Moldova Vs Scotland: Tartan Army fear they might have to ditch their kilts to watch key qualifying clash in Chisinau
THE TARTAN Army fear they might have to ditch their kilts to watch Scotland play in Moldova.
Dark Blues fans have staged a sneaky takeover of the stadium in Chisinau by snapping up tickets earmarked for home supporters.
It’s thought there could be more Scots in the stands than locals when the crunch World Cup qualifier kicks off on Friday.
But there are concerns that security might clamp down and turn folk away when it’s clear they’re in the wrong section.
An insider said: “We can’t assume that the Moldovans are going to be okay with all of us sitting where we shouldn’t be.
“And it’s going to be pretty obvious who’s Scottish pretty quickly because we’re all going to be turning up in kilts and tartans.
“There may be folk who have to run off and do a quick change because they won’t want to miss the game after travelling all that way.
“But it’s something that doesn’t happen very often. We’re all trying to reassure ourselves that it’s unlikely.”
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Covid restrictions forced capacity to be cut in half at the Zimbru Stadium, so only about 5,000 tickets were available.
They’ve packed out the sections alongside the official Scotland seating area and it’s thought there could be as many as 1,000 of them turning up.
The Tartan Army were offered just 300, their smallest allocation ever. They got round it by buying on the Moldovan footy website.
Hamish Husband, spokesman for the Association of Tartan Army Supporter’s Clubs, has a seat booked in the home end.
He said: “The kilt gets you in anywhere. They’ve taken our money so they’ll be happy to have us there.
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“I think we’ve only been turned away once for sitting in the wrong end and that was in 2008.”
Hamish also reckons the travellers will be performing a vital service for Moldova.
He said: “We’ll lift their economy by spending a fortune on drink in their bars.”
Fan Elena Reid, 52, is dropping off clothes and toys for poor kids in Moldova but has blown her baggage limit because she’s got too much donations.
She’s been able to convince other Tartan Army travellers for free up space in their suitcases.
Victory for Steve Clarke’s side in Moldova will guarantee Scotland a play-off spot for Qatar 2022.
