Favourites - I Don't Think So, Given Our Course And Distance Record

WHISPER it not in Dublin, publish it not on the streets of Limerick, but, when it comes to internationals between Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, form favours the Irish.

Friday night's Celtic Park meeting will be the tenth full international between the two nations, with the record showing: the Irish have won four of the previous nine, to Scotland's three, with the other two games drawn.

 It makes even worse reading, when you realise, Scotland has won just one of the last seven encounters. That came in an end-of-season friendly, at Lansdowne Road, on 30 May, 2000, when goals from Don Hutchison and Barry Ferguson overturned the lead Craig Burley's second minute own goal had afforded the Irish.

The countries' two previous European Championship qualifiers, in the campaign leading to the 1988 Champiionships, have seen the Irish hold us to a 0-0 draw in Dublin, before Mark Lawrenson, I mean, Mark Lawrenson!! scored the only goal of the game to win the return tie at Hampden for the men in green.

The Irish out-qualified us in that group, memorably, Gary Mackay's goal against Bulgaria sent the Irish on to the finals, and “Plastic Paddy” Ray Houghton's seminal goal against England.

Aside from that friendly match in 2000, our only other wins over the Republic came in the qualifying campaign for the 1962 World Cup. We opened that campaign with a 4-1 Hampden win, on 3 May, 1961. This was a “Must Win” game for the Scots, who went into it on the back of a 9-3 thrashing from England, last time out. But, the introduction of a new Pat Crerand, Billy McNeill, Jim Baxter half-back line and a brace of goals apiece from Ralph Brand and Arsenal's David Herd, saw Scotland home.

Amazingly, we haven't beaten the Irish in Scotland since that day.

We won the reverse fixture, in Dublin, four days later 3-0, Alex Young, standing-in for the injured Herd, scoring twice, and Brand getting the third.

These World Cup clashes were the first between the nations, and after that good start, things have gone down-hill for the men in dark blue.

Their third meeting, was a Sunday friendly, in Dublin, in June, 1963. The Scots arrived there, fresh from a late collapse which had gifted Norway a 4-3 win in Bergen. Noel Cantwell headed the Irish in front in six minutes and the Scots, led by Denis Law, huffed and puffed to no avail for the remaining 84. So disgusted were the travelling Scottish press pack, there were calls for the team to be sent home before they were humiliated by Spain in their next game – due in the Bernabeu four days later.

The SFA paid no heed, and Scotland thumped Spain 6-2!!

The next meeting came on 21 September, 1969, with the Scots using the game as a warm-up for a “Must Win” World Cup qualifier against West Germany in Hampburg a month later. The match was played on a Sunday, with almost the entire Scottish team having played club games 24-hours before. Worse than that, some of the Old Firm contingent, assured they would not be playing in Dublin, enjoyed an all-night party in Glasgow on the Saturday night, and were less than match-fit when they trotted out at Dalymount Park the next afternoon.

Colin Stein put the Scots ahead, Don Givens equalised for the Republic, while Scotland goalkeeper Ernie McGarr of Aberdeen, saw his debut ended by injury after 24 minutes.

Aside from the aforementioned 1988 Euro qualifiers, the two nations didn't meet again until May, 2003, during the ill-fated reign of Berti Vogts as Scotland boss. Things were going so awry for Scotland then, it was no surprise when the visitors to Hampden, on 12 February, 2003, won 2-0.

The sides last met on 29 May, 2011, by which time Lansdowne Road had become the AVIVA Stadium. This game was the final of the short-lived Carling Nations Cup and a 23^rd minute Robbie Keane goal ensured the trophy stayed in Dublin, as it gave the Irish a 1-0 win.

So, any members of the Tartan Army who still try to look down on our Irish visitors should take cognisance of the past results. The days when Scotland could confidently go into a game against the Republic are some 50-years in the past. It is therefore, long past time, when our record improved. Might this improvement begin at Celtic Park on Friday night?