Does Scotland need a new national sport?

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Paul77 said:
Scottish folk have learned to live with defeat, that's why we can drink. I tend to not follow such things that promote heartache and despair. They way they lost last night was typical, however, what was even more annoying was how the Germans didn't even turn up. Always seems to come down to Scotland needing about 10 goals to win or relying on other teams. Simpy not good enough in the early stages, and there needs to be something done so future generations actually have a Scotland team to play for.

I think that a lot of the players have learned to just get by doing what they do in their leagues and when it comes to better opposition they are simply outplayed.
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Probably a lot of truth in that comment.
 
FairwayDodger said:
To be honest.... I think we've been a little bit unlucky this time round. Arguably the hardest group, we've got a better head to head against Ireland and two draws with Poland. Just didn't manage to take anything off the world champions and the one match that killed us was losing to Georgia, which was hugely disappointing!

Anyway, who says you have to be any good at your national sport?
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I tend to disagree. Going by rankings (yes, I know) with the exception of Germany we got the lowest ranked team in each pot.

For me, Scotland should be finishing above EIRE and with the exception of the big guy up front Poland are no great shakes imo.
Georgia wasn't unlucky, it was just plain old not good enough......embarrassing perhaps?

Italy, France in the group....that's unlucky. England, Holland in the playoffs....arguably unlucky.

Fourth place is not unlucky......it's just not good enough. Imo of course. It doesn't make me any more correct than yourself. :)
 
c1973 said:
I tend to disagree. Going by rankings (yes, I know) with the exception of Germany we got the lowest ranked team in each pot.

For me, Scotland should be finishing above EIRE and with the exception of the big guy up front Poland are no great shakes imo.
Georgia wasn't unlucky, it was just plain old not good enough......embarrassing perhaps?

Italy, France in the group....that's unlucky. England, Holland in the playoffs....arguably unlucky.

Fourth place is not unlucky......it's just not good enough. Imo of course. It doesn't make me any more correct than yourself. :)
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Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it was all down to bad luck. But basically, Ireland and Poland took points of Germany - that's unlucky for us. We gave them two good games but didn't get anything, a bit unlucky again.

Georgia was just a classic Scotland screw up, probably because at that time we thought we were going to qualify. Not really embarrassing because that's our level nowadays.

Of course, rankings are irrelevant - wales are the 8th best team in the world if you believe them!!!
 
FairwayDodger said:
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it was all down to bad luck. But basically, Ireland and Poland took points of Germany - that's unlucky for us. We gave them two good games but didn't get anything, a bit unlucky again.

Georgia was just a classic Scotland screw up, probably because at that time we thought we were going to qualify. Not really embarrassing because that's our level nowadays.

Of course, rankings are irrelevant - wales are the 8th best team in the world if you believe them!!!
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Well they qualified! :) And generally speaking they are not far off the mark, you do get the odd aberration though......usually England in the top 10. ;)

We did give Germany two decent games tbf, but it's still one of our worst qualifying campaigns when you look back. I think people in charge need to be answering questions, the gravy train never seems to suffer setbacks........
 
Based on the extensive time I've spent in Scotland over the last 40 years, I'd go with - Promoting an image of sour faced grumpery to the World, whilst actually being friendly, decent and all round nice folk once you meet them...
 
Scots have dead weird attitudes to things. Even when we are good at something, the usual response from us is "Aye I'm awright, but there's loads out there better than me" I find a vast majority of my pals and family have this mentality. My brother is really defeatist too. Ach we'll get em next time, type mentality.

If you're battling in the initial group stages for any sport you aren't going any further. Us Scots have turned this into the actual tournament lol. In years to come, members of the Tartan Army will sit in pubs tell stories of how we nearly qualified for this and that, but remember that pure stinker that Steven Fletcher stuck by the Polish keeper, they'll chink whisky/beer glasses and carry on putting the world to rights.

From my experience on friends, work colleagues and family, Scots folk are quite happy just being average at everything. We even laugh at ourselves a lot of the time. Although when double crossed we tend to hold that grudge for a very long time.
 
delc said:
Tossing the Caber? You should be World Champions at that because you are the only ones who do it! :)
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:o Fancy not knowing about Shinty.

So long as we compete well and don't hang our heads keeps me happy.
Apart from one game in the Euro qualifiers i think we did that.

Anyway I thought Golf was our national sport. Last home country side to win the World Cup I believe.
 
Paul77 said:
Scottish folk have learned to live with defeat, that's why we can drink. I tend to not follow such things that promote heartache and despair. They way they lost last night was typical, however, what was even more annoying was how the Germans didn't even turn up. Always seems to come down to Scotland needing about 10 goals to win or relying on other teams. Simpy not good enough in the early stages, and there needs to be something done so future generations actually have a Scotland team to play for.

I think that a lot of the players have learned to just get by doing what they do in their leagues and when it comes to better opposition they are simply outplayed.
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Just win all your qualifying games like England, and then there isn't a problem! :)
 
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delc said:
Just win all your qualifying games like England, and then there isn't a problem!
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Trouble is, it's all about the dodgy world rankings and what pot you're in for the draw. If we'd had England's draw we'd, probably have qualified.

Scotland need to get smarter about manipulating the rankings like countries like Switzerland and Wales have done.

Meantime, we failed to get one of the 23 places for Euro 16. There are only 13 up for grabs to go to the world cup so I'm not getting my hopes up for that!
 
delc said:
Just win all your qualifying games like England, and then there isn't a problem! :)
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It never used to be a problem in the past. It seems to be a problem nowadays though........a problem that doesn't appear to being tackled, well imo anyway.
 
I'm going to be bold about it. Hardly any of those players actually look like they want to play for Scotland. It's almost like they've been told to do overtime the day after a night out. I know they don't get paid for it, but at least let some younger really hungry players have a go, instead of these 40k a week method actors.
 
FairwayDodger said:
To be honest.... I think we've been a little bit unlucky this time round. Arguably the hardest group, we've got a better head to head against Ireland and two draws with Poland. Just didn't manage to take anything off the world champions and the one match that killed us was losing to Georgia, which was hugely disappointing!

Anyway, who says you have to be any good at your national sport?
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Exactly. England hardly setting the football or rugby world alight and the cricket team isn't that good (according to the rankings at least)
 
Paul77 said:
I'm going to be bold about it. Hardly any of those players actually look like they want to play for Scotland. It's almost like they've been told to do overtime the day after a night out. I know they don't get paid for it, but at least let some younger really hungry players have a go, instead of these 40k a week method actors.
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In my school days the Janitor was the first to train and encouraged young kids to play football. After school, jerseys used as goal posts on ash or tarmac surfaces, Cock or a Hen system easy stuff.

I might be wrong but i don't think Jock Stein, Alex Ferguson, Bill Shankly or Matt Busby had the training certificates that would be required now.
 
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Some of these visits by our southern friends sound like an expedition to meet a different species... Actually, maybe we are a different species... I mean, how could any humane human being actually vote tory, let alone give them a majority government? Very strange behaviour for any moral being!
 
Dunno if its been suggested but what about Darts?! Gary Anderson is the current PDC World Champ whilst Peter Wright was runner-up the year before.
 
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