Why the Beeb was that not a penalty?

Even Shearer wasn't a Negative Norman... and then there was 'sheer heartbreak' _

- FRASER WILSON’S

NINE excuses to turn off before we even got started.

Talk about setting the tone.

The BBC had pulled out the big guns again in a bid to help fire us through the group stage of a major tournament for the first time ever.

Then came the wee segment before kick-off as optimism started to bubble nicely - just to remind us all how we NEVER get over that final hurdle.

Every one a punch to the gut to take any hope we had of a famous victory right out our sails.

No doubt the work of Negative Norman, Steve Clarke will claim.

The two-minute package started right there in Germany 1974 then, of course Argentina 78, Spain 82, Mexico 86, Italia 90, Euro 92, Euro 96, France 98 and of course Euro 2020 - Tartan Army tears and Sottish players lying defeated on the turf at every turn.

All facts of course and a strong line to lead into what would hopefully be an end to the agony.

Unfortunately it turned out to be just another harbinger of doom, forerunner to yet more hellish big tournament heartbreak.

"What you make of that then?" asked Mrs W, before adding "What they need is Ally McCoist on commentary if they want to qualify".

Ehhh, she had a point in a completely irrelevant kind of way. "He never got us through a group stage back in the 1990s but he certainly knows how to qualify himself as a pundit - he really, really does".

Fair play.