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Amsterdam 2009
Sponsors – St Kilda/Tennents/Sun/Real Radio
Private train to Newcastle, buses, Ship to Holland. Transfers. Two nights accommodation.
Tartan Armada
Just like now the World is talking about man’s epic adventure to the moon 40 years go, so will it be in 40 years’ time that the troops will still be re-living the memories of this Famous Tartan Army Magazine sponsored trip to Amsterdam!!
An exaggeration? No chance! This trip by all who travelled was truly epic.
Starting off at 7am in the Sportsters Bar in Edinburgh, the first footsoldiers arrived to collect their wristbands and sign in for their liquid breakfast. Cheers to the Sportsters Bar for organising such an early license.
With the screens showing Scotland goals and TA music, the 700 footsoldiers quickly got into mood for this long awaited, quickly sold out, epic trip to the Dam.
At 11am the troops boarded the now legendary ‘dry!! train’ to Newcastle. A special mention must go to all who helped out with the stewarding of the trip.
Chief Steward, Neil, aka Sexpest, was on hand to give his legendary tannoy announcements, and importantly, sell raffle tickets for the TACC appeal.
Wee Piper was on hand to pipe the troops on to the train and later on to the ship …… what a legend!
After invading Newcastle and receiving a friendly welcome from Newcastle’s finest, the singsongs took place….
The usual “We’ll Be Coming”, “Jimmy Hill” and “Maradona” were belted out.
Next stop the King of Scandinavia, DFDS Flagship…. and that’s what it became literally as the TA banners were held from every vantage point on departure (see pic).
The party ship, exclusive to the 1,400 TA footsoldiers, set sail at 5.30pm on its overnight voyage to Holland.
FTA Magazine had liaised with the ship beforehand and were allowed to add our very own entertainers for the trip – step forward Ted Christopher and TA favourites The Tartan Specials.
It wasn’t long before the ship was literally ROCKING and that had nothing to do with the waves and everything to do with the raves!
With Gareth having his own Scotland merchandise shop on the ship it certainly was a Scotland at sea adventure.
The Tartan Specials blasted out their hit ‘we,ll be coming’ hit while on another deck of the ship fans favourite Ted Christopher blasted out Scottish tunes.
Partying lasted well into the wee small hours, OK, the whole voyage we were reliably informed that xx amount of beer was drunk and that if the journey had lasted an extra half an hour the ship would have been officially drunk dry!!
With the coaches waiting, the bleary eyed footsoldiers departure from the ship at 9am the troops were taken into the Dam to their accommodation.
We would like to thank everyone for their cooperation as they were signed in and to everyone who were sharing rooms with folk they didn’t previously know. In true TA style many new friendships were formed.
So with the 1,400 army in the Dam, soon the city was bouncing to the sounds of up to 20,000 kilted up Scotsmen.
Again, the welcome the TA got from the Dutch fans and Police was fantastic, and again we left a city with happy memories, and considerably less beer than it had several days earlier.
ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE DAM – REAL RADIO
Taking a slightly different route to Amsterdam to cheer on the team was the Real Radio/Sun/FTA Magazine coach via Harwich. Along with the Real Radio Phone In Team of Scotland legend Roughy, Ewen and producer Victoria were the lads from Celtic Spirit.
Highlight of the journey was the site of the coach pulling into Morrisons superstore and the full coach load of footsoldiers being piped into the store by Celtic Spirit to buy their carryouts. Class!
FANZONE AMSTERDAM 2010
3,000 Scotland fans packed into the Scottish Sun/Real Radio/FTA Magazine sponsored Fanzone at the up-market Passenger Terminal Amsterdam.
The venue was taken over throughout match day as Scottish bands, The McGonnagals, Ted Christopher and the Tartan Specials performed to the delights of the crowd.
Following on from this the big screen was put on to watch the match for those fans not lucky enough to have actual tickets for the match.
Again, the behaviour from the fans throughout the day and night was impeccable.
Alex Salmond…
Paris 2007
Train trip to Paris September 2007
Sponsors -slanj/tennents/sun/real radio
In September 2007 the team here organised the biggest train exodus of tartan army footsoldiers since the great invasions of London in the 1970’s.
This trip was definitely one to tell the grand weans about!
700 Scotland supporters joined this epic trip and on behalf of all at the magazine we would like to thank all who travelled for your outstanding behaviour and conduct throughout the trip. As usual you were a credit to our country and everyone was a proud ambassador. To run a train this size, and to have no damages, accidental or not, is something we believe no other set of supporters in the world could achieve, so once again thanks. You made us proud.
Pre Train Party
First up on the trip- we hired out The Classic Grande nightclub in Glasgow where we put on the mother of all party’s to get us in the mood before setting of on our private ‘dry’ (nudge nudge, wink wink!) train to London.
The party kicked off at 3pm on Monday afternoon and was soon in full swing with top tartan army dj, Tam Coyle spinning the discs. Cheers Tam, top class as usual. On arrival at the pre train party the troops were given their wristbands reminding them of the time of train departures, not that we didn’t trust that any Scotland supporter would ever miss the train home!!!
Everyone received a FREE pint courtesy of our Pre train sponsors Tennent’s. Then a FREE Tennent’s T-shirt was given out to all along with a Tennent’s guide to Paris.
A prize draw took place and six lucky travellers WON the much sought after tickets for the game in Paris. Again Tennent’s kindly put up this prize.
Playing live at the party was top tartan army band the Tartan Specials. Playing only the second time live, they were absolutely superb. Hits ranging from ‘sex drugs & sausage rolls’ to ‘we’ll be commin’ and ‘Chelsea dagger’ all going down a storm with the troops.
Next up was Scotland’s national treasure, Ronnie Browne of The Corries fame. Ronnie belted out our national anthem ‘Flower of Scotland’ to the delight of the crowd, and soon it was time to pick up the bags and join the march to Glasgow Central Train Station.
March to Train
As the troops left the party at 8pm, our good friends Clanadonia with their pipes and drums met them in the street. Clanadonia led the march to the station with the Glasgow Police closing the roads of to allow the march to take place. Many thanks to the Police & transport Police for all their co-operation and assistance.
Tartan Special to London
We set of on the longest train Glasgow Central station had seen for many a year. Infact, the direct route from Glasgow to London Waterloo was the first time this route had been taken for over 50 years, another first for the Tartan Army! So with the BBC and SKY Sports camped on the platform the images were beamed out to televisions across Europe. The tartan army was heading for Paris, via England of course!
The train was one big party, new friends were made and a few shandies consumed too!
At 1.00 am the train stopped at Preston for half an hour. The troops poured on to the platform, along with Clanadonia and the impromptu party began. The troops were on English soil and decided that no one in the vicinity of the train station was going to sleep! What a sing song was had before we set off again for London town.
Arriving in London the troops poured of the train, bleary eyed sporting their nice yellow t-shirts provided to them FREE by our friends Slanj Kilt makers.
Again another sing song started with ‘Can you here the English sing’ and the old ‘Jimmy Hill’ classic being sung just for old times sake! After this it was on two Euro star trains direct to Paris where two nights accommodation were booked in Paris hotels.
The march from the Eifel tower to the stadium, and the game itself (France 0 Scotland 1) are now legendry and then it was time to do the whole journey all over again.
Then it was a repeat performance on the way home. Some special moments that stood out – Clanadonia leading the Tartan Army through the streets of Glasgow; the parties that took place on the train; the carriage that had no lights; the Tartan Army who partied in the cage, now known as The Cage Tartan Army; ??? who’s friends brought a big birthday card and got everyone on the train to sign it for him for his 50th; Ricky fae Pitlochry singing “We’ve got the best fish ladder in the land”; Cat and the girls from Real Radio singing “We all dream of a team of James McFaddens”; the congo that took place up the aisle of the train; bodies sleeping on parcel racks, under tables and in toilets; Neil AKA The Sexpest, train announcements; the sight of 700 in Slanj yellow t shirts; and the two parties – the first at Classic Grand and the second at Preston train station – which luckily can be viewed at YouTube at ???
For everyone who travelled..you are truly legends!
