we need to hope for Georgia or even Gibraltar to do us a favour.

DT - David?

DM - I agree with Billy. From working under Hamish for a wee while now, he's going to set up to take the game to Germany. We've definitely got the quality to do something, but obviously there's no way we'll discount the clear quality that Germany have. They won the World Cup not so long ago, so they're obviously going to be dangerous. I'm going to go for a draw.

DT - Thank you to you both. The permutations are very simple tonight - if Scotland lose, they will need a miracle in one or both of the other games in the group. If they draw, they'll finish at least third, and a playoff place. If they win, they can start planning for next Summer's tournament. The teams are in the tunnel, so I'll hand you over to our commentary team - Ian Crocker and Davie Provan.

BBC Live Text Coverage

19:31, 12th October 2015

19:33

GOAL!

Ireland 1 - 0 Gibraltar

We knew there would be fireworks tonight, and they've started early as Aidan McGeady slaloms his way into the Gibraltar penalty area and then shins a shot into the far corner past the despairing dive of the keeper. A proper shin roller that one, and I'd venture that the keeper would've had a better chance had it been struck cleanly. They don't care though - going into the play-offs as things stand, Poland out.

As it stands...
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |     10 | 8 | 2 | 0 |  26 |   0 | +26 |  26 |
| 2nd | Scotland  |     10 | 4 | 4 | 2 |  15 |   4 | +11 |  16 |
| 3rd | Ireland   |     10 | 5 | 0 | 5 |  11 |  11 |   0 |  15 |
| 4th | Poland    |     10 | 4 | 3 | 3 |   9 |   8 | + 1 |  15 |
| 5th | Georgia   |     10 | 2 | 4 | 4 |  10 |  16 | - 6 |   9 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |     10 | 0 | 1 | 9 |   2 |  34 | -32 |   1 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

19:36

How can Poland and Scotland react here? It doesn't really change anything immediately for the Scots - they're still going through with a draw in Hamburg - but Poland will now be extremely worried. Ireland lead them on head-to-head.

19:43

GOAL!

Poland 1 - 0 Georgia

Big goal!

A really well-worked one too as Dortmund winger Blaszcykovski works his way up the right, exchanges a few passes and then strokes home a wonderful shot across the keeper and in at the far post. There was definite nervousness in the stands, and seemingly on the pitch, but they're motoring now.

As it stands...
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |     10 | 8 | 2 | 0 |  26 |   0 | +26 |  26 |
| 2nd | Poland    |     10 | 5 | 2 | 3 |  10 |   8 | + 2 |  17 |
| 3rd | Scotland  |     10 | 4 | 4 | 2 |  15 |   4 | +11 |  16 |
| 4th | Ireland   |     10 | 5 | 0 | 5 |  11 |  11 |   0 |  15 |
| 5th | Georgia   |     10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |  10 |  17 | - 7 |   8 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |     10 | 0 | 1 | 9 |   2 |  34 | -32 |   1 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

19:45

It's Ireland now sweating as they fall into 4th. Scotland still holding out under heavy pressure against Germany, but a goal either way in Hamburg would change things again.

19:46

GOAL!

Germany 0 - 1 Scotland

Pressure? What pressure? Leigh Griffiths' selection was disputed prior to the game, but surely not now as he fires Scotland into the lead.

Saying they haven't deserved it would be harsh, but Germany have been the ones on top. Scotland took their chance though...

As it stands...
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |     10 | 8 | 1 | 1 |  26 |   1 | +25 |  26 |
| 2nd | Scotland  |     10 | 5 | 3 | 2 |  16 |   4 | +12 |  18 |
| 3rd | Poland    |     10 | 5 | 2 | 3 |  10 |   8 | + 2 |  17 |
| 4th | Ireland   |     10 | 5 | 0 | 5 |  11 |  11 |   0 |  15 |
| 5th | Georgia   |     10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |  10 |  17 | - 7 |   8 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |     10 | 0 | 1 | 9 |   2 |  34 | -32 |   1 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

19:47

Ireland's night goes from bad to worse with that Scotland goal. Poland are now in the play-offs, and the Irish still going home. What a night it would be for Scotland if they could close this one out.

Also worth noting that that is the first goal the German's have conceded in this campaign.

19:56

GOAL!

Ireland 2 - 0 Gibraltar

Shane Long slots home a second, but it's a subdued atmosphere at the Aviva.

They need to hope for snookers now - or more accurately, Georgia and/or Germany doing them a favour.

As it stands...
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |     10 | 8 | 1 | 1 |  26 |   1 | +25 |  26 |
| 2nd | Scotland  |     10 | 5 | 3 | 2 |  16 |   4 | +12 |  18 |
| 3rd | Poland    |     10 | 5 | 2 | 3 |  10 |   8 | + 2 |  17 |
| 4th | Ireland   |     10 | 5 | 0 | 5 |  12 |  11 |   1 |  15 |
| 5th | Georgia   |     10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |  10 |  17 | - 7 |   8 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |     10 | 0 | 1 | 9 |   2 |  35 | -33 |   1 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

20:08

GOAL!

Poland 2 - 0 Georgia

You can almost hear the groan from Dublin...

Poland have got a second, and surely now they've secured the three points. Furman bundled over in the box, and he obliged by easily scoring the resulting penalty.

Georgia have been great at home, but poor on the road. Can't see them coming back from this.

As it stands...
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |     10 | 8 | 1 | 1 |  26 |   1 | +25 |  26 |
| 2nd | Scotland  |     10 | 5 | 3 | 2 |  16 |   4 | +12 |  18 |
| 3rd | Poland    |     10 | 5 | 2 | 3 |  11 |   8 | + 3 |  17 |
| 4th | Ireland   |     10 | 5 | 0 | 5 |  12 |  11 |   1 |  15 |
| 5th | Georgia   |     10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |  10 |  18 | - 8 |   8 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |     10 | 0 | 1 | 9 |   2 |  35 | -33 |   1 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

20:11

GOAL!

Poland 3 - 0 Georgia

Game over.

Blaszcykovski gets a second, and almost a carbon copy of the first. Georgia being torn apart here by a very impressive Polish side.

As it stands...
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |     10 | 8 | 1 | 1 |  26 |   1 | +25 |  26 |
| 2nd | Scotland  |     10 | 5 | 3 | 2 |  16 |   4 | +12 |  18 |
| 3rd | Poland    |     10 | 5 | 2 | 3 |  12 |   8 | + 4 |  17 |
| 4th | Ireland   |     10 | 5 | 0 | 5 |  12 |  11 |   1 |  15 |
| 5th | Georgia   |     10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |  10 |  19 | - 9 |   8 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |     10 | 0 | 1 | 9 |   2 |  35 | -33 |   1 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

20:17

And breathe. It's half time in all three games, and things are looking great for Scotland, comfortable for Poland, and nightmarish for Ireland. Could all change though, and all eyes will be on Hamburg.

................................................................................

20:32

Right on the button. a very professional synchronised kick-off across the three games, and we're underway again.

A huge forty-five minutes ahead.

20:35

GOAL!

Germany 1 - 1 Scotland

Scotland have really come into this game since they scored, and probably edged the first half towards the end, but they've conceded almost straight from the restart.

Germany take the kick-off and immediately press Scotland back into their box. A hashed clearance leads to a corner, and another hashed clearance leads to Toni Kroos blootering a shot in from the edge of the box.

Heartbreak for Scotland, but a potential escape for Ireland.

As it stands...
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |     10 | 8 | 2 | 0 |  27 |   1 | +26 |  26 |
| 2nd | Poland    |     10 | 5 | 2 | 3 |  12 |   8 | + 4 |  17 |
| 3rd | Scotland  |     10 | 4 | 4 | 2 |  16 |   5 | +11 |  16 |
| 4th | Ireland   |     10 | 5 | 0 | 5 |  12 |  11 |   1 |  15 |
| 5th | Georgia   |     10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |  10 |  19 | - 9 |   8 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |     10 | 0 | 1 | 9 |   2 |  35 | -33 |   1 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

20:50

GOAL!

Poland 4 - 0 Georgia

Ireland 3 - 0 Gibraltar

A veritable flurry of goals, but neither really matters at the moment. Poland and Ireland cement their grip on their respective games.

Ireland's goal is just too easy. Gibraltar stand off McGeady, who sends it through to the on-rushing Long who gratefully strokes the ball into the corner of the net. He's on a hat-trick now.

In Warsaw, the hat-trick is completed as Blaszcykovski blasts home a penalty that he won himself. All eyes still on Hamburg though, particularly for Ireland.

As it stands...
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |     10 | 8 | 2 | 0 |  27 |   1 | +26 |  26 |
| 2nd | Poland    |     10 | 5 | 2 | 3 |  13 |   8 | + 5 |  17 |
| 3rd | Scotland  |     10 | 4 | 4 | 2 |  16 |   5 | +11 |  16 |
| 4th | Ireland   |     10 | 5 | 0 | 5 |  13 |  11 |   2 |  15 |
| 5th | Georgia   |     10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |  10 |  20 | -10 |   8 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |     10 | 0 | 1 | 9 |   2 |  36 | -34 |   1 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

20:50

GOAL!

Germany 1 - 2 Scotland

Unbelievable scenes.

There is just no danger whatsoever here. A corner is played short, and after Germany are far too lax in closing down, Matt Ritchie is fed the ball on the far corner of the box.

He shouldn't score from there, but he tries anyway, firing a looping, bending, bewitching shot towards the far corner. Neuer can only flap at it, and the Scotland fans go absolutely mental high up in the stands.

As it stands, Scotland are beating the World Champions, and will qualify without needing the play-off. Huge.

As it stands...
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |     10 | 8 | 1 | 1 |  27 |   2 | +25 |  25 |
| 2nd | Scotland  |     10 | 5 | 3 | 2 |  17 |   5 | +12 |  18 |
| 3rd | Poland    |     10 | 5 | 2 | 3 |  13 |   8 | + 5 |  17 |
| 4th | Ireland   |     10 | 5 | 0 | 5 |  13 |  11 |   2 |  15 |
| 5th | Georgia   |     10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |  10 |  20 | -10 |   8 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |     10 | 0 | 1 | 9 |   2 |  36 | -34 |   1 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

20:50

GOAL!

Germany 2 - 2 Scotland

Anything you can do...say Germany.

Proper party-pooping stuff from the Germans as Marco Reus - the man whose goal beat Scotland earlier this year - capitalises on poor defending to prod home. A cruel blow for Scotland, and one that could become worse if they can't hold on. Ireland on tenterhooks.

As it stands...
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |     10 | 8 | 2 | 0 |  28 |   2 | +26 |  26 |
| 2nd | Poland    |     10 | 5 | 2 | 3 |  13 |   8 | + 5 |  17 |
| 3rd | Scotland  |     10 | 4 | 4 | 2 |  17 |   6 | +11 |  16 |
| 4th | Ireland   |     10 | 5 | 0 | 5 |  13 |  11 |   2 |  15 |
| 5th | Georgia   |     10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |  10 |  20 | -10 |   8 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |     10 | 0 | 1 | 9 |   2 |  36 | -34 |   1 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

20:54

GOAL!

Ireland 5 - 0 Gibraltar

News of that goal in Germany has revitalised Ireland, and particularly Shane Long. He's just completed his hat-trick with a penalty, and then added a late fourth as we enter stoppage time.

It hasn't changed this game - that's long gone - but if Germany score, Scotland are out.

As it stands...
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |     10 | 8 | 2 | 0 |  28 |   2 | +26 |  26 |
| 2nd | Poland    |     10 | 5 | 2 | 3 |  13 |   8 | + 5 |  17 |
| 3rd | Scotland  |     10 | 4 | 4 | 2 |  17 |   6 | +11 |  16 |
| 4th | Ireland   |     10 | 5 | 0 | 5 |  15 |  11 |   4 |  15 |
| 5th | Georgia   |     10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |  10 |  20 | -10 |   8 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |     10 | 0 | 1 | 9 |   2 |  36 | -34 |   1 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

20:58

FULL-TIME

Germany 2 - 2 Scotland

Ireland 5 - 0 Gibraltar

Poland 4 - 0 Georgia

It's all over! Scotland have pipped Ireland to 3rd with a wonderful point in Hamburg, with Poland easing into 2nd and taking their spot in France along with near-neighbours Germany.

What a night.

|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pos | Team      | Played | W | D | L | For | Agt |  GD | PTS |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Germany   |     10 | 8 | 2 | 0 |  28 |   2 | +26 |  26 |
| 2nd | Poland    |     10 | 5 | 2 | 3 |  13 |   8 | + 5 |  17 |
| 3rd | Scotland  |     10 | 4 | 4 | 2 |  17 |   6 | +11 |  16 |
| 4th | Ireland   |     10 | 5 | 0 | 5 |  15 |  11 |   4 |  15 |
| 5th | Georgia   |     10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |  10 |  20 | -10 |   8 |
| 6th | Gibraltar |     10 | 0 | 1 | 9 |   2 |  38 | -36 |   1 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|