How Scotland invented the modern game of football in Glasgow - Steve Cardownie

Spain's Rodri celebrates with the trophy after winning the UEFA Euro 2024 Final match at the Olympiastadion, Berlin on Sunday

Alex wrote that the concept of passing the ball was conceived in Queens Park, Glasgow in 1867, by a group of young men from Perthshire and the Highlands who obtained a copy of the FA laws that were being followed in England, where the game was “still mainly a question of head-down dribbling,” and “amended them to conform with an almost scientific blend of dribbling and passing.”

So, far from being an English game, passing the ball was conceived and implemented in Scotland.

However, try telling that to the English pundits who, up until Sunday night at least, assured us that football “was coming home.”

I, for one, did not bear the English football team any ill-will but I must admit that the pre-match comments by some former professional players did take some swallowing.

At least in Brazil they gave credit where credit was due and erected a statue to Thomas Donohue (born in Busby, Renfrewshire) the “Father of Brazilian Football” who introduced the game to the country in 1894, where his concept of dribble, pass and move still form the characteristics of Brazilian football today.

One humorous memory I have of the Euros is seeing footage of English fans chanting “you’re going home” to German fans after their defeat to Spain.

This to the only fans in the whole tournament that were already home!

You couldn’t make it up!