123 arrests after England win

THE TARTAN ARMY hoped to make history yesterday as they arrived at Hampden Park dressed in Scotland shirts bearing the names of players whose goals had defeated England.

"Oh Diego Maradona," they chanted to the tune of Okey Cokey. "He put the English out, out, out."

Bravehearts all, they stripped off their boxer shorts as the train pulled in from Glasgow, ready to show the auld enemy what was under their kilts.

Their exuberance was very different from the nervous English fans, identified on their special trains only by tiny England badges, closely filmed by police. "We went to Poland and Sweden and took our flags," said Dave Glasby, 38, a pipe layer from Rotherham. "But we didn't bring them up here, because there might be trouble."

Yet for all the Scottish spirit, England's triumph, by two goals, scored in the first half, to nil, felt inevitable. "I came 600 miles from Kent without a ticket to be here," said Billy, originally from Motherwell. "I'm gutted by the result but at least I'm here with my own kind. I couldn't have stayed in England for this."

In Ross's bar, Glasgow, there was some anger. "Scotland were all over them like a rash, but they couldnae finish their dinner," said Graham Whitelaw, 22, bemoaning missed chances.

Fans pointed out the irony that England's triumph was largely thanks to Sir Alex Ferguson - just granted the Freedom of Glasgow - whose key players, David Beckham and Paul Scholes, secured victory.

In Glasgow there were sporadic skirmishes between fans and hundreds of police who had mounted the biggest security operation in Scottish sporting history. Police confirmed they had arrested 123 fans.

As the Scots nursed their defeat, the chant across Glasgow was "We're the Tartan Army and we're off to Wembley."

MATCH REPORTS, SPORT