Scotland is in the grip of World Cup fever: waiting for the first game after 28 years

Seconds after Kenny McLean's midfield strike struck Denmark last November, his children asked:
"Why are so many people crying?"
Ayrshire father-of-three Andrew Munro was able to wipe away a few tears himself - and he wasn't alone.
Scotland's 4-2 win over Denmark secured the team's first World Cup appearance in 28 years, sparking excitement across the country.
Eight months later, as Scotland prepare to take on Haiti in the early hours of Sunday, feverish anticipation grips the country.
From thousands of people partying in large halls to schoolchildren setting their alarms for 02:00 BST, excitement, nervousness and daydreaming are on every street.
Lucy McQueen, a 25-year-old teacher from Glasgow who plays amateur for Linlithgow Rose, says:
"People don't support the World Cup unless their country is in it, and for the first time in years we are in it."
“I think everyone is very, very excited. You can see the kids are really excited about it too.
“In our department this year we have a FIFA Panini sticker book and all the kids come and exchange stickers with us.
“Everyone seems to be just excited about it.”
Lucy says she will watch every Scotland match, so there may be a weary-eyed teacher in her class on Thursday, June 25 - the day after Scotland's match against Brazil, which kicks off at 11pm.
Many students may face the same problem.Andrew Munro, who lives in Dunlop, Ayrshire, has three children - Harry, 14, Kira, 12, and Adam, 10.
All three boys are football fans and worshipers of John MaGeen, and none of them saw the men's team compete in the World Cup.
“The timing of the match against Haiti creates some difficulties,” he laughs.
"I think we'll go to bed around eight and then wake up around half past twelve to watch the game - and then the boys play football on Sunday morning. So we'll see how that goes."
"Everybody's talking about it."
In Peterhead, Clerkhill School pupils have written their own World Cup song, written by teacher Diana Pert, who says she has put aside her feelings of envy that her husband is flying to America for the games.
They're not the only ones feeling this musical mood - dozens of singers and bands have released songs to try to capture the national mood.
Signs of unrest are everywhere, and not just in the obvious pubs and supermarkets.
Chips shops and hairdressers in Glasgow in Anniesland have Scottish flags hanging in their windows, banks in Dumfries have inflatable footballs on the walls next to ATMs.
Bear Scotland, who are responsible for the country's roads, have named one of their snow blowers "Snow Scotland Snow Party", with a man dressed as a bear in a kilt.
The local authority got involved too, renaming itself East Robbo-shire after Scotland captain Andy Robertson - who hails from the area.In Dumfries, one of the most colorful displays of support for Scotland is when flags fly from outside tables outside the Kings Cafe.
Owner Mark Smith said: “Even as we were setting them up, people passing by started clapping, getting excited, even singing football songs.
“The city really has a vibe. We hear people talking about our chances and remembering previous attempts to get to the World Cup."
Although it has been 28 years since the men's team reached France 98, in recent years Steve Clark's team have been able to reach two European Championships and the women's team qualified for the 2019 World Cup.
However, interest in 2026 appears to be on a completely different level.
JD Sports says they have sold around twice as many Scotland shirts as they did at the 2024 European Championships.
This form is currently the best selling product in both the UK and US.
Pop-up Scottish stores offering official merchandise can be found in cities such as Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling.
A staffer in Glasgow told the BBC that retro uniforms were among the most popular items, along with a T-shirt reading "We'll be there at 26" - popular with members of the Tartan Army heading to America.
Meanwhile, those not planning a transoceanic trip are making reservations for bars and other establishments that are expected to be crowded.More traditional venues such as SWG3 in Glasgow and the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen are hosting a match screening party.
The country's biggest venue, OVO Hydro, is expecting thousands of fans and says it will have the biggest screen in the country.
"We've waited almost 30 years for Scotland to return to world football's biggest stage and we wanted to bring the team to our stage for fans who couldn't make the trip across the Atlantic," says chief commercial officer Debbie McQuilliams.
For pubs, the World Cup offers a potential boom as almost all local authorities have allowed license renewals.
Liam Logue, of Greens Sports Bar in Dumfries, expects the pub to be packed with Scotland fans.
"We sold 240 tickets - we originally sold 200,"
he says.
"Since we sold out, everyone has been contacting us, so we could sell 100 more."
The current feeling is not something new for some fans, but rather something that has been missing for years.
With the exception of USA 94, Scotland reached every World Cup from 1974 to 1998.
For fans growing up in that era, there was an expectation that they would be there, even if the tournaments themselves invariably proved harrowing.
"I was 18 in France '98 and decided not to go," recalls Graham McNay, who lives in Glasgow.
“I remember thinking that I would definitely go in four years or the year after if we didn’t qualify."You took it for granted that Scotland would be at the World Cup. I didn't expect another 28 years to pass!
"There was a time when you started to wonder if you'd see us there again."
Tens of thousands of Scotland fans are heading to the US and the atmosphere is heating up in Boston, where the Tartan Army is setting up camp.
Graham traveled to America with friends for games against Haiti and Morocco. As someone who remembers the infamous 1-0 defeat to Costa Rica in 1990, his excitement is mixed with nervousness.
"I'm a bit of a pessimist, so I'm worried we'll stumble against Haiti," he says.
"It's always the ones you expect to beat that end up as banana peels, like Costa Rica or Morocco in 1998.
"But Steve Clarke will keep us grounded and hopefully we'll finally get out of the group."
There is optimism elsewhere, too.
A temporary shop worker in Glasgow recalls talking to the parents of one very young child who was "used to Scotland always winning" - a far cry from some of the dark days fans have endured over the past 28 years.
And anyone looking for a positive feeling need only look just yards from the national stadium where adults wept as the final whistle blew in November.
A nearby wall features a mural of Scott McTominay's spectacular strike that opened the scoring against Denmark.Lindsay Hamilton has been leading walking tours of the area for several years now, covering three different Hampden Park sites.
She has noticed changes in recent weeks.
“There is such an atmosphere around the World Cup, people make their predictions and share their own stories about all the previous failures.”
Other McTominay and MaGin murals appeared in other places around the country.
For Lindsey, the mural evokes emotion—and, like the rest of the country, she hopes more art like this will be created this summer.
“Every time you see him, it brings a smile.”