German mayor praises Tartan Army, fans call it ‘best in the world’

HEADLINES in the German city were to hand out awards for Scotland’s passionate support – as the travelling Tartan Army were given the title of “world’s best fans” by their hosts.

Just last Friday, the Bavarian city of Munich was invaded by around 200,000 infantrymen for the country’s Euro Cup opener against Germany.

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The kilt-wearing crowds then headed north and brought Cologne to a standstill. They marched together in the thousands – led by dozens of pipers – ahead of Wednesday’s crucial match.

But in Germany, the travelling fans are being spoken about with the same respect as Nobel Peace Prize winners are usually treated.

An official from the office of Munich mayor Dieter Reiter said: “The Scottish fans have been very influential. We are considering how to acknowledge this.”

Mr Reiter, who recorded a video welcoming the Scottish fans to the city, told the Scottish Sun: “It was a great honour for Munich to host the Scottish fans, their friendly and engaging nature enriched Munich.

“They have made an enormous contribution to the successful and joyous start of Euro 2024 with their extremely positive and peaceful atmosphere.

“The song ‘No Scotland, no party’ will resonate in Munich for a long time.”

Meanwhile, Dr Jurgen Amann, CEO of VisitCologne (VisitKoln), said: “We think there should be an award for the most powerful vocal support at the Euros, and Scottish fans would have an amazing chance to win it.

“The Scottish fans won the hearts of the people of Cologne. Scotland can be proud of its supporters, who created a warm and peaceful festive atmosphere.

“We’ll long remember the Tartan Army: no Scotland, no party!”.

Sven Stolz, UEFA Euro 2024 project leader for Cologne, said: “It was a fantastic time and still is a fantastic time as we still see many Scottish supporters at the Alter Markt in the old town. It was an incredible atmosphere over the last few days.

“There were lots of Scottish supporters singing and having a great time. Although we had to close all the fan zones and cancel all events because of the weather warning, they still kept on partying.

“It’s amazing to see how they behave, it’s friendly and a dream for us. We’re really happy to have them here.

“The locals seem to be making new friends and I’ve had a great response from the Scottish supporters in Cologne. We hope they’ll be back in the round of 16.”

And a Cologne city spokesman said: “We are very pleased that we were able to host the Scottish fans in Cologne.”

“Thousands of fans created an incredible and unique atmosphere in Cologne for several days. The many meetings between the people of Cologne and the Scots, the fans singing in the city and in the pubs created many special moments.

“It’s great to see how much fun they all have in Cologne. We would obviously be very happy if Scotland and their great fans were to come back for a potential Round of 16 match.”

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European football’s governing body is deliberating on which fans should be rewarded for their behaviour at Euro 2017, and Scotland are believed to be at the top of the list.

UEFA honoured Ireland fans as the best supporters for showing “pride, passion and respect” after both Euro 2016 and Euro 2012, with no award given at Euro 2020 as many games had very few fans due to Covid.

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Keen to promote positivity amongst fans, a UEFA source, when asked about Euro 2024 fan awards, said: “The logistics will then be discussed.”

On the other hand, the German media is praising Scotland’s travelling support on television screens and front pages.

The news website Blick published a major article on the history of the Tartan Army, titled, “The History of the World’s Friendliest Army.”

The local newspaper Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger simply said “We love you Scots” and featured stories and pictures of their visit to North Rhine-Westphalia on page 3.

The headline was in English: “No Scotland, no party”.

Scotland fans are always welcome

TV station NTV also left no stone unturned in praising him.

He said: “The ‘Tartan Army’ is legendary. He has a strong voice, a spirit for beer – and a heart for others.

“It has been very well received in the city, where people also celebrate charity and solidarity.”

“Such images overpower other less beautiful images, such as the hooliganism in Gelsenkirchen or the chaos on the slopes.

“The Scottish people epitomise the ideal fan, especially at a tournament such as the European Championship.”

“In a good mood, constantly singing, quick to make small talk, very little to no aggression. That’s exactly how it should be.”

“The Scottish people epitomise the ideal fan, especially at a tournament like the European Championship.”

ntv

An incident highlighted by local media during the storm that hit Cologne on Tuesday captured the hearts of people across the country.

An elderly man was crossing a square pushing a trolley in heavy rain. Two kilt-wearing Scots accompanied the elderly man through the rain, one of whom was holding an umbrella above his head.

The FC Köln International account shared this view and commented: “Scotland fans, we knew we would welcome you at the Euros. You are always welcome.”

West of Scotland Tartan Army spokesman Hamish Husband said fans should now receive government rewards for export or tourism.

“You are always welcome.”

From FC Köln to the Tartan Army

He said: “Some fans here haven’t just stopped at helping elderly women cross the road – they’ve even started kissing babies.”

“I lived in Germany, so I always knew how much affection there was between us.

“It’s all about kilts, tartan and bagpipes. Now add extravagant behaviour and we have a major international love affair.”

Yesterday, thousands of fans began travelling 233 miles south to Stuttgart for Sunday’s final Group A match against Hungary, where victory would see Steve Clarke’s side make history by progressing beyond the group stages.

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