The short-term hopes of Scotland could be decided today.

Yet, it is the dreams of the next generation that could be secured or obliterated at Hampden tonight.

Around 45,000 Scotland fans will march on the national stadium dreaming of past glories and the slim chance of repeating them against England.

All week the build up has been there. Talk of 1967, 1970 and 1985 just a few of the years that hold fond memories for those who could rattle off all verses of Flower of Scotland but couldn't tell you when their wife's birthday is. Most of them veterans of the Tartan Army, soldiers who have witnessed their troops go into battle to saviour victory at the end. Some of them while sitting atop a Wembley crossbar.

For the rest of us, they are tales of folklore which are about as relevant and contemporaneous as the Old Testament. Only once in my lifetime has Scotland managed to beat the Auld Enemy, and even then we still got pumped out of a play-off on aggregate.

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Even victory means defeat to those of us unfortunate enough to be born after 1985.

Has this played a part in the dwindling interest in our national team? Quite possibly. Only 20,000 turned up at Hampden three months ago to watch our boys just, and I mean just, see off the world superpower that is Slovenia. A stadium that once swayed and rocked with hundreds of thousands of jubilant souls cheering on a Scotland victory was reduced to rippling crackle. The Hampden Roar has long since been tamed.

That is until today.

The arrival of England at our door brings with it an added interest and punters to fill the rows of empty seats. Those lucky enough to be inside the Mount Florida ground will be there in hope rather than expectation that a miracle could take place. The dream of getting to Russia next year may become more vivid than ever as a result, or it may continue to be a hazy nightmare hovering on the horizon.

Most importantly, though, there is a chance to spark a new interest in the national side and, beyond that, Scottish football itself.

Glasgow Times: A fan / supporter of Scotland asleep during the match (Photo by AMA/Corbis via Getty Images).

While Malky Mackay can sit with Stewart Regan and pour over different academies, strategies and plans to get kids playing the game and drip-feeding into Scottish clubs, what a window of opportunity we have to sell it all to the next generation.

Far too often our playing fields lie empty with only a 'No Ball Games' sign for company, expensive facilities out of the reach of many too. When our kids do get the chance to play football somewhere, often the sight of Manchester City, Chelsea and Barcelona tops fill games of Cuppy Singles up and down the land. The days of a Dougie Arnott wannabe smashing a penalty kick in off a tree stump are long gone in the most part.

It doesn't have to be this way, though. Get a victory this afternoon and those in white that our youngsters idolise will be reduced to failures in the face of the brave souls in dark blue rejoicing in their faces. Let images of this jubilation be splashed across televisions and mobile screens all over the land.

Far too often England's players, clubs and indeed national team are put on a pedestal not befitting the quality actually on display. Mark Hateley said the current crop are the best since the Golden Generation.

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Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge, John Stones? Give me Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, David Beckham and Rio Ferdinand any day.

Is a victory beyond Scotland? Of course not. Is this England team stronger than the French one that was humbled by McFadden & Co? Not even close.

That was potentially the last time Scotland gave Hampden something to roar about. It's now time for them to do it again, and initiate a new breed of generation into Scottish football.