'My kilt went to the World Cup and I didn't': Edinburgh locals recall France 98 ahead of tournament return
28 years of hurt: Scotland fans dust off France 98 memories ahead of Haiti clash
Supermarket shelves were stripped of beer, Edinburgh streets resembled ghost towns, and waist-high tackles were being dished out on Brazilians by bare-bottomed Scots supporters.
It has been 28 long years since Scotland fans last saw the men’s team grace the World Cup stage – but the Tartan Army are finally back at the top table.
Now, as Steve Clarke's men prepare to end nearly three decades of hurt against Haiti in the wee hours of Sunday, Capital residents have been dusting off their wildest memories of the nation's last global outing at France ‘98.
We asked Evening News readers to recall where they watched Scotland's 1998 opener against Brazil, a match they narrowly lost 2-1.
Robert Rogers was in Paris for the game and remembered a mass kickabout at a fanzone outside the stadium.
"Great memories of a 100-a-side game of football between the Scottish and Brazilian supporters," he said. "Never seen so many waist-high tackles by bare-arsed kilted Scotsmen. At least we won that game."
Roy Little was one of the lucky fans who got a ticket to that opening game, making a quick trip to Paris to watch Scotland, before making a tough school drop-off the next morning.
He said: “I was as at the game. I was lucky enough to get one through the travel club. Flew in before the game and back after it.
“Got home in the early hours and fell asleep on the couch still wearing my kilt. My missus woke me up to get me to walk our daughter down to school.
“Still wearing my kilt and looking as if I'd been dragged through a hedge backwards, I got asked by a few people if I'd been up my local watching the game. ‘Naw, I'm just back from it’ was my reply.”
David Thornton watched the opening match at school camp. He said: “All the kids wanted to watch the match, and the camp superiors eventually relented, said to come to the main assembly cabin where they'd have the game on. So everyone went, and in this massive cabin, they wheeled out this tiny TV with the game on.”
Iain Donaldson rushed home from school to watch that match against the then world champions.
He said: “Forester High School had a Wednesday half day back then, which seems strange now, so straight home from school to get lunch and watch the build up and match at home.
“Managed to get the afternoon off my first job at Somerfield on Dalry Road to watch, but it did mean I had to work during the Norway game and watch afterwards on VHS (remember those!).”
David McDonald remembers watching that opening match against Brazil on a family holiday.
He said: “As a kid, we were on holiday in Ibiza watching the game in the hotel bar. I had my face painted with the saltire.”
There were also great memories of watching the action from Scotland.
Sharron Scott said: “Standing on a stool in Doctors pub Edinburgh, I went there straight after work at the old royal infirmary.”
Chris Wilson, who also watched that match in a pub, said: “Green Tree, Peebles, with Michael Millar. Sat in disbelief that we were 1-1 with Brazil at half-time.”
Corran Macrae added: “Bull & Bush Lothian Road where I was working during a mental few weeks when the tournament was on. We had to close between games to clear enough glasses ready for the next game, pretty sure a door got ripped off the toilets too.”
Susan Welsh recalled: “It was an unusually hot day in Edinburgh. Supermarkets were out of beer and the streets were empty. I painted the kids faces to watch the game.”
Kenny Baird has bittersweet memories of that World Cup, after thinking he was going to the opening game, only to be substituted by his friend’s dad, although an item of his clothing did make it to France.
He said: “I watched it at home after thinking I was going to the game. My mate phoned me weeks before the game screaming that he had managed to get two tickets for the Brazil game! I’m jumping around thinking magic can’t wait, and then the thunderbolt - I’m taking my dad, can I borrow your kilt! So my kilt went to the 1998 World Cup and I didn’t.”