SCOTLAND will return to the scene of one of their worst-ever results after the Amsterdam ArenA was revealed as the venue for their next World Cup qualifier in the Netherlands.
The Dutch FA (KNVB) yesterday confirmed the home of Ajax will host George Burley's side in a crucial Group 9 meeting on Saturday, 28 March.
Scotland's memories of the 51,628-capacity stadium are not the happiest after Berti Vogts' side collapsed t
o an embarrassing 6-0 defeat in the second leg of a Euro 2004 play-off on 19 November, 2003.
A famous goal by James McFadden had given the Scots the upper hand with victory at Hampden in the first leg four days previously, but in complete contrast, the Netherlands ran riot on a disastrous night for Scotland to seal a 6-1 passage to the finals in Portugal.
Burley's charges will now seek revenge to keep their World Cup hopes alive against the group favourites, with the match kicking off at 7:45pm British time.
It appeared last month as if Scotland would have to wait until next year to find out the venue, as under Fifa rules the KNVB needed only to give their counterparts 60 days' notice of their chosen ground.
Rotterdam, where the Netherlands beat Iceland on Saturday, and Eindhoven were both mooted, but up to 10,000 Tartan Army members will now descend on Amsterdam.
McFadden, Gary Naysmith, Barry Ferguson and Darren Fletcher survive from the starting line-up who were thrashed almost five years ago, while Kenny Miller appeared as a second-half substitute. Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who scored a hat-trick in that match, retired from international duty this year after the Euro 2008 finals.
The full article contains 289 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
