Welcome to Issue 33
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By Daniel Gray

A Fitbatweets story

High hopes and heartbreak: unravelling Scotland’s Euro ‘24 disaster
A dismal performance in Germany raised the age-old question: why are we so bad in major tournaments? Despite that historic win over Spain in the qualifiers, the team’s campaign ended in disappointment. So, what went wrong, and where do we go from here?
By Stephen McGowan

A sober man looks at the thistle
The Tartan Army emerged from Germany with more credit than the Scotland team but they still faced absurd questions about their desire to see England lose.
By Hugh MacDonald

A Bavarian Symphony in four movements
48 hours spent in Munich were a dream come true. And then the football started…
By David F Ross

Why I flitted south to watch England
Supporting my country against Spain in a Scottish pub was never an option. But goad all you like – as with club football, rivalry is the name of the game.
By Mark Holmes

Ambitious Ayr ready to stand tall
In the first part of a new series following Ayr United throughout the 2024/25 campaign, we focus on the new stand that could transform the club’s financial outlook, and the big-name manager quietly refusing to play to type.
By Scott Fleming

The Wrexham effect
An influx of American ownership is reshaping the landscape of the game on both sides of the border. But as investors bring different approaches and fresh ideas, fans are left wondering if this transatlantic experiment will end in triumph or turmoil.
By Maurice Smith

Droopy Caley fragile patience communication is atrocious
Instead of celebrating their 30th birthday Inverness are mired in financial woes and wondering how it all went so wrong after the Scottish Cup win. Don’t expect much clarity from the club itself.
By Peter Newman

Tired excuses dominate Milanese versions of Lisbon
Many Italians still put Celtic’s win over Inter down to Herrera’s exhausting training methods and odd tactics as much as the brilliance of Stein’s team.
By John Irving

How the lifting of SFA ban took decades to change women’s game
Fifty years ago Scottish blazers ended official opposition to women playing football. The move did not bring any material benefits but should be celebrated as a landmark in the process of glacial change.
By Karen Fraser and Fiona Skillen

Amoruso’s passionate defence
The Italian established an instant connection with the Rangers faithful and won a double treble as captain. He relished playing under Smith and McLeish but still feels he was mistreated by Advocaat. By Simone Pierotti

Digging Groves
‘Darlin’ Willie Groves’ groundbreaking transfer from West Brom to Aston Villa in 1893 stands as his most enduring legacy. But his mysterious, controversial life story, and pivotal role in shaping both Celtic and Hibs, belies his true influence and skill as a player.
By Richard Purden

Impish Erhahon the latest Scot to grace Lincoln
The young Glaswegian midfielder has impressed at Lincoln City, a club that has featured numerous players from north of the border since the 19th century. By Dominic Picksley

A Hastie retreat
Jake Hastie’s whirlwind 2018/19 season began with a loan spell at Alloa and ended in a lucrative move to Ibrox. But his recent, promising move to Ayr United was prefaced by a challenging fall from grace.
By Andy Ross

Our proving grounds
I have had the privilege of playing at many homes of football in Scotland. From ancient Fir Park carpets to the rusty taps of Dens, here are some I love and some that stick in the mind for altogether different reasons.
By Liam Grimshaw

Return tickets
For over three decades, Celtic and Rangers have dominated the Premiership. Yet rising attendances challenge the idea that Old Firm dominance dooms the sport. So what is it that keeps us going back?
By Paul Grech

Ending McMania: Scotland’s diversity problem
While tactical blunders and player shortcomings marred the Euro 2024 campaign, the real disappointment lies in the lack of diversity within the squad.
By Chris Sweeney

And that concludes the draw…
The Scottish Cup celebrated its 150th birthday last season. We followed its course from hamlet to Hampden. The result is a new photo essay book, something of a documentary in print.
Photographs by Alan McCredie Words By Daniel Gray

The Dead-Loss Cup
The Anglo-Franco-Scottish Friendship Cup was founded to help foster European camaraderie. Instead, the tournament unleashed deep-seated rivalries, occasional violence and financial loss. By Harry Pearson

Skol Festival that left Edinburgh a bit flat
In 1979 an Anglo-Scots tournament featuring Hearts, Hibs, Manchester City and Coventry City came to town. For this young fan, the main memory is a notorious brown kit.
By Colin Leslie

Cloughie’s balls and bragging rights
The long forgotten Texaco and Anglo-Scottish Cups once represented an era of cross-border footballing experiments, serving as a stepping stone for many a future legend.
By Neil Andrews

High and dry
In 1973, innovation clashed with tradition in the Drybrough Cup. With its ill-thought-out offside line, this oft-overlooked tournament nevertheless left its mark on the game, revealing both its limitations and aspirations.
By Gordon Cairns

Kiwis in the crossfire
In October 1967, New Zealand’s national football team – led by Scotsmen Tom McNab, Jimmy Ferrier, and Alec Caldwell – travelled to Saigon to compete in the Vietnam National Day Cup. There they faced formidable opponents on the field while navigating the turmoil of a war-torn country.
By Craig Stephen

From Blackpool to Barcelona, Linlithgow Rose kids bounce back
Young players at the West Lothian community club made up for months of Covid hardship with travel to two tournaments, thanks to countless volunteers. As one of their coaches, it has been a joy.
By Ed Hodge

Inside the changing room
How a mental health project based around a shared love of football is helping men across the country.
By Michael McEwan

Land of my father
No Scotland, no party? Four days spent traipsing around Germany after we’d already crashed out of the Euros reminded me you can’t choose your country – or your dad – but you should love them anyway.
By Matthew Johnston

One match, one memory
In 1993, after years of pleading, my father finally agreed to accompany me to Tynecastle to see our beloved Hearts. Sadly, that singular occasion was soured by dashed hopes and ultimatums.
By Craig Cairns

Match of the Tay
It may be unheralded and little known outside a small area of Scotland, but the Midlands League is a captivating – and photogenic – football community. I spent a season capturing its charms.
By Matthew Anderson

No pressure, no Diamonds
Airdrieonians FC’s ‘Beastie Boys’ era culminated in a remarkable foray into European football. That defining 1992 clash with Sparta Prague both made history and epitomised the side’s passion, pride and enduring team spirit.
By Mark Wilson

Atletico’s brutal blitz a nightmare for Hoops
In 1974, Celtic faced Atletico Madrid in a European Cup semi-final remembered more for violence than for football. Bhoys midfielder Steve Murray recalls the “deliberate attack” on his team-mates.
By Craig Millar

Matchwinner’s late comeback, with style
They were the go-to brand for lower league kits for a decade, then the firm just vanished. Now, with the retro market exploding, their designs are being coveted by a whole new generation of fans.
By Iain Hepburn

Three yards from Govan to Linthouse
Known as ‘The Football Priest,’ Martin Gordon once rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in the game. Now, at 93, he is poised to bring his remarkable life story to the big screen.
By Kevin McAllion

An inspiring example
At the turn of the last century, four weeks before the second Boer War broke out, a team of 16 black South African footballers embarked on a tour of Britain and Ireland. They were greeted with condescension and racism but their legacy has inspired numerous Africans to play on regardless.
By Matthew Marr

Five at the back
1. International class: Scotland kits through the years.
By John Devlin
2. From the Chairman to the Tea Lady…
No 4: John Glencross, Alloa Athletic Programme Editor and Club Historian
3. Dramatic last days: Division Two 1992/93
Brechin City and Stranraer entered the final day equal on points in their quest for promotion. A dramatic end made goal difference key.
By Phil Rodger
4. Record appearances
The bespectacled duo’s bittersweet stomp perfectly sums up the universal away day experience.
By David Pollock
5. Poetry
Not In Berlin. By Stephen Watt
Cathkin Park. By Hugh McMillan
Concordia. By Georgia Bartlett-McNeil