Scotland fans march on after Swiss rollercoaster at Euros

The Tartan Army continue to march on in Germany after a 1-1 draw with Switzerland kept Scotland’s Euro 2024 dream alive.

Steve Clarke’s side held on for a point after taking a first-half lead in Cologne.

It means a win against Hungary on Sunday should be enough for Scotland to qualify from the group stage at a major tournament for the first time ever.

And it guarantees another four days of partying – at least – for the supporters who have swamped Germany in their tens of thousands.

Earlier in the day hope and optimism had been steadily rising as Scotland fans poured off the trains arriving at Cologne Central Station.

They gathered in their hundreds on the steps of the impressive Cologne Cathedral, singing the songs we have grown used to over the past few weeks and proudly displaying flags from all over Scotland.

Shortly before kick-off, thousands of fans assembled in a meeting point to the west of the stadium and marched the final 2km to the gates, led by pipers and drummers.

It was a stirring sight which had locals stopping in the streets to watch. Residents poked their heads out of windows as the mighty Tartan Army marched by.

Initial estimates suggested nearly 30,000 would take part.

There was a significant security presence along the route. Police closed roads and escorted those marching all the way to the stadium.

Not everyone who was there had tickets for the match so when they arrived at the stadium they bid their goodbyes and headed off to the bars and restaurants in the city centre.

Iain Meiklejohn was among the throng – he previously told the BBC he was taking his child out of school to Germany because he’d get a better education following the Tartan Army than in the classroom.

Asked if that came true on Wednesday, he said: “Yesterday was one of the best days we’ll ever have following the Tartan Army – the weather, the march, the stadium, the atmosphere was unbelievable.

“I’ve been all over Europe following Scotland, the atmosphere last night was fantastic.

“It might be a wee bit deflating, we never actually got to see points – but it set us up massively for Sunday. If you think last night was good, just wait for Sunday.”

There were some issues before and after the match when long queues formed around the main central station, which had to close temporarily to manage the influx of passengers.

Three hours before kick-off the local authority announced that the fanzone in Heumarkt was full, and encouraged fans to head to either the site across the river, which had a capacity of 12,000, or to the north of the cathedral where the capacity was 50,000.

Bars all around the city positioned screens and TVs outside as Scottish – and a few Swiss – fans gathered to watch.

The mood in the city centre after the final whistle was one of relief rather than jubilation.

A draw with Switzerland was the minimum Scotland had to do to keep their Euros dream alive. The crowds gathered in fan sites and bars around the city area seemed more dazed than excited at the result.

But once the realisation that a place in the final 16 of the tournament was a bit closer sunk in, the celebrations began.

Jen Blackwood of the West of Scotland Tartan Army said the result was very much needed.

“Scotland’s fans will support Scotland whatever happens but it definitely is good to have a bit of a boost from time to time,” she said.

“Last night the guys put a shift in, they played with a lot of pace and a lot of passion but there were still a lot of errors they need to work on. There were a lot of stray balls going, there wasn’t enough control.

“There were lots of attempts on goal and that was good but it would be nice to get some to go into the net. Maybe bring on Shankland sooner than with 10 minutes to go. That would be my plea.”

As for back home?

The dizzying highs and plummeting lows played out in similar fashion at fan zones across the country.

The shots below were taken over the course of the match at the Barras Art and Design Centre in Glasgow.

Analysis: By Chris McLaughlin

So much has been made about the thousands of Scotland fans on this Euros journey in Germany, especially the partying and the singing and mixing with locals.

But don’t forget they are desperate to see their side do well on the pitch and progress thought the tournament.

This is still about football. To many, the thought of being knocked out before the final game in Stuttgart was unthinkable.

The performance they witnessed in Cologne wasn’t back to the performances of the qualifying campaign but there was fight and determination to prove a point – that in itself will be good enough for those who have made this trip.

This current group of players and this current era of fans have created a strong bond and another lacklustre performance would definitely have put that relationship in danger.

Mixed with the morning hangovers after a night of partying will be a huge sense of relief that they can go again with hope and a little pride restored after the mauling in Munich.

Kilts, pipes and strips will now be packed for the trip south to Stuttgart.

The party isn’t over yet.