SCOTLAND’S next two crucial qualifiers will once again only be shown on YouTube – leaving older Tartan Army viewers scrambling with technology once more.
Our team’s most recent National League games – a 2-1 away loss to Croatia followed by a goalless draw with Portugal at Hampden Park – were only available to view on the streaming service.
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And it’s the same story when Steve Clarke’s side host Croatia on Friday night and take on Poland on Monday in an away game.
Bizarrely, STV viewers are currently only able to watch England matches, with the Auld Enemy taking on Greece on Thursday before they play Ireland on Sunday.
Chief Features Writer MATT BENDORIS speaks to one of those older Tartan Army supporters – the voice of Scottish football himself, Archie Macpherson – about the troubles with YouTube.
THE latest Scotland match left Archie Macpherson holding his head in his hands when he settled down at home with his wife Jess to watch the national side face Portugal.
It wasn’t Scott McTominay’s early chance headed wide or Cristiano Ronaldo’s full-time tantrum that left the voice of Scottish football exasperated.
Rather, it was because for the first time ever the game was only available on YouTube.
Like many older viewers, that was a step too far even for this smartwatch-wearing broadcasting legend, who turned 90 this month.
Archie, who lives in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, says: “I am pretty tech-savvy, but no, I wasn’t able to get logged out without some assistance.”
It was a problem many older viewers faced after Norwegian broadcaster ViaPlay — which owns the rights to Scotland’s matches — subcontracted out both Nations League qualifier games to ITVX.
But with no one willing to pay their asking price to broadcast the matches, they ended up on the video-sharing platform.
That meant many fans had to log on to YouTube for the first time, where they were then asked to scan a QR code before being allowed to access the live stream.
Nats MSP Paul McLennan, a member of the Tartan Army, said he was “concerned” about the matches not being shown on TV.
He said: “One of the big issues is making sure the fans can watch Scotland on terrestrial TV as much as they possibly can.
“I get to as many home games as I can, get to some away games but actually watching Scotland is a really passionate time.”
And Iain Emerson, editor of Famous Tartan Army Magazine, said: “It was outrageous that the games weren’t on mainstream telly.
“Yes younger fans know all about YouTube, but many older ones wouldn’t have known where to start.
“If we are going to bring along a new generation of Tartan Army supporters it’s vital that as many people as possible are able to watch the games.
“That’s the only way to maintain interest in all levels of our game. We’re really missing a trick here by not having them on the main channels.”
In fact the last time fans were able to watch Scotland on linear TV — outside of a major tournament — was 10 years ago when BBC Scotland broadcast a friendly against Poland.
Archie was the voice of football for decades, covering six World Cups featuring our national side from 1974. But he insists it wasn’t always like that.
He says: “I started in this business in the very early ’60s when hardly any of the great games were on the TV.
“Then during the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s all Scotland matches were on the telly and I was very fortunate to cover them all.”
Now Archie believes the SFA needs to “step in” and sort out their rights issues to ensure games return to mainstream TV.
He says: “The SFA owe it to the fans because they have the most loyal supporters imaginable.
“Why do I say that? Because they watched the most dismal football ever this summer yet the fans’ loyalty to Scotland astonished everyone else.
“So the SFA should make sure these games are back on terrestrial TV — especially if no one can even be bothered screening them.”
And Archie is certainly not impressed with the decision of his previous employer STV to only screen England’s Nations League matches instead.
He shrugs: “Frankly, what Scotland fan is interested in watching these England games?”
That’s why he’s fuming that neither BBC Scotland nor STV made a move to screen the Croatia clash tonight before we play Poland on Monday.
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He says: “These are crucial games for Scotland and should have been on terrestrial TV.
“They certainly don’t deserve to be on YouTube, which is beyond the means of many older viewers, including myself.”
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