When Jim Leighton, Tom Boyd, Colin Hendry and company lined up against Brazil to open the France ‘98 World Cup, the game was watched almost exclusively on CRT television sets.
There were no streaming services, Sky Sports apps, or anything like that. The internet was in its infancy and if you wanted to rewatch the match, you’d need to set your VHS recorder.
Fans wouldn’t even have Googled for the results – the world’s number one search engine hadn’t been founded yet – and many still relied on Teletext and Ceefax.
On the day after the night before when Steve Clarke’s troops made history by becoming the first Scottish side to qualify for a major tournament in 22 long years, we take a look at 22 things that didn’t exist back in 1998.
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1. (New) Hampden Park
Hampden Park was closed in 1998 as construction of a new south stand progressed. The new-look and all-seater arena reopened in time for the 1999 Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Rangers and to witness the controversial moment referee Hugh Dallas was pelted with a coin. Photo: Creative Commons
2. Google
Scotland fans couldn't Google for the results of any of the matches during France '98 because the world's number one search engine didn't exist yet. They wouldn't have to wait long though - Google was founded in September 1998. Photo: Yui Mok
3. Ryan Porteous
Born on March 25, 1999, Hibs defender Ryan Porteous is one of the youngest players in Steve Clarke's Scotland squad. Ryan can't recall the France '98 World Cup, as he was nothing more than a twinkle in his dad's eye at the time. Photo: Contributed
4. Contactless payments
The idea of waving your card at a little screen to pay for your groceries was pure fantasy in 1998. Most people used cash, and, when they did pay with plastic, it involved signing a piece of paper and a store clerk checking it against the signature on the back of your debit card. Photo: Contributed