TARTAN Army members are proudly flying the flag for Tranent thousands of miles away.
What started 15 years ago as “a bunch of guys on a wee bus” travelling to Scotland home games has since expanded to cover a wider area across East Lothian and include a larger group of supporters, with now more than 50 people making their way to Hampden Park for each Scotland game.
Tranent and District Tartan Army have now displayed their flag with pride in the USA at the World Cup, with about 15 members making the trip and taking the club international for the first time.
Richard Waddell, bus convener for the club, said: "It used to be 10 of us going to the games, a bunch of guys on a wee bus about 15 years ago, run by Brian Burnett who is now a committee member at Preston Athletic.
"Most of us have been attending Scotland matches regularly since school age.
"Out of it becoming more popular, it got to a point where we needed bigger buses and to extend our range."
It has “grown arms and legs since”, in particular after the Covid-19 pandemic, when the official club was established and a committee came together to organise its running.
Last year, the club filled coaches with about 250 fans for home matches at Hampden and, in March this year, sent supporters to the match in Liverpool against Ivory Coast.
The group is one of about 50 clubs recognised by the Association of Tartan Army Clubs (ATAC), which brings fans together from across Scotland.
The trip to America has given the group a rare chance to take their flag to a global stage as Scotland appear at the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.
Membership is open all year round, with the club now a regular fixture in the local football community, bringing supporters together from across much of East Lothian.
Photos of members proudly displaying their flag outside Boston Stadium prior to Scotland’s first match against Haiti, which they won 1-0, have also been shared by Tranent FC.
Richard said: "Many of us have taken different routes to meet up in Boston, some direct and some have based themselves in New York/Providence/Salem before heading to Boston.
"When I returned from Boston there was a quick handover of our flag to Gregor Fraser, as he headed out to Boston.
"After a quick machine wash it was ready to go, following a hot sauce related incident at Boston Stadium. It will attend all of our group matches and potentially beyond."
Share