THE BUILD-UP to what has been dubbed Scotland’s biggest football match for a generation reached fever pitch yesterday—a day before the Hampden showdown.

Fans across the country were already preparing for today’s crunch clash between Scotland and world champions Italy.

A place at next year’s European Championships is the prize for the winner—which would be Scotland’s first major tournament for a decade.

With a day to go, Saltire and Lion Rampant flags were fluttering from cars as well as pubs, bars and office buildings.

Pub owners are expecting record turnover and book- makers have predicted that £10 million will be spent on bets.

Tartan Army spokesman Hamish Husband said he had to think back to the 1970s to remember a similar pre-match atmosphere.

Recalling the World Cup qualifier against Czechoslovakia in 1973, which saw nearly 100,000 fans packed into Hampden for a 2-1 home win, he said, “This has been such a magnificent campaign.

“I have to go back to the early 1970s for anything like the mood at the moment.

“To be where we are now with a game against the world champions to go, it doesn’t really matter what happens.

“Win, lose or draw, it’s going to be a day to remember.”

Around 51,000 fans—including 3000 Italians—will pack into Hampden for today’s 5pm kick-off, with hundreds of thousands more glued to their TV sets.

There will be divided loyalties at Visocchi’s in Broughty Ferry.

Staff from Scotland and Italy work at the popular ice cream shop and will be cheering on their respective teams come 5pm.

Marco Caira, who runs the shop in Gray Street, won’t know who to support.

Wearing tartan trousers and the Italian team top, Marco said he’s torn between the two countries he loves.

“I’m in a difficult situation because I was born in Scotland but Italy’s in my blood,” he said.

“It’s a problem. I have got to sit on the fence.”

Visocchi’s have designed ice creams in the flags of Scotland and Italy to mark the game.

Gregor McMaster, a proud Scot who works as a chef in the shop, said there was no question of where his loyalties would lie and he will be cheering on Alex McLeish’s charges to victory.

“There’s been a lot of good natured banter in the run up to the game,” he said.

“Flags of both countries are up in the restaurant and we’re all wearing Scotland and Italy tops.

“There will be just as many people cheering on Scotland as Italy in Visocchi’s but after the match I’m sure we’ll all be friends again whatever happens.”

There’s a similar problem for a Fife family.

Maureen Londra and her partner Angelo Falerno live on Meldrum Road in Kirkcaldy and have three children together Amy (22), Innes (20) and David (19).

Maureen said, “I’m Fife born and bred but I lived in Italy for around five years and one of my kids was born there.

“Innes and David are the big football fans so we will all be heading out with them to watch the match.

“My daughter and eldest son work in Pane e Vino Italian restaurant and my younger son at Domino’s pizza, so they are all keeping close to their roots.

“When it comes to the game we will all have flexible loyalties.

“My dream would be for Scotland to win 2-0 but in reality I think it will be more like 3-1 to Italy.”

Taxi driver Angelo is taking English lessons and Maureen has given him some pointers ahead of the big game.

“I have taught him how to say congratulations in English in case Scotland win, but he says he is confident there will be no need to say it.

“Watching the game is an absolute must for him.”

Maureen teaches Italian at Adam Smith College and runs Club Italia Fife, a group for those with an interest in all things Italian.

She said, “I picked up Italian when I was out there, then after coming back I took it up as a part-time class and went on to qualify as a tutor.

“I now teach in Adam Smith College, Perth College and Dundee University.

“The club has been going for about a year, we have over 50 members and try to meet in different venues around Fife.

“There are more Italians than you would think living in Fife, many are so well integrated into the local population now that you might not notice.”

In Glasgow mass screenings have been laid on around the city to cater for people who have missed out on match tickets.

Around 7000 people are attending a sell-out Tartan Party on Glasgow Green, complete with a bar, music and live entertainment.

Tickets for the game were available on the auction website eBay yesterday for as much as £500 each.

Paul Waterson, chief executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said members were expecting record business today.

He said, “I don’t think in Scotland’s football history there has been a game like this. This is the sort of game that people want to be part of, and the pubs are there for people to do that.”

Today’s match commander, Strathclyde Police’s chief superintendent Robin Howe, has been in charge of around 300 big games. He said hundreds of officers will be on duty across the city.

The officer said he was concerned about the late kick-off from a drinking point of view, and reminded fans of his force’s “robust” policing approach.

“This is a massive, massive game—probably the biggest for the nation in a generation,” he said.

“People have got two hours’ extra drinking, and we need to make people get there in plenty of time and in a fit and proper state.

“We will be making sure there is no relaxation in terms of drinking in the street.”

Mr Howe said he was expecting no trouble from any of the Italian visitors.

Letters of welcome to each and every overseas fan have been drawn up, complete with smoking and drinking regulations in Glasgow, and will be handed out ahead of the game.

He said, “We don’t have any specific intelligence about Italian fans and are not expecting any issues.”

Glasgow City Marketing Bureau said every hotel room in the city limits, 9000 in total, had been booked today.

An estimated 40,000 fans are expected to pour into Glasgow from outside to sample the big-match atmosphere, the bureau added.

Rock band Runrig have had to pull out of performing at the game.

It had been hoped that the group would play at half-time for 51,000 fans at Hampden Park.

The band have recently recorded a new charity version of Tartan Army favourite Loch Lomond, traditionally belted out in the stadium during internationals.

But manager Steve Cullen said the band had flown in yesterday from a tour date in Germany, but had not been able to transport enough equipment back.