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Tales of parties and good times with the Tartan Army are legend.
People still talk about that day in Bordeaux on the night before Scotland and Norway played. While English fans were tearing down Marseille and Toulouse, Scotland and Norwegian fans were partying together.
In fact, they were partying so famously, that fans of other nations (including genuine England fans) began to arrive from other host cities as word spread.
Obviously there have been many memorable occasions for the Tartan Army since and many of them will have their own folklore.
June 8-9 in Nice will surely fall into that category by the time memories are assembled and reassembled, cell phone photo galleries are pored over and reunions are held.
This time however was very different and very new. It was not so much the continuation of the evolution in how fan culture has evolved but a new marker post and a new beginning.
The support was predominantly female.
We will never know how much that was affected by Scotland having two men’s games, in Glasgow and Brussels, parked around their opener on June 9.
Many young women came in all female groups to support the SWNT
Some fans attempted to do all three but is it really fair to ask fans to jump through so many hoops and expend so much to support Scottish football?
With one competition being UEFA’s and the other being FIFA’s, there was probably little the SFA could do to prevent this, but it is surely worth considering if Scotland is really serious about building a large traveling support for the #SWNT.
Why does that matter?
The number of women who came out to France in all women groups was incredible. They had a wonderful time and, even when alcohol was about, behaved in a superb manner. When alcohol was not freely available, such as at times in the FIFA Fanzone, it made no difference to their vitality and enthusiasm. It didn’t stop a party happening.
Charlotte Galloway traveled to watch Scotland for the first time:
“It really felt like we brought the Scotland spirit to France! My first Scotland away game and Scottish Women’s game.
“As a female footballer myself it was amazing to see this much support for the women’s game. It came from all ages and all genders.
“There was not one fight between the fans, everyone was there to enjoy it and that’s the way it should always be (men’s fans please take note!)”
One man who did take note was Frazer Henderson. He said:
“I had an absolutely brilliant night out with Shelley’s Tartan Army in Nice.
“The young team were a credit to Scotland and great to see so many lassies. Great fun, partying till the wee small hours.
“Hopefully those on their first trip have caught the bug. The Tartan Army needs some more youth coming through.”
Robert McCallum is the chairman of Gartcairn FA in Airdrie.
He took his son Martin aged 18 and his young daughter Emily aged 12 to Nice. He was absolutely positive the experience would benefit both:
“Martin will hopefully look at women in a way that has not always been the case with Scottish men in my generation.
“He could not only admire the passion and athleticism of the team but also see at first hand, how proud he was when watching the support of Scottish women.
“Part of me hopes he’ll continue to support the SWNT regardless of whether he gets the TA bug.”
Emily McCallum met Claire Emslie in Nice
Photo: Robert McCallum
But the effect on his daughter and others who were there that really could change Scottish women’s football.
McCallum knows the Scotland support well having already traveled the world to support them.
However in his role with Gartcairn FA, he also has a practical knowledge of young female footballers and their families, especially as his Gartcairn club has been expanding into fielding female sides in more and more age groups:
“I’m not sure Emily is ready yet for the different atmosphere of following the men abroad but everything about the Scotland Women’s support was welcoming for a 12 year old girl.
“The adult women behaved enthusiastically and responsibly and my fellow males were very respectful of the presence of children.
“Emily loved every minute and I’m so happy that I could show her this and that she got to experience following Scotland in a World Cup.
“This was our country at its best and I hope the experience empowers all the young girls who were there, when they get back to Scotland.”
With a female First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who also doubles as the Patron of the SWNT, it perhaps is no surprise that the success of the Scottish Women’s team has brought out the best in the nation’s women.
One would of course expect the support to contain more women than men, given the competition as well as the men’s side having to play in Glasgow and Brussels shortly before and after the game, but it was clear that women, or to be more exact, people supporting the women’s team, support it differently
However there was another aspect of the support that was quite notable; especially in the light of FIFA’s troublesome decision to allow countries with notably homophobic laws to host tournaments.
I cannot claim to have what is called gaydar but the presence of the out and proud lesbians in the Tartan Army was evident according to some inside that community.
Pauline Kelly is a married lesbian and an activist for supporters rights. The phenomenon was visible to her and she credits the bravery of players who came out with being a catalyst:
“Unlike the men’s game, where there’s a presentation of hyper heterosexuality among players and supporters, the women’s game is almost the complete opposite.
“There are players at the top level in the USA, Swedish, English and German teams, who are very visible as lesbians.
“My community still experiences discrimination and barriers in life. I respond to seeing my identity reflected in these women who are high profile. Plus I love the fitba’.
“So it’s natural that there’s a more diverse set of women here in France supporting the teams. I certainly expected there would be a lot of lesbians supporting the teams and I’ve not been disappointed.
“Here’s hoping that the Scottish women’s football team provides the LGBTQ community with our first out elite footballer. But nae pressure lassies.
“Get out of the group first!
There was no gender preference voluntary segregation either. Straight and gay women socialised freely and nobody seemed to care what you were.
Kelly was appreciative of the broad nature of people she met:
“I’ve made friends in Nice with women I would never meet in my day to day life.
“We’ve come out here to support our team and have a great time and in the process we’ve fallen in love as a support.
“I spent the time with straight women, disabled women, married women, single women, younger women, older women, mothers, foster carers, public sector workers, private sector workers – women from from all walks of life and loved every minute of it. I haven’t laughed so much in years!
“Football has so much potential to build friendships and break down barriers between people.”
Column: The Gay Footballer – Adam McCabe
First Minister Sturgeon was in Nice and met many of the fans following Kerr’s team. She will be aware of the diverse nature of the support.
Her government has already recognised the need to support women’s football finding money to allow six of the squad to train full time in the run up to the tournament.
Sports Minister Joe FitzPatrick recognised the possibilities in an article for Prost Soccer earlier this year.
“I hope our appearance at the World Cup will be transformational, not only for football but for women and girls sport across the country. The women are fantastic role models.
“They exemplify the power of sport and of football to deliver positive outcomes in physical and mental health.”
If Nice is any example, there are few self-esteem and self-confidence issues among the gregarious Scottish women out there. Alcohol was treated with respect. I saw drinking but little drunkenness.
The Tartan Army is famous for self-policing its number. That was barely necessary in Nice but frequently there were cases of fans helping others translate, locate lost cell phones, and conduct emergency repairs and improvements to clothing and body.
No Scotland, no party, nobody unwelcome
Photo: Steve Clare
Lastly, one of the surprising an most pleasant aspects of the trip was seeing just how warmly welcomed England fans were welcomed to the Scotland party.
The two nations may have vastly differing political aspirations, probably leading to an inevitable separation, but all that was swept aside as fans mingled freely and posed willingly for photographs together.
The FIFA Fanzone, when it bothered to open, was everything a World Cup should be about. Alcohol was there but not terribly evident. And perhaps not terribly necessary.
Scotland v England Fanzone gallery
The Scotland fans partied late into the night at Ma Nolans in the Old Town, alcohol being slightly more necessary by then.
But it wasn’t the booze that made the party in Nice. It was the women.
And their friends old and new.
More on Scotland Women:
Video: Dundee girl astounds fans with 276 keep-uppies in Nice fanzone
Sports Minister Joe Fitzpatrick writes for Prost
Scotland fans gather in Nice two days before opener – gallery
Top Scottish policeman says football violence has increased since repeal of anti-bigotry law
Prost Soccer sponsors Cascadia top scorer highlander Calum Ferguson
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