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I enjoy an international tournament. Unlike so much top level club football there's still an element of the unknown about the Euro's and the World Cup. Yes, the bigger nations have an inbuilt advantage, but less so than the big European clubs have in my opinion. I like that smaller countries like Croatia, Uruguay, Denmark, Portugal and Holland can reach the semis and even the finals of major tournaments. Although the grandparent rule and creeping trend of the nationalisation of players there's still a purity to international football that is long gone from the club game. I like that a player like Gareth Bale has to play for Wales alongside some guy from Div 2, that Ronaldo can't just decide to play for Italy or China, he can only play for Portugal, no matter how good or bad the rest of the team are. I've great memories of watching international football. My first big football memory was the 78 World Cup, I was transfixed by the colour and spectacle of it all. Of course I also believed Scotland were going to win it but that disappointment aside players like Boniek, Hans Krankle, Jonny Rep and Mario Kempes were huge stars for me during the tournament and huge currency in playground sticker swaps. Ten years ago I watched Spain beat Germany in the World Cup semi final in a bar in Pamplona. The San Fermin festival was on and the first big bull fight of the festival was taking place at the same time so the bar was surprisingly quiet. Pamplona is Basque country, I got talking to a couple of guys from San Sebastian who had driven down to watch the game. They wanted Spain to win, Xabi Alonso was Basque so they felt they could support this Spain side, just not publicly in San Sebastian. As the bull fights finished the bar filled up and when Spain scored the only goal of the game late on pretty much everyone cheered. The consensus in Pamplona that evening was that while many of them didn't consider themselves Spanish and were very uncomfortable with outward signs of Spanish nationalism, that Spain team, dominated by Catalans, was one they could get behind. International football has lost some of its sparkle for me though. It's rare now for a player you've never heard of to light up a tournament anymore. That used to happen every couple of years in the 70s and 80s. Nowadays some fleet-footed Scandinavian catches your eye and when you Google you discover he's been a Man City for 2 years playing only one first team game and is currently on loan in Holland. Likewise a hot prospect from South America is almost always in Madrid or Barcelona by the time they've left their teens. I think the truly great players achieve true greatness on the international stage. By either dragging their small, normally also ran nation to a tournament in the first place or by simply excelling on the world stage while the whole world is watching. I remember watching Brian Laudrup go toe to toe with Brazil at France 98, demonstrating to everyone just what a player he was. That same tournament Zidane announced his greatness, following in the footsteps of Pele, Cruyff, Beckenbaur, Platini and Maradona, players who reminded you why love this game in the first place. As for Scotland, well, I'm typing this as we're playing. It's hardly transfixing me and in all honesty their games don't interest me in the same way as Rangers matches do. They did once upon a time and who knows maybe they will again someday in the future. I did cheer Leigh Griffith's goals against England a couple of years ago as enthusiastically as any Rangers goals, and I was gripped by the penalty shootout last year that saw us qualify for the Euros. But I've not been to a Scotland match for decades and the tartan army and their fancy dress leaves me cold. I'll watch their matches whenever the Euros come around, but with little hope and no expectation. I do still take pride in Rangers players doing well on the international stage, whoever they play for.

Pity he couldn't get rid of Sturgeon now that would be some four timer

Do away with the Scottish national team and just have a British team that we can all get behind. ??

Scotland game was a decent watch. More so second half.

Norway the other night wore t-shirts attacking Qatar's human rights record. I also remember being dismayed when Scotland played a friendly in the Chile football stadium where Pinochet murdered hundreds.

I don't think we'll find out anything today that we didn't already know.

Good to see you back. Hopefully Steve Clark gets the Celtic job. I would imagine that is a given after the Euros. He's always been a good No.2 / No.3.

Enough of this chancer. Slavia are party to the lies so are as racist as the lad who abused Kamara. To try and conflate an accidental injury with calling an opposition player a monkey is laughable. Now go away please.

I may be the only one but these too-frequent interruptions in the league season to play international games are frustrating and objectionable. The only point of them seems to be generating income for the SFA, UEFA and FIFA gravy-trains and since there has been no advancement of the sport in Scotland for at least half a century you have to question the sense of it all. Personally, I wouldn't miss them if they stopped tomorrow. Discuss.

The Ministry of State Security is investigating Bluedell's post. ?

Steven Gerrard has bot rid of Lawell, TLB and now Broon the thug, tis indeed been a great season.........................so far!

Adam McNaughtan wrote a song about it. http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-song-lyrics/Blood_Upon_the_Grass.htm (You can get it on YouTube, but McNaughtan is not much of a singer)

One thing i haven't heard from some of these lefty leaning football players is any objection about going to play in a tournament in Qatar were most of the stadiums have been built by modern day slave labour , no they can stick international football for me haven't watched it for years now .

I wouldn't miss it if it was stopped immediately.

i feel like a rest for us will be good just now. Know we have a few players away but some at least will get a rest. In general while it is no longer the pinnacle of football probably i do love a Euros or Wrold cup and most clearly do.

Totally agree,about 40-50 years ago would attend Scotland games regularly but nowadays they are a total turn-off.

I hope Ryan Jack isn't going to be another Andy Murray, unable to shake off a persistent injury and seeing his career coming to a premature end.

Maybe only you and I will mind this, compo, maybe @Billkeekin’ out of his pram but this team, no Gers, no Celts, would do fine: Brown (Dundee/‘Spurs) Hamilton (Dundee) Parker (Falkirk/Everton) Cumming (Hearts) Captain Yeats (Dundee Utd/Liverpool) McKay (Hearts/‘Spurs) Leggat (Aberdeen) Young (Hearts/Everton) St John (Motherwell/Liverpool) Gilzean (Motherwell/‘Spurs) Mulhall (Aberdeen/Sunderland) Players like Law who never played in the Scottish League are omitted but there was enough talent for the reserves, Slater, Cox, Ure, McCann, Beattie, Quinn Martin and plenty. I missed out John White! Dottled early today.

In my day Scotland had players of the calibre of Law, Baxter, McKay even wee jinky that were a pleasure to watch in my opinion I were a player picked to play with the present day tits I would rather take the downtime to spend with my family .

Always looked like he had time on the ball. He was one of those tall elegant players like Glenn Hoddle or Peter Osgood who rather than rush around like headless chickens, created space and looked so casual, yet had all the attributes.

I was wondering? After last evening's Scottish Cup reversal for the Boys in Maroon at the hands of the mighty Brora Rangers, does the PQ mantra still hold? Do Hearts remain a model club?

If you don't mind me passing an opinion, why don't you go back to Kerrydale meltdown, I'm sure you would find opinions more in line with your own?

Slavia, I am sure you have read Alexander Bah's account of last Thursday evening's events at Ibrox? I confess, I am Squadron Leader Perky Perkins and I led the Skoda Swarmers on to the pitch and into the tunnel. It was a fast penetrative raid to raise the tone of the game. We attempted to inflict numerous casualties upon the collective dignity of Slavia Prague, but the pedals on two Skodas broke, another ran out of panache and, the SatNav on mine went wonky. before you accuse me, I am certain Alexander Bah started it.

we don't feel the need to count them.

Yep, Kevin's old man was a Sergeant in the Glasgow police in the 60s, he founded the Catholic Police Guild. He believed a serving soldier in the Scots Guards was Bible John. Thirty years later, and said Scots Guard deceased, Kevin provided information to then Chief Reporter at the Daily Record, Anna Smith. A series of front page stories led to the deceased soldier's remains being disinterred. It took a few months, but eventually Anna told the readership he was NOT Bible John, sixth column page 9. Anna decided to retire to her coastal cottage in Donegal and become an Author. Her first book was titled, 'Spit in the Wind'. Anna's main thrust on the Bible John story was the British Army harboured a serial killer, she did not care, nor did she apologise to the deceased soldier's surviving family. Another story that hastened her departure was the murder of Lawrence Haggerty. Again, with Kevin's advice, Anna pursued front page headlines of sectarian murder. Lawrence had been a Celtic Boys Club player, Anna was convinced he had been tortured and even after a Scout Master was convicted; Anna's last line was, 'Police are refusing to rule out a sectarian motive for murder'. Anna and Kevin - role models for Jane and Bernie.

your player is going to jail in Scotland where he will be surrounded by rangers fans.

No, reporting to the Police would be the responsibility of the victim, though can be done by anyone - but it wouldn't be on UEFA but more likely Rangers if not Kamara

they will miss him.