November 17th, 1999. A date that will spark instant recognition in the minds of Scotland fans.
Who among the Tartan Army will ever forget where they were as Don Hutchinson rose to head home and give Scotland victory over the Auld Enemy in one of the last games under the old twin towers?
Certainly not James McArthur. As a 12-year-old youth player, McArthur was listening to the game on the bus back from training, and he can still recall the feeling he had when the ball hit the back of the Wembley net.
Now, he is relishing the prospect of being able to claim his own moment in Scottish football history by helping his nation to another famous win.
“Listen, see when you go out on that pitch against England, you’ve got the chance to become a hero for Scotland, and that’s the opportunity that every single player that is playing on Saturday will have,” McArthur said.
“Obviously it’s about trying to stay in the group and try to qualify, and that’s the main aim, but you’ve got the chance to make history.
“People remember the players who have scored against them down throughout the years, and that’s the opportunity we’ve got.
“I remember Don Hutchinson’s goal, which is always going to stick in my head. That’s the chance you’ve got, to stick in the heads of young kids coming up.
“As a boy, you always remember where you were when that goal went in.
“I was on a bus, I had just finished training and the game was on the radio. It was my first proper Scotland memory.
“I was playing for St Johnstone as a kid at the time, and you’ve got a chance here to make one kid like me one day remember a goal like that.”
Crystal Palace star McArthur plays against many of the England team week-in, week-out in the Premier League, so he knows first-hand the size of the task that awaits Scotland on Saturday night.
“It is going to take everyone – manager, players, staff and fans – to have a really good night and for them to have an off night. Then we could be talking about a famous victory.”
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