Scotland shirts worn on the road to the finals

The first official international, played in Glasgow in November 1872, ended Scotland 0 England 0, and the fixture became the oldest rivalry in football. Scotland qualified for five World Cups in a row from 1974 to 1990, and again in 1998, but never managed to get beyond the first round. The 1978 campaign in Argentina summed up the national mood: heavy expectations, a defeat to Peru and a draw with Iran, then a 3-2 win over the Netherlands that included Archie Gemmill's famous solo goal. Scotland played at the European Championship for the first time in 1992 and again in 1996, when Gary McAllister's penalty was saved at Wembley moments before Paul Gascoigne scored against them. After that came more than two decades without a major finals. Under Steve Clarke the drought finally ended with qualification for the delayed Euro 2020, followed by another place at Euro 2024 in Germany. Hampden Park in Glasgow remains the national stadium, and the travelling support known as the Tartan Army is famous for being well behaved and good humoured wherever it goes.

Kenny Dalglish is the most capped Scotland player and shares the scoring record with Denis Law, who won the Ballon d'Or with Manchester United. Jim Baxter's swagger at Wembley in 1967, when Scotland beat the world champions, is still talked about. Graeme Souness and Gordon Strachan brought steel and craft to the eighties side, and Ally McCoist added goals. Gary McAllister captained the team in the nineties, and Colin Hendry led the defence at France 98. In the modern era Darren Fletcher wore the armband for years, while Andy Robertson, John McGinn and Scott McTominay drove the team back to the Euros. The shirts here include Fletcher prints with both number 7 and number 10, Robertson's number 3, McAllister and Collins with number 11, plus Naismith and Naysmith. Having a shirt with a defender's name on it is a nice way to stand out from the crowd at a match.

Navy blue is the base for almost every Scotland home shirt, although the exact shade has moved between near-black and a brighter royal tone. Many designs have included tartan details, either woven into the fabric or used on the collar and trim. The range here covers three main makers. Umbro shirts from the late eighties and nineties are some of the most popular, with large collars and patterned weaves. Diadora made the kit for a short spell, which makes their shirts less common today. adidas has supplied Scotland in recent years, so most shirts from the Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 campaigns carry the three stripes. Away shirts have ranged from white and yellow to far brighter experiments, and they often divide opinion, which makes them fun to collect.