Thought For The Day – Wednesday 19^th November 2025

In the November cold, there was a wonderful, and inspirational, warmth last evening.

For the first time in twenty-eight years, the Scotland men’s football team qualified for the World Cup Finals.

They join England in the final stages of next year’s tournament.  Northern Ireland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland will hope to join them in the coming weeks and months.   Wales won 7-1. Their manager, Craig Bellamy,  said their performance was “close to perfect”, adding “I don’t believe in perfect. I am not a perfect person and have never met anyone who is.”

Curaçao, a Caribbean island politically connected to the Netherlands, became the smallest ever nation to qualify for the men’s football World Cup in the last few hours. Early this morning, Haiti too qualified, for the first time in fifty-two years, against the odds, having to play their home games in Curaçao.

Last night, in the Scotland game, from Glasgow, broadcast on “B.B.C. Two”, after a stunning overhead kick by Scott McTominay, of Scotland and Napoli, with three minutes gone,  Scotland took the lead in a match they needed to win to automatically qualify.

But, when their brilliant opponents Denmark, twice equalised, resilience had to be shown.

However, in sport, as in examinations and assessments, and indeed in life, we should always use all the time available, giving everything we have, leaving it all out there.

Showing belief, character composure, determination, humility,  passion, and poise.

Doing our very best.   Channelling our emotions.

Two late added time goals secured the historic victory.  Never give up.

In memorable moments, people who are loved are often remembered.  Those here. Those looking down from Above.  We think of, and do things for, others.

The fine Scottish left-back, and Captain, Andy Robertson,  of Liverpool, pictured above, remembered his late great team-mate Diogo Jota, pictured below,  in this moving interview: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/videos/c4gkn47z88xo

After the match, Andy Robertson said: “I hit it well but today I have been in bits. I know the age I am at this is my last chance of a World Cup and I could not get my mate Diogo Jota out of my head today. We spoke so much together about this World Cup. He missed out on (2022 World Cup in) Qatar through injury and I missed out because Scotland never went. We always discussed what it would be like going to this World Cup and I know he will be somewhere smiling over me tonight. I could not get him out of my head the whole day, so I was in a bit of trouble in my room. I am just so glad it has ended up this way. The manager’s speech before the game was unbelievable. He went through the big moments we have had. He said: ‘Let’s make it another one. ‘We were quite emotional. To do it for him, the staff and all our families, it will go down as one of the greatest nights of my life.”