How Has World Changed Since Scotland Were Last At Men's Finals?

When Scotland past reached a men's World Cup, nan Scottish Parliament didn't exist, Google wasn't a point and a pint of lager was astir £1.90.

The first concerns astir what Y2K would bring were creeping in.

C'est La Vie by B*witched was number 1 successful nan charts, The Wedding Singer was nan champion successful nan container office, and nan BBC's written sum for nan opening crippled against Brazil was connected Ceefax.

While nan Tartan Army were treatment their surgery hearts pinch a 10p Freddo aft Morocco spoiled nan statement successful St Etienne, small did they cognize they'd beryllium waiting 28 years to spot their state astatine a men's World Cup again.

1998 was a very agelong clip ago. Too agelong ago. Eight of Steve Clarke's successful squad astatine Hampden connected Tuesday were not moreover born.

A full procreation and past immoderate person been envious of their elders who person knowledgeable their nationalist squad eating astatine nan apical table. Next summertime successful nan United States, Canada, Mexico can't travel speedy enough.

But while Scotland person been sitting successful nan footballing dark, doing their champion to support their memories of France fresh, nan remainder of nan world has kept spinning. And past some...

Back successful a clip wherever Tony Blair was calling 10 Downing Street location and Bill Clinton was kicking astir successful nan White House, nan world wasn't revolving astir nan internet.

Though it had been successful beingness for complete a decade, it was mostly utilized for work, not play. It's existent imaginable - aliases threat - was lightyears distant from being learned.

Craig Brown's line-up wasn't being predicted, leaked aliases discovered online, and location surely wasn't anyone watching Colin Hendry and his team-mates trot retired astatine nan Stade de France successful their kilts connected their mobile phones.

That's an image, actually. Only 1 successful 4 group backmost past really had a mobile phone. Imagine nan huddling...

In fact, astir fans backmost location were watching successful smoke-filled pubs – it was astir 8 years earlier it was made forbidden to light-up successful enclosed nationalist spaces.

They watched Hendry admirably effort his unenviable occupation of marking a definite Ronaldo – nan world's astir costly subordinate astatine nan time.

He'd conscionable completed a £17m move from Barcelona to Inter Milan. At nan clip nan interest was eye-watering, but now it mightiness bargain you a third-choice full-back.

The Euro didn't travel into usage until nan twelvemonth after.

And it was that twelvemonth excessively that Scotland's first First Minister, Donald Dewar proclaimed "today location is simply a caller sound successful nan land," arsenic nan caller parliament opened successful Edinburgh.

There person been six First Ministers since, and 1 ballot connected independency successful 2014.

Glasgow hosted nan Commonwealth Games successful nan aforesaid year, 2 summers aft London welcomed nan world for nan Olympics. Hampden hosted a fewer men's and women's shot games during that one.

Including nan 1998 title, won weeks earlier nan jaunt to France, Celtic person won 20 Scottish top-flight titles since, that 1 successful 98 - nan Scottish Premier Division convention title, arsenic it was past called – ending 9 years of power by Rangers.

Elsewhere successful nan sport, a 22-year-old Tiger Woods was waltzing into nan golfing world. He had conscionable 1 awesome to his sanction - The Masters - but would spell connected to triumph a further 14.

Roger Federer hadn't moreover made his ATP debut, ne'er mind won immoderate of his 103 singles title - aliases his 20 majors, while Wimbledon's victor successful '98, Pete Sampras earned £43,500 than women's winner, Jana Novotna.

Equal salary yet arrived successful 2007 pinch this year's winners - Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek - some receiving £3m. Changed days.

This Scotland squad will consciousness £3m and much having achieved what they conscionable have. They mightiness besides person spent adjacent to that magnitude connected nan celebrations...

But this is historic. The first for a procreation and past some.

Aaron Hickey, Lewis Ferguson and Ben Gannon-Doak each contributed to nan triumph which secured nan first qualification of their lifetime.

Anthony Ralston, Josh Doig, Andy Irving, Connor Barron and George Hirst - each calved station 1998 - were portion of nan chair who rampaged onto nan transportation arsenic bedlam ensued. The injured Billy Gilmour was hirpling his measurement to subordinate nan celebrations.

Lennon Miller, Max Johnston, Nathan Patterson, Kieron Bowie, Tommy Conway, James Wilson, Ryan Porteous and Cieran Slicker person each been called upon successful caller time, each of whom will besides beryllium witnessing Scotland astatine nan World Cup for nan first time.

They grew up watching James McFadden, Darren Fletcher, Barry Ferguson, Scott Brown, Kenny Miller and galore others successful acheronian bluish neglect to scope nan promised land.

It's taken 10,011 days to do so.

The celebrations - which will spell connected for a wee while yet - won't person CD's and DVD's providing nan backdrop, while nan beverage required for nan beverage and coffees to heal nan sore heids won't costs 34p, either.

But, nan much things change, nan much they enactment nan same.

Alexa, play We Have A Dream...