OFFSET YOUR WORLD CUP TRAVEL WITH GREENERTRAVEL
Date: 19th June 2026
Sofa so lonely
By Donald C Stewart
A view from the sofa, as I, along with many Scotland fans, are unable to get a second mortgage to attend the World Cup in the USA and so am on the sofa. With a virtual Billy Gilmour by my side, also from Ayrshire I shall be looking out for the bizarre and daft that makes this summer, hopefully, a World Cup to remember….
The view from the sofa this week has been pretty lonely. I can’t even nip down to Blockbusters to see if they’ve got a cardboard cutout of Billy as Gilmour has answered a call. Him and his family answered a call and decided to depart to support the team in Boston.
Nice of them, eh…
I am left languishing on the sofa, wondering if a Gilmour sized hole can be filled with anything else. Billy was dropped off at the airport and sat in the lounge tucking into breakfast, lamenting the fact that Kenny McLean told everyone he was only 17. I could sympathise. On my 21st birthday I had to take in my birth certificate to work to prove to everybody that I actually was 21, because they thought I was in my 30s! One member of the youth theatre I ran, when I got to my 40th birthday said to me, Thank God you look your age now.
Goodness knows what age I looked when I was in my 20s.
As for the youthful Gilmour, as he disappeared through the security gate – quicker than getting into the Boston Stadium – I was left watching the Haiti game on my own. It was a tiring experience and fraught… But we got the 3 points.
Before he left, Billy had run his rule over the possible starting line-up for Scotland against Haiti. In contact with his fellow Napoli team-mate Scott McTominay, who had been unable to train and travelled on his own due to having a stomach bug, I realised that it put into context the whole upset with regards to the Norwegians who called Steve Clarke unprofessional because he called off a bounce game with them, with a few days to spare before it was due to happen in America. Having heard now about a few niggly injuries that could have worsened had Scotland taken on the Norwegians, it is understandable from a Scottish perspective that rather than being unprofessional, Clarke was being exactly the opposite. He was ensuring that he had the best possible squad going into the most vital game, potentially, of his Scotland career.
The result sets us up for Morocco. I don’t know if Billy will be back in Scotland or if he’s going to stay over there, wandering about, hanging about the pool, having games with the lads and being supportive. He will no doubt join the rest of the Scottish hangers-on crew – Rod Stewart, Gordon “I played for Rangers at least once” Ramsey, who seemed to be caught up in the joy of the World Cup.
With Bank Holidays granted to some local authority employees, the length and breadth of Scotland, with some schools deciding not to close, they missed out on what others have done. Some schools have brought in local musicians to play anthems and sing songs at school assembly, decorate the entire school with Scotland flags and prepare for the young ones to experience either the utter despair that could lead you to throwing yourself into the Clyde/ Forth or Dee despair, or bouncing like a trampoline flying through the air in a storm!
Morocco first and then Brazil. You look round and you see the optimism that this entire enterprise has brought. And I can think of nothing more Scottish than that. Tartan Army on fire, naebody is terrified, cones on the heids of every statute going and drink disappearing like there is a drouth being fought. All we need is a point out of a possible six… But could we get another three…
Posted in: Fan's Blog, Latest News
Tags: FIFA, oor Donald, Tartan Army, World Cup