The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
McGhee says players can rouse Hampden roar
SCOTLAND: Assistant manager says attacking approach can pay dividends
Scotland can ensure Hampden is rocking again if they take the game to England tomorrow, according to assistant manager Mark McGhee.
The Scottish Football Association confirmed this week it was still exploring the potential of taking games around the country when its Hampden lease expires in 2020, although remaining at the national stadium is the preferred option if the sums add up.
McGhee credits the Hampden roar as the biggest noise he has heard in football when he scored against England in 1984 in front of 73,000 fans.
There will be around 50,000 for tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier in a stadium that has been revamped since McGhee’s playing days but the former Celtic and Aberdeen striker is sure it could be the platform for another famous occasion.
“I think the players and ourselves have a huge responsibility towards creating the atmosphere, if we start this game on a positive note,” he said.
“I was at the (Scottish Cup) final last week.
“What an atmosphere, a fantastic atmosphere between Celtic and Aberdeen, and that atmosphere was generated by the players on the pitch, by the two teams and their attitudes towards trying to win the game.
“In the first half Celtic were trying not to lose the game but both sets of supporters did their clubs proud.
“They gave them something to get on their feet.
“So there’s a big responsibility for us, it starts with us.
“I still believe it’s a stadium that will generate an atmosphere if the supporters have something to get on their feet about.”
Scotland and England have met three times since 2013 after a 14-year absence of the world’s oldest international fixture, but the only game north of the border was played at Celtic Park as Hampden was out of commission because of the Commonwealth Games.
And McGhee hopes the Mount Florida venue can inspire his side as they look to end a run of three consecutive defeats against the Auld Enemy.
“I hope it’s a different challenge for them (England),” he said. “It’s a different motivation for us.
“When we played at Parkhead, it was right on the back of the Ireland game and I think we had lost a little bit of energy in that game. It wasn’t a damp squib exactly but I don’t think we fully showed up that night.
“The friendly at Wembley we did ever so well and in the end ran out of energy a wee bit, they made substitutions a bit better than us possibly and we lost the game late on.”
It’s a stadium that will generate an atmosphere if the supporters have something to get on their feet about. MARK MCGHEE