HILL of Beath is described by Wikipedia as "a hill and a village in Fife", which may be factually accurate but doesn't instantly convey the contribution this wee place beside Cowdenbeath has made to the world of Scottish football.

There is a classy statue in the village to its greatest football son, Jim Baxter, a maestro whose best-remembered piece was performed at Wembley in 1967. The life-size bronze captures Baxter with the ball at his left foot, chest out, head up, poised to make the next glorious pass. In that iconic 3-2 win over the then world champions 46 years ago he tormented England and impishly did some keepie uppie. Scotland roared its approval at the English being brought down a peg or two. Tonight Scotland return to Wembley and will be led out by captain Scott Brown, another Hill of Beath boy.

"Jim Baxter came from right across the road from me," said Brown yesterday. He wasn't being metaphorical. The statue was erected in 2003 and is literally only a few yards from what was Brown's bedroom window in the family home. "I saw it every morning. People back home are always talking about how he juggled the ball at Wembley in '67 - though don't hold your breath for me doing the same. I've got enough trouble passing the ball five yards, never mind playing keepie-up. . .

"I've seen old grainy black and white footage of him at Wembley in '67. It took some nerve to do what he did in front of 100,000 people. Rather him than me, that's for sure. I looked up to Jim because everyone from my town talked about him, about how Jim did this and Jim did that.

"He went down to Wembley and ran riot against the English and there are not a lot of people in the world who can say that. He is one who could and he was from just across the road from me, so that was a great inspiration and honour. "The older ones talk about 'Wembley weekends' and going on the pitch to nick the turf: you know, the kind of things good Scottish people do! So to be here now and be part of a fixture like this is just about as good as it gets."

Brown is a more confident figure with the media than he used to be and he was relaxed and entertaining at the Scotland captain's traditional eve-of-game press conference yesterday. He was self-deprecating and humorous, but also able to instantly become serious when questioned by some of the handful of English journalists who had turned up at the SFA's team hotel. When one asked if he felt England looked down its nose at Scottish football, Brown replied: "Well could you name a couple of Kilmarnock players?" Naturally the response was negative.

"To lead Scotland out at Wembley against England is special. Doing the same for Celtic in the Champions League was a big moment but there's nothing better than getting the armband for your country. We know them as the Auld Enemy and last time here we won 1-0 so they have to show us respect. Nothing here will overwhelm me. We've been in big Champions League games with Celtic and given as good as we get, so what is there to fear?

"The last time we played at Wembley I was about 14 and watched it on the telly. It was a great game, and a great header by Don Hutchison at the back post for a great finish. We went at it all guns blazing that night and hopefully we'll do the same again."

The wins in 1967 and 1999 are remembered fondly. Whatever happens this time around, Hill of Beath will again watch one of its boys with pride.