The Scotland national football team has represented Scotland in association football since the world's first international football match on St. Andrew's Day (Scotland's National Day), 30 November 1872. Controlled by the Scottish Football Association, the team competes in the two major professional tournaments, the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship, but not the Olympic Games. Most of their home matches are played at the national stadium, Hampden Park. They have a long-standing rivalry with England, with annual matches from 1872 until 1989, and six matches since then. They have qualified for the FIFA World Cup on eight occasions and the UEFA European Championship twice; they have never progressed beyond the first group stage of a finals tournament, but they did once beat the FIFA World Cup winners – England, in 1967. Their supporters are collectively known as the Tartan Army. The Scottish Football Association operates a roll of honour for every player who has made more than 50 appearances for the team. Kenny Dalglish, with 102 appearances between 1971 and 1986, holds the record for Scotland; he also shares the record for goals scored (30), with Denis Law.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland_national_football_team
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1700:
Great Northern War: Swedish forces led by King Charles XII defeated the Russian army of Tsar Peter the Great at the Battle of Narva. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Narva_(1700)
1853:
Russian warships led by Pavel Nakhimov destroyed an Ottoman fleet of frigates at the Battle of Sinop, precipitating the Crimean War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_War
1962:
Burmese diplomat U Thant became United Nations Secretary- General, following the death of Dag Hammarskjöld in September 1961. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_Thant
1979:
The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, was first released. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wall
1993:
US President Bill Clinton signed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act into law, requiring purchasers of handguns to pass a background check. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brady_Handgun_Violence_Prevention_Act
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
saltire: 1. (heraldry) An ordinary (geometric design) in the shape of an X. It usually occupies the entire field in which it is placed. 2. The Saint Andrew's cross, the flag of Scotland. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/saltire
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Laws are like Cobwebs which may catch small Flies, but let Wasps and Hornets break through. But in Oratory the greatest Art is to hide Art. --Jonathan Swift https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jonathan_Swift