**Ready to Roar: Inverclyde Tartan Army Heads to Germany for Euro 2024**
Susan Lochrie
Thu, 13 Jun 2024, 6:00 am GMT+1·3-min read
Stephen McEleny, left, and Iain McColl are off to Germany (Image: George Munro)
Stephen McEleny, left, and Iain McColl are off to Germany (Image: George Munro)
Inverclyde’s Tartan Army is set to fly to Germany today to cheer on Scotland in the opening match of Euro 2024 against the hosts tomorrow night.
Stephen McEleny, 33, from Gourock and treasurer of the West Scotland branch, is ready for the biggest tournament of his life. Veteran fan Iain McColl, 48, is joining him, bringing memories of Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup in France, where Scotland opened against Brazil.
Thousands of Tartan Army fans will gather in Munich, celebrating and raising a glass to Scotland.
Iain, from Wemyss Bay, said: “This is huge for us. I went to the Euro 96 opener against Holland and the 1998 World Cup in France. I saw the opener in Paris without a ticket and attended the Norway and Morocco games. We always hoped for success, joking about meeting again in two years for the next Euros, but it never happened.”
After 23 years of near misses, Scotland is back at a major tournament.
Diehard fan Iain added, “I thought I’d be attending tournaments every two years, but then it stopped.”
Despite the drought, there were unforgettable moments. Iain recalled, “I was there when James McFadden scored against Holland in the 2004 Euros play-off and again when he scored against France in Paris. Not all memories are bad.”
Iain has been a Scotland game regular since childhood. “I remember Mo Johnston’s overhead kick against Cyprus in 1989,” he said. “We have a strong team now, especially in midfield. We just need to see what happens. Walter Smith almost got us there.”
Iain will be watching the games against Germany and Switzerland.
Stephen, who works with RBS and co-leads the West Scotland Tartan Army, has attended around 40 away games since he was 12. He will be at all three of Scotland’s opening games.
“This is the biggest one for me,” Stephen said. “2021 was great, but this is the real deal. I’ll be with my family, my brothers. We know Scotland’s history of near misses, so if we make it to the second round, it would be typical for us to lose 2-0 in the last game and still advance. That would be something.
“My wife Nicky has taken time off with our two-year-old daughter Maria; she’s very supportive!”
