"Whether you call it a bad temper or a drive, Scots people have it and to do a sport at the highest level you have to have that drive. We have it in other fields too. Look at the history of Scotland, it's absolutely magnificent what a small country has produced but we are rather negative about it. I read in some magazine about our national heroes and they ripped the backside out of every one. Only in this country could you do that."
- Gordon Strachan (Celtic Manager and former Scotland Captain)
SCOTS STUN FRANCE TO GO TOP OF GROUP IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS
A second half wonder strike from James McFadden sealed a shock 1-0 victory for Scotland over Euro 2008 group B rivals France in Paris on Wednesday 12th September. McFadden's 64th minute goal followed a long kick-out from keeper Craig Gordon, the Scotland striker taking two touches before unleashing a 25-yard drive which Mickael Landreau could only palm into the top corner of his net.
It is only the third victory for Scotland in France in the post-war period, and means they have now beaten France twice in this campaign following the 1-0 win at Hampden. More importantly, it is a huge boost to the qualifying hopes of Scotland, who go top of group B with overnight leaders France dropping to third behind second-placed Italy after their victory against Ukraine.
Walter Smith hailed the victory over France as the nation's greatest ever result. Smith also led the Scots to a memorable victory over the World Cup finalists last year, before quitting as national team coach to return to Rangers in January. But he believes his successor, Alex McLeish, has gone one better by stunning the French in their own backyard.
"France got to the final of the World Cup and Scotland beat them on their own ground," said Smith. "I don't think that happens on very many occasions. "You have to put it down as the best result Scotland have achieved, I don't think there is any doubt about that."
He added: "Hopefully it will do something for Scottish football as much as anything else. At the moment, the football is probably at as high a level as it has been for a number of years. And the good thing about that is that at international level and also club level, it is Scots who are making up the bulk of the team. It's a nice situation for the country to be in for the first time in a good number of years."
Scotland top qualifying Group B, a point ahead of Italy and two in front of France. The bookies still back the two heavyweight nations to progress to next summer's finals but Smith believes Scotland now have a realistic chance of booking their own place at the tournament. He said: "At the start of the campaign I think we would all have been doubtful but we have a tremendous opportunity now.
"Sometimes we get carried away but I think this time we have a right to be carried away after gaining a result like that one the other night."
DARIO FRANCHETTI WINS INDY CAR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Lothians racing driver Dario Franchitti has completed his remarkable rise from go-kart-mad youngster to world sports star. The 34-year-old star, born in West Lothian and schooled in Edinburgh, clinched the 2007 IndyCar Series championship at Chicagoland race track last night.
Now he is set to receive a hero's welcome when he returns to his hometown of Bathgate, with West Lothian Council planning a civic reception in his honour. His delighted family today said they would also have a party for the racer and his film star wife Ashley Judd as soon as they were back in Scotland.
Grandmother Lina Franchitti, who lives in Whitburn, said: "I'm very, very proud of him. His mum phoned me up to tell me from America. I didn't get to sleep till four in the morning. I'm hoping to talk to him later today. "We always thought he would do well. He was racing go-karts from a very young age. He was always very keen on anything to do with cars. I was really worried about him when he had the crash. I was in Italy at the time and it was in all the Italian papers. He was very lucky."
Franchitti - who won the famous Indy 500 race in May - hit the headlines again last month when he survived a spectacular crash at the Michigan Speedway. Last night, he finished with 637 points to claim his first IndyCar championship with New Zealander Scott Dixon 13 points adrift.
He had started the race with just a three-point advantage over Dixon, who was leading the race but ran out of fuel in the final lap, allowing the Scot to pass him on the outside and take the title. It was a dramatic culmination to one of the most intense championship battles in IndyCar history.
Franchitti was born in Bathgate, before moving to Whitburn at the age of eight. He attended Stewart's Melville High School in Edinburgh and honed his skills at Knockhill racing circuit in Fife, racing go-karts as a teenager. Franchitti and Judd, rapidly becoming one of the most famous couples in America, split their time between their Nashville ranch and their mansion in Perthshire.
He is a passionate Celtic supporter, and tells visitors to his website that his favourite city in the world is Edinburgh. His younger brother Marino is also a racing driver in the US. Franchitti said one of his main fears was running out of fuel in the race. Once he had overtaken his rival Dixon on the last lap, he said he knew he had won the championship.
YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN ANDY - PAT CASH
Scotland's Andy Murray
TENNIS legend Pat Cash says young Scot Andy Murray will be Great Britain's only successful player for the next five years. When Tim Henman bows out after this month's Davis Cup clash with Croatia, Murray will become the sole British player in the top 100 and former Wimbledon champion Cash believes there is little hope of another player emerging in the near future.
He said: "I think tennis in Great Britain is slowly heading in the right direction. But as it stands, success can not be judged by top 10 players, but by getting players into the top 100. Australian tennis is similar. We have one player, like Andy Murray, around the top 10, and then nothing after that.
"You can't just have one top player, you need two or three guys to help out. So I can see it being pretty quiet for the next five or so years."
London-based Cash did play an active role in British tennis when he coached Greg Rusedski back in 2001. And the Aussie ace recently approached the Lawn Tennis Association about assisting in their set-up again, only to have his offer ignored. He added: "I did offer my services but I haven't been given the courtesy of a reply to the letter. So it doesn't look like it's going to work out."
MURRAY MAY RISK HIS HEALTH BY PLAYING IN DAVIS CUP
Andy Murray admits he may have to restrict his participation in the Davis Cup in order prevent injury. The 20-year-old has slipped to number 19 in the world rankings following the wrist injury which forced Murray to miss the French Open and Wimbledon. The Scot is preparing for next week's Davis Cup tie against Croatia which will mark Tim Henman's farewell from tennis but accepts he may have to miss some games in the future in order to protect himself from injury.
Murray said: "It's not that I don't want to play Davis Cup. I love Davis Cup but it's just that I'm hurting myself from playing it, so I have to make a decision whether to play Davis Cup or whether to take a couple of weeks off after it. There's no chance I'm going to play the week after Davis Cup, like I did last year, that was stupid. I don't think it's abut playing for yourself, it's about doing what is right for your body.
"It's hard on you, if you look at what has happened to me when I have played Davis Cup in the past, such as after Ukraine last year - I was playing great before that and I hardly won another match for the rest of the year.... Maybe they have been coincidences but there have been four or five times when it has happened."
The Scottish Independence Guide www.scottishindependence.com