Germany V Scotland
Friday 14th June saw the opening game of Euro 2024 with Scotland, yes I said Scotland, facing the host nation in the opening game of the tournament.
With half the nation in Germany those who remained flocked to Torrance House Golf Club full of hope and expectation that Scotland would not only be victorious against the home nation but would indeed take the Euro 2024 crown! With the kick off scheduled for 8pm Torrance House time the first of the hardy supporters arrived at 3:30pm to get in the mood, lubricating their vocal chords with Scotland’s national drink…….. no, not Buckfast, the other national drink, Tennents Lager!
Naya and her team in the kitchen had taken bookings for some 60 meals beforehand and worked tirelessly to line the stomachs for what would be an evening of alcohol abuse to kill the nerves. Punters turned up sober expecting the team to get pumped yet after 2 only pints of Tennents down their throats Scotland were going to win not only the game but the whole tournament! Love the confidence alcohol gives people!
The hall start to fill up and as kick off approached there was not a seat to be had. The alcohol flowed as the place burst into song as the National Anthem played. This was it, the whistle signalled the start and everything was in place for Scotland to win their first major trophy, the signs were all there, especially after the 3rd minute when Robertson and Tierney celebrated Scotland winning a goal kick! It was now ours to lose, and lose we did!
10 minutes on the clock and Florian Wirtz silenced the Clubhouse as the Germans took the lead before Jamal Musiala extended the lead 9 minutes later. Scottish hopes were raised in the 25th minute as the ref awarded a penalty to Scotland before VAR overruled the decision. Worse was to come as Ryan Porteous lashed out with a two footed tackle and was shown a straight red by French ref Clement Turpin. All was not lost for Porteous as Steve Clarke gave him a cuddle as he left the field of play!
Kai Havertz slotted the ball home from the penalty spot in the 45th minute to give Germany a 3-0 lead at half-time. The mighty Scotland managed to hold out for 23 minutes in the 2nd half before Niclas Fuellkrug made it 4-0. An own goal by Antonio Ruediger in the 87th minute and the come back was well and truly on! Just as Scotland were about to seal the victory Emre Can scored in the 93rd minute to give the Germans a narrow 5-1 victory.
Despite the result the crowds drank the night away drowning their sorrows while dissecting every minute of the game, trying to work out where it all went wrong and preparing for the Swiss on Wed night.
Despite the doom and gloom from the result there was one happy young lady, Club Manager’s daughter Leah, who won the golden goal minute comp netting herself £180.00
Was great to see the members and guests supporting the club and kitchen in what turned out to be a great night despite the result. Many thanks to Lorraine, Adele and John behind the bar keeping the drinks flowing while Naya and her team kept everyone well fed.
A massive thank you must go to Mark Mcgregor and Malky Macphee for organising the evening and ensuring it ran smoothly.
