We cheered on Scotland in Germany 50 years ago – now we’re back

TWO Tartan Army veterans have reunited to cheer on Scotland – 50 years after they journeyed together to Germany for the World Cup.

David Strachan and Douglas Blake, both 70, were encouraged by their wives to return to the footie-daft country for Euro 2024.

They lucked out and bagged match tickets, but they said they were willing to travel regardless.

David, from Dunfermline, Fife, even postponed a knee operation so he could make the trip.

The old pals bonded through their love of the beautiful game and in 1974 they leapt at the chance to follow Scotland to the continent to watch their heroes compete for glory.

The hardy supporters used student rail passes to travel overnight to watch the team’s clash with Brazil at the Waldstadion in Frankfurt, which ended 0-0.

David, a grandad-of-eight, told The Scottish Sun: “It was amazing.

“We worked in the same office together in Edinburgh and there was a group of us who went to the Czechoslovakia match where Scotland qualified.

It’s just incredible the number of folk that have come across for this, it’s off the scale. It’s great to see a lot of young laddies as well. Like we were

Douglas Blake

“One of the lads came in weeks later and said, ‘there’s a chance of getting tickets for Germany, do you fancy going?’

“It was a ‘yes’. We left Waverley Station on the Friday night after the Zaire game and travelled down on the Sleeper to London.

“We then crossed over from Dover to Ostend and took the Ostend to Vienna express, which dumped us in Frankfurt after midnight. We had two two-man tents with us.

“We made our way out to the campsite by tram and it was full of Scots. It was nothing like the travelling support that’s here now but there were a lot of Scots.”

Douglas, a grandad-of-five from Edinburgh, said: “That was really the start of the Tartan Army. The Germans couldn’t believe the way that the supporters behaved.”

Now, decades on, David and Douglas are back where they shared their memorable love affair with the national side.

Douglas said: “The numbers of fans that travel now, there’s no comparison.

“It’s just incredible the number of folk that have come across for this, it’s off the scale.

“It’s great to see a lot of young laddies as well. Like we were.”

After Germany ‘74, the former quantity surveyors remained firm friends over the decades.

David even asked Douglas to be the best man at his first wedding in 1975.

The friends are optimistic about the team’s chances of finally reaching the knockout stage of a major tournament for the first time.

Douglas said: “We’ve got a great chance. I think we’ll win on Sunday.”