New deal, new beginnings & a sudden exit – Steve Clarke’s Scotland timeline
13 June – Scotland secured a 1-0 victory against Haiti at Boston Stadium; it was only their fifth World Cup win. While some questioned the performance, his response was, “My boys are fine.”
Despite this, it was a win for Scotland on the big stage and there was a wave of relief that they had not slipped; The performances of Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of the Congo improved further.
15 June – During a regular in-camp media conference, Naismith joked that Clarke was “doing somersaults for breakfast” after the win over Haiti.
The former striker really paid attention to the pre-tournament preparations and the head coach’s desire to enjoy this tournament.
19 June – Scotland conceded a goal in the first two minutes of the match against Morocco and suffered defeat despite improving in the second half. Later, Clarke received some criticism after a tense off-field interview: “I don’t even know why we’re doing these interviews.”
June 23 – Speaking before the Brazil game, Clarke joked that he would return to the Azteca Stadium, the venue where he scored as a player in the 1983 World Youth Championship, in the last 32.
“If we have to go to Mexico to play against Mexico, we will be happy because it will mean that we have qualified. We will be very happy to have the chance to go.”
24 June – Scotland lost 3-0 against Brazil in Miami and their chances of reaching the knockout stages for the first time were dashed.
Post-match, Clarke comes under increased scrutiny for his approach in post-match interviews. After another brief and tense meeting, when he appeared to be walking away, he later told the media “we’re definitely going home”.
While the Scots still have a 42% chance of making history, such negativity has weakened the fan base.
25-26 June: As this percentage decreases, the access doors to the team also decrease. While the country is in uncertainty, no one speaks to the media.
27/28 June – Just before midnight in the UK, Scotland’s fate was sealed as Croatia beat Ghana to confirm they left the tournament as one of the third lowest-placed teams.
Thirty-two minutes later, it was announced that Clarke had resigned as Scotland head coach, writing a 1,000-word letter to the nation in which he said his overwhelming feeling was “pride, followed closely by satisfaction” and that he had witnessed “the reconnection of our national team and our fans”.
His departure was announced to the team just 10 minutes in advance, and Clarke enthusiastically shared the shocking news with those he trusted most.
