"You can be heroes!" Archie Macpherson delivers victory message to Scotland squad ahead of Euros clash

Scotland will be heroes if they get through the Euros group stage, according to the man who has witnessed the team’s triumphs and tragedies as far back as World War II.

Legendary commentator Archie Macpherson, 89, witnessed Jimmy Delaney score the winner in Scotland’s Victory Home Championship win against England in 1946.

He’s been the voice of six World Cups and four Euros, but not once has he been able to celebrate Scotland getting past the first hurdle.

Now Archie believes Steve Clarke’s team are on the verge of becoming heroes by doing what legendary footballers such as Denis Law, Archie Gemmell and Kenny Dalglish couldn’t do.

He said: “I’m looking forward to the Euros because it revives memories.

“It’s 50 years ago almost to the day that I set off for the first of my many excursions with the Scotland national team for the World Cup in 1974.

“It was the same country, Germany and as with six World Cups and two Euro championships, I was coming back with the same sad story of not being able to qualify out of our group and go forward and do something.

“Just think of the quality of the players that we had at the time.

“Denis Law, Billy Bremner, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Gordon Strachan, Joe Jordan.

“It means that history is heaped on the shoulders of this squad.

“Clearly if they could get through they’ll be identified as particular heroes and I think they will be heroes.”

Archie, who has recently published his book Touching The Heights, has rubbed shoulders with the greats.

He co-commentated with Jock Stein when Scotland returned from the 1974 World Cup undefeated, being the only team to do so.

They beat Zaire 2-0, drew 0-0 with Brazil in a cracking game and 1-1 with Yugoslavia before going out on goal difference.

Archie said: “People looked back and even immediately after the first game they were saying we should have scored more goals.

“Jock Stein beside me was sweating profusely because it was a hell of a hot night with high humidity.

“So to a certain extent we were simply glad to get a victory.

“It wasn’t until the Scottish players were in the dressing room that we heard that Brazil, who we thought would clobber Zaire and score about eight goals as the Yugoslavs had done, only scored a late third goal and put us out of the tournament.

“We came back to thousands at Glasgow airport because we were the only undefeated team in the entire tournament.

“That’s what makes it worse. Those actual facts aggravate more than anything else.

“I hope history like that is not burdening these Scottish players at the moment.”

Archie believes Scotland can make history against Germany, Hungary and Switzerland in Group A, but uttered words of caution as the hosts take flak from the Far Right element in their homeland.

Archie said: “It’s going to be difficult. It’s never going to be easy.

“But the very fact that the Scotland players realise that they are just steps away from an unprecedented triumph might stir them to the kind of effort that is needed.

“I was hearing that Germany are not one of the greatest teams in Europe and playing the host nation in Munich wasn’t going to be as severe as perhaps it could have been with other nations playing at home.

“Remember, I was in Paris when we played the opening game against Brazil and we only lost out in that game by a disastrous own goal and lost 2-1.

“What has changed since then, since making this assessment, is what has changed politically and culturally within Germany itself is that there is a huge quota of people as the recent polls are revealing who dislike that there are so many black players in the German squad.

“This has got through to the German squad. They are angered by this so I think they’re really up for it.

“I think they are primed for this game, to prove something to the malicious current of a certain section of German society.”

He added: He also believes Scotland’s Player of the Year, Lawrence Shankland, has edged it for a place up front for the opening game.

“People think he lacks mobility but I think he’s got instinct in the penalty box,” Archie said. “Good goal scorers seem to get into a position to score goals.

“Probably I would go with Shankland and try him in that sense.

“We are handicapped in that we don’t know what team the manager will play.

“I’m sure we’ll have the Tartan Army in the bierkellers in Munich just now.

“The Scottish supporters will be arguing over who should play in defence, up front and so on because unfortunately we have been lumbered by injuries.

“We are not over-endowed in our squad and it’s difficult going into the first game.

“We’ve got to get beyond this group stage or else we are going to become very cynical about our own Scottish game.”

“Like millions of Scots around the world, Archie will be glued to the box as the match against Germany kicks off in Munich tonight.

He said: “I will be watching quietly at home, hopeful. I might have a dram if they do well.”

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