Success and football have been strange bedfellows outside Scotland, ever since the Tartan Army swarmed into Argentina in 1978, promising to bring back the World Cup. Even a famous 3-2 morale boosting victory against beaten finalists Holland could not wash away poor perfomances against Peru and Iran. Since then, infamous World Cup defeats to Costa Rica in 1990, and Morocco in 1998, have largely condemned the Scots to the shallow ranks of the world’s footballing minnows.

"We do have the greatest fans in the world but I've never seen a fan score a goal." Jock Stein, Scotland Football Manager, 1982 World Cup in Spain