Q & A with Archie Macpherson

ROGER EMMERSON was born in Edinburgh and attended Leith Academy. He studied architecture under Sir Robert Matthew at the University of Edinburgh and under Professor Isi Metzstein at the Glasgow School of Art, graduating from there in 1982. He has worked in London, Newcastle upon Tyne and, mostly, Edinburgh, running his own practice, ARCHImedia, from 1987 to 1999 while concurrently teaching architectural design at Edinburgh College of Art when he was also visiting lecturer at universities in Venice, Lisbon, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Berkeley. Since 2000 he has worked extensively in the fields of architectural conservation, housing, education and the leisure industries throughout the UK, retiring from architectural practice, although not architecture, in 2016. He is married and lives in Edinburgh close to his four children, their partners and his seven grandchildren. He devotes his free time to writing, painting and playing guitar.


Countdown to Scotland's first game against Haiti in the 2026 FIFA World Cup (UK time).
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Here’s to the players who wear the shirt, thank you for giving us something worth rallying behind, and here’s to the supporters who kept believing even when we were out in the wilderness.
28 years of heartbreak are over, Scotland are back in the World Cup. With a pen dipped in passion, McNeill explores the emotional landscape of football, bringing to life the highs and lows, triumphs and tribulations that define the beautiful game in Scotland.
Praise for We Are Scottish Football:
In this unique and vivid collection of poems and photographs Julie McNeill makes sure we don’t forget the impact our footballing history has had on the world. STUART COSGROVE, author & presenter
A must read for any fan of football, history, poetry and Scotland. IAN MAXWELL, CEO SFA
In this wonderful book of poems and photographs Julie McNeill ties together the past and present of the game and highlights some of its outstanding moments, personalities and controversies. ROSE REILLY MBE, World Cup Winning Footballer
A poetic tribute, capturing the soul-stirring drama and devotion that make Scottish football an enduring and enchanting spectacle. PAUL ENGLISH, The Herald
Timely and well-written by a fine poet [who] acknowledges the popular roots of the male game while inflecting these through a modern female gaze. ALISTAIR FINDLAY, Morning Star
JULIE McNEILL, poet, author and workshop facilitator, specialises in creative writing workshops and talks, focusing on mental
health and supporting individuals with additional needs. Author of Mission Dyslexia and two poetry collections, she’s the Poet in Residence for St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation and the Makar for The Scottish Women’s National Football Team Poets Society. Her performances include notable events like Wigtown Book Festival and StAnza International Poetry Festival.