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A Nation Again: The Inside Story of Scotland’s Journey to the European Championship
A Nation Again is the chaotic tale of the Scotland men's team's return to a major tournament after more than 20 years in the wilderness. Ten major tournaments had come and gone for Scotland since they reached France '98, but the birth of UEFA's Nations League offered a new route to glory. In early 2018, after a long search for Gordon Strachan's replacement, Alex McLeish became manager for a second time. But despite successfully navigating the Nations League group stage, it wasn't plain sailing, and his tenure ended after a shocking defeat at the start of Euro 2020 qualifying. With a play-off semi-final on the horizon, the Scottish FA turned to Steve Clarke, who took on the challenge of inspiring a team rooted in failure, creating a band-of-brothers mentality and figuring out how to organise this incredibly talented group of players. From a couple of the lowest lows came the highest high. With exclusive memories of those who were part of the journey, this is the story of how Scotland finally became a nation again.
- GenresFootball
352 pages, Hardcover
Published February 20, 2023
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 17, 2026
I made the conscious decision to read this over the course of a few months in late 2025 as Scotland finally qualified for their first World Cup since 1998.
Wasn't sure what to expect having never read anything by the author and being vaguely aware of him as having done commentary but was very pleasantly surprised.
Despite his relatively young age, he was well-informed and clearly passionate about the Scottish national team and its history. This wasn't an opportunist picking a topic to write a book about based on the fact it might sell - which I think Pitch Publishing can be guilty of facilitating - but a professional choosing to write about a subject he was so obviously fully invested in.
That was enhanced for me by the way the author approached the book in terms of his writing style. It was laddish yet intelligent, with some great turns of phrase and liberal use of swear words, which I found refreshing. If I had to compare it to anything, I'd say the 'voice' was similar to that of a magazine like FourFourTwo.
I really enjoyed the way Bargh structured the book and took the time to start with Gordon Strachan's era and dedicate time to Alex McLeish's tenure, even having the bravery to tackle a number of controversial issues (such as rumours of McLeish's failing health and dementia) throughout and never shirking anything that would have been easy to ignore when trying to get access to individuals to make the book happen.
In saying that, this is actually the reason I gave the book four stars rather than five. Firstly, I felt the author gave McLeish a little too much credit and clearly had a soft spot for the former Aberdeen and Scotland defender, perhaps based on how accessible he appeared to make himself.
By contrast, the same voices seemed to crop up over the course of the book, not all members of the squad. I may be wrong, but I don't think Andy Robertson or Scott McTominay spoke to the author at all, and neither did Steve Clarke, and that's really key for me. You can't offer proper insight without speaking to the manager who made it happen.
I get that Clarke isn't the most amenable to the media and probably rejected the opportunity to contribute, but if I had considered a project such as this and received a 'no' from Clarke, I would have likely abandoned the idea entirely.
That said, the book does paper over this by referencing comments in the press, media conferences, and an insightful podcast interview and so it's not as though Clarke's voice is totally absent.
I did think the author seemed to have run out of steam by the end, and didn't dedicate as much time and space to the Serbia match and its aftermath, and that was a little anti-climactic. I expected to learn something new here or get real insights into the celebrations and players' family and friend reactions. But it just seemed to end abruptly
Where Bargh did deep dive was the penalty shoot out and some of the insight there was fascinating, particularly David Marshall's thought processes and how nervous the likes of Ryan Jack and Declan Gallagher were about having to step in. All in all, it's a very worthwhile read for any Scottish football fan hoping to relive a monumental and at times bizarre era in the history of our national team.
Wasn't sure what to expect having never read anything by the author and being vaguely aware of him as having done commentary but was very pleasantly surprised.
Despite his relatively young age, he was well-informed and clearly passionate about the Scottish national team and its history. This wasn't an opportunist picking a topic to write a book about based on the fact it might sell - which I think Pitch Publishing can be guilty of facilitating - but a professional choosing to write about a subject he was so obviously fully invested in.
That was enhanced for me by the way the author approached the book in terms of his writing style. It was laddish yet intelligent, with some great turns of phrase and liberal use of swear words, which I found refreshing. If I had to compare it to anything, I'd say the 'voice' was similar to that of a magazine like FourFourTwo.
I really enjoyed the way Bargh structured the book and took the time to start with Gordon Strachan's era and dedicate time to Alex McLeish's tenure, even having the bravery to tackle a number of controversial issues (such as rumours of McLeish's failing health and dementia) throughout and never shirking anything that would have been easy to ignore when trying to get access to individuals to make the book happen.
In saying that, this is actually the reason I gave the book four stars rather than five. Firstly, I felt the author gave McLeish a little too much credit and clearly had a soft spot for the former Aberdeen and Scotland defender, perhaps based on how accessible he appeared to make himself.
By contrast, the same voices seemed to crop up over the course of the book, not all members of the squad. I may be wrong, but I don't think Andy Robertson or Scott McTominay spoke to the author at all, and neither did Steve Clarke, and that's really key for me. You can't offer proper insight without speaking to the manager who made it happen.
I get that Clarke isn't the most amenable to the media and probably rejected the opportunity to contribute, but if I had considered a project such as this and received a 'no' from Clarke, I would have likely abandoned the idea entirely.
That said, the book does paper over this by referencing comments in the press, media conferences, and an insightful podcast interview and so it's not as though Clarke's voice is totally absent.
I did think the author seemed to have run out of steam by the end, and didn't dedicate as much time and space to the Serbia match and its aftermath, and that was a little anti-climactic. I expected to learn something new here or get real insights into the celebrations and players' family and friend reactions. But it just seemed to end abruptly
Where Bargh did deep dive was the penalty shoot out and some of the insight there was fascinating, particularly David Marshall's thought processes and how nervous the likes of Ryan Jack and Declan Gallagher were about having to step in. All in all, it's a very worthwhile read for any Scottish football fan hoping to relive a monumental and at times bizarre era in the history of our national team.
April 23, 2023
Despite being an avid disciple of football ever since I could walk and talk I rarely follow it in the form of my Books. What a book to start it with. This was beautifully written and took me back to so many incredible moments following Scotland and yes I do remember where I was that night Marshall saved from Mitrovic in Belgrade, almost falling out of a 4 story tenement window from sheer joy and jubilation. Andy Bargh what an effort, and so glad I’ve got a copy signed by himself, Marshall and SOD.
April 22, 2023
I can not put into words how over come with emotion I was when we qualified for the delayed European Championships in 2020. I honestly didn't believe I would ever see the likes again. See it we did. We came, we boogied, we were out after 3 games (no change there).
This book brilliantly documents our journey from the depths of International obscurity to being back among the big boys. With contributions from the players who made it happen, I loved reliving this journey.
While the author tends to use some irritatingly modern language ("limbs" to describe the reaction when Scotland scored or "swipe left" when a manager was contemplating taking job) but that is a small complaint.
A wonderful walk down a very recent memory lane.
This book brilliantly documents our journey from the depths of International obscurity to being back among the big boys. With contributions from the players who made it happen, I loved reliving this journey.
While the author tends to use some irritatingly modern language ("limbs" to describe the reaction when Scotland scored or "swipe left" when a manager was contemplating taking job) but that is a small complaint.
A wonderful walk down a very recent memory lane.
May 10, 2023
A treasure trove of memories for any Scotland supporter, lovingly compiled and engagingly written, with fascinating insights from the players and managers who played their part in getting us there. The chapter on THAT night in Belgrade roars along at a rate of knots and is a particular pleasure to read through...especially now that we know how it ends!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews