GEORGE FREW on the England v Scotland Euro draw SOMEHOW, I don't think I'll be tempted to limber up the vocal chords, practice Flower of Scotland and paint my face Braveheart blue for next month's fascinating Euro 2000 encounter with the Auld Enemy.

Instead, I'll probably make do with digging out the old tearstained tartan shawl and watching the two games on telly from behind the sofa.

As soon as we knew that England had a possible invite to next summer's big party - albeit via the kitchen door - there was a horrible inevitability that the play-off draw would pair Kevin's mob with Craig's bunch.

Waiting for them to confirm it was like falling off a cliff in slow motion. The foolish optimism of a youth enhanced by having men like Baxter, Law, Crerand and Dalglish wearing the famous dark blue jersey with the wee lion on the chest has long since gone, destroyed by the Keegans, Shearers and Gascoignes of this horrible old world. The heart is still brave and still beats as proudly, but the brain evaluates England's strengths and Scotland's weaknesses and we are forced to conclude that we should have no high hopes of taking part in next summer's proceedings in the Low Countries.

England are hardly the footballing gods that the folk who paint the Cross of St George on their faces think they are, but they will still, I fear, know too much for Mr Brown's boys.

Still, Scotland are often at their best when things are worst. We were starving and outnumbered at Bannockburn, and I seem to recall we got a result that time. . .

Story date: Thursday 14 October

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.