Beer and bratwurst as Tartan Army invade Germany

It was a day for Saltires, swally and just a few sausages as the Tartan Army turned sunny Germany into a giant party zone.

The centre of Dortmund was packed with singing fans as the 10,000-strong Scots support arrived ahead of tonight’s clash with football’s World Champions.

And while the bookies might be predicting a German rout in front of a sell-out 68,000 crowd tonight, it was the Scots who were most impressive in the build-up to the big European qualifier, soaking-up the late summer sun with Bratwursts and Bavarian beers.

One fan, Iain McKernan, 33, a car salesman from Baillieston, Glasgow, said large parts of the city had been eaten out of traditional German sausages.

He said: “Give the Germans their due, they know how to make a sausage. They go better with beer than a poke of chips. They’re so popular some places are putting up signs warning they’ve ‘nae sausages’.”

Iain Boyd from Dalgety Bay, Fife, was one of the many fans taking in the carnival atmosphere.

“It is absolutely jumping, as it always is with the Tartan Army abroad. But the fact we’re playing the best team in the world makes it even better.”

Many fans had swapped their usual kilts for traditional German lederhosen for the trip, which marks the start of a new campaign to qualify for a major tournament.

Former Glasgow man Douglas Davidson, 58, and son Kevin, 19, had flown from their home in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the match.

Seasoned traveller Douglas said: “I’m here with the same group of friends that I was here with 40 years ago for the World Cup in 1974, and the next generation of that group too.

“It took us the best part of 30 hours to get here but it’s worth every second the atmosphere is second to none.”

It’s safe to say the general consensus among the travelling Scots support is that the Germans who smashed hosts Brazil for seven en route to their World Cup triumph will prove tough opposition.

But that has failed to dampen the atmosphere across Germany’s west coast, with Gordon Strachan’s travelling Tartan Army setting up camp as far afield as Cologne, Hannover and Dusseldorf as they prepare to march on Dortmund ahead of tonight’s game.