Tartan Army
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tartan Army is a name given to fans of the Scotland national football team. The name derives from the wearing of tartan at football matches and when travelling abroad.
During the 1970s, Scotland fans became notorious for their hooliganism, particularly after they invaded the Wembley pitch and destroyed the goalposts after the England v Scotland match in 1977.[1][2] Since then, the Tartan Army have won awards from UEFA for their combination of vocal support, friendly nature and charity work.[3][4] The Tartan Army have been awarded a Fair Play prize by the Belgian Olympic Committee[5] and were named as the best supporters during the 1992 European Championship.[5] The fans were also presented with a trophy for non-violence in sport and were voted by journalists to be the best supporters for their sense of fair play and sporting spirit at the 1998 World Cup in France.[6]
Countries drawn against Scotland often welcome the arrival of their fans.[7] Scotland away matches are generally accompanied by a low level of policing due to their good behaviour over the years.[citation needed]
In August 2008, Irish Football Association chief executive Howard Wells criticised jeering from Scottish supporters during the British National Anthem, "God Save The Queen", before a friendly international match.[8]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Wait till the Tartan Army sees the new Wembley!, Daily Mail, November 13, 2007
- ^ Smith, Adrian; & Porter, Dilwyn (eds.) (2004). Sport and National Identity in the Post-War World. Routledge. ISBN 0415283000. p77
- ^ "The Tartan Army". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
- ^ "Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal". Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
- ^ a b "Tartan Army wins fair play award". BBC Sport (2001-11-29). Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
- ^ "World Cup - France 1998". t-army.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
- ^ "Tartan Army to Woo UEFA", The Scotsman (2002-04-21). Retrieved on 6 May 2008.
- ^ Lack of respect isn't Howard's way
