Tartan Army

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Tartan Army are travelling supporters of the Scottish national football team. They were named the World's Friendliest Fans during the 1998 World Cup, and have won numerous awards over the years from both FIFA and UEFA for their combination of rabid support and friendly nature. Footballing legend Pelé is even considered an honorary member. ^{[citation needed]}

This friendly attitude is all the more surprising bearing in mind their team's track record, which, especially in recent times, has been relatively poor. They have never progressed past the first round of the FIFA World Cup, although they did qualify for five in a row - from 1974-90.

Some say that the amicability of the Tartan Army is due to the large volumes of alcohol imbibed before, during and after a game, a fact that few members would dispute. Countries drawn against Scotland welcome the arrival of their fans.^[1] Scotland away matches are generally accompanied by a low level of policing due to their good behaviour over the years.^{[citation needed]}

Allegations have been made against the Tartan Army that they carry a strong anti-English sentiment, often being open and highly vociferous in their support of England's opponents ^{[citation needed]}. Some TA members, however, assert that since there is nothing unusual in bitter rivals wishing to see one another defeated (a phenomenon occurring in other rivalries the world over) these matters should be seen purely in the context of good-natured sporting rivalry and not as xenophobia. ^{[citation needed]}

The Tartan Army was originally used to refer to fans of the Scottish Rugby Team.

An attempt was made to trademark the phrase "Tartan Army", and indeed, several small scale producers of merchandise featuring the words "tartan army", have been threatened with legal action. However, any such action would likely not succeed due to each clause being suffixed with "but not including any such goods relating to Scottish football." in the trademark registration. http://webdb4.patent.gov.uk/tm/number?detailsrequested=C&trademark=2129309