The Euro didn’t come into use until the year after.
And it was that year too that Scotland’s first First Minister, Donald Dewar proclaimed “today there is a new voice in the land,” as the new parliament opened in Edinburgh.
There have been six First Ministers since, and one vote on independence in 2014.
Glasgow hosted the Commonwealth Games in the same year, two summers after London welcomed the world for the Olympics. Hampden hosted a few men’s and women’s football games during that one.
Including the 1998 title, won weeks before the jaunt to France, Celtic have won 21 Scottish top-flight titles since, that one in 98 – the Scottish Premier Division league title, as it was then called – ending nine years of dominance by Rangers.
Elsewhere in the sport, a 22-year-old Tiger Woods was waltzing into the golfing world. He had just one major to his name – The Masters – but would go on to win a further 14.
Roger Federer hadn’t even made his ATP debut, never mind won any of his 103 singles title – or his 20 majors, while Wimbledon’s winner in ’98, Pete Sampras earned £43,500 more than women’s winner, Jana Novotna.
Equal pay finally arrived in 2007 with last year’s winners – Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek – both receiving £3m. Changed days.
