DURING the week, I was chatting to a couple of guys, recalling matches that we remember from our childhood. The kind of thing you do when you are full of Christmas spirit. Okay, my games were in black and white, but one recalled running home from school to watch Scotland against Norway in the World Cup.

I was at that game, in Bordeaux, and witnessed the last goal and the last point Scotland secured as a nation at that level. When I imparted that knowledge, the chap’s face contorted. “My son is now the same age as I was when that game was played.”

The difference is, of course, that when his son dashes back from school to watch the World Cup this summer, it won’t be to see Scotland.

Regardless of how much you are looking forward to the sporting year in 2018, there is a massive void to negotiate, mid-calendar, where others will be cheering on their representatives in Russia.

Still, we will have a new manager by then, and a European Championship qualifying campaign to focus on. Twenty-four nations will play in the finals tournament. How can we not do it this time. Probably in much the same way as we managed in 2016.

Hampden will stage three games in the finals, and that venue will attract more attention over the next twelve months as the SFA decide whether or not to keep it as a permanent base, or, tour the country (although not straying too far from Glasgow too often), or, make Murrayfield, home of Scottish Rugby, their preferred option.

The latter has its merits, and the SRU have undertaken a real charm offensive to win hearts and minds before a final decision is made. In the meantime, Murrayfield owners will content themselves with a couple of full houses around the England and French games in the Six Nations.

As I mentioned in my review of the year a week ago, there is a real optimism around the Scots this time around, thanks in part to some special performances since Gregor Townsend took charge, and, that we have several match-winners, such as Hogg, Russell, Jones and Watson to call upon.

The Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast will bring the memories of Glasgow four years ago flooding back. A different time of year, and, we won’t have the luxury of late trains running out of Central Station. But it is another chance for Scottish athletes across the various sports and disciplines to make a name for themselves.

Judo, which accrued 13 medals in Glasgow, including six golds, doesn’t feature Down Under. Beach volleyball does. I knew we should have had it in Strathclyde Park. To that end, our medal tally might not be quite as impressive as four years ago. However, in athletics and swimming, and cycling, we have potential gold medallists.

But who to watch in 2018. Let’s go left-field and go with the future.

Finlay Retson is still just a teenager, barely road-legal, but already winning in rallying. Willy Hutchinson from Carstairs, is under the tutelage of former world champion David Haye, and after his pro debut in October – when he knocked out his Hungarian opponent in just 88 seconds – he looks certain to build on his world youth title.

Erin Wallace returned from the Youth Commonwealth Games in the Bahamas back in July with a gold medal, won over 1500m, while swimmer Scott McLay became Scotland’s most successful athlete ever at those Games, collecting five medals, including three gold, immediately winning promotion to the senior squad for Gold Coast. He is still just 17.

And finally, and by no means least, Jack Carlin, from Paisley, is already part of Team GB’s senior cycling track team, following in the wheel tracks of Chris Hoy and Callum Skinner. Come back in a year to see if the crystal ball was right.