Things change.

Scotland used to win football matches. No, really.

I grew up watching Scotland at World Cups when England failed to qualify. I remember Celtic pipping Manchester United to be the first British team to win the European Cup. The top English teams — Liverpool, Manchester United, Leeds — all had a good number of Scots in their teams.

England won the World Cup in 1966 and Scotland went to Wembley in 1967 and were the first team to beat them as World Champions.

It’s hard to believe that a poor loss to Morocco in 1998 at the World Cup may very well be Scotland’s last game at a major tournament.

Scotland just lost to Slovakia. Neither team were great and the crowd was poor and it was a poor game. Part of the problem of course is that the money is now in club football and there is no money at all in Scottish football.

The top English teams have no Scots. Most of the Scottish team now play in second tier teams. Many of them don’t even start for their club teams regularly.

Watching games like the one this evening is possibly easier for me than younger fans because I remember something of better times. More recent fans have known nothing but disappointment. Disappointment and a growing fear that things are unlikely to change.

It’s only a game, of course. But it’s nice to win the game from time to time.

We play England next. That used to be a game — right into the 80s — that was hard to call. Now it’s a matter of the heart ruling the head when Scots think of potential victory against the Auld Enemy.

But still. One game. Ninety minutes. We can but dream.

Bring it on. Possibly.