Tartan Army set to shun official Euro fan zones in Cologne for local pubs following 'disaster' in Munich

The official fan zone in Munich was said to be chaotic, with a long wait to buy a beer

Scotland fans are set to shun official Euro 2024 fan zones in Cologne in the build-up to Wednesday’s match following reports of three-hour queues in Munich during the opening game against the host nation on Friday.

Scots who had travelled to Germany to soak up the atmosphere of the championships described the official fan zone in Munich’s Olympiapark as chaotic, as they were forced to wait for hours to buy food and drink and had to use broken toilets, with many opting to leave at half time.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The city’s Marienplatz was also closed to fans during the day on Friday after thousands of Scotland supporters gathered in the central square ahead of the match, which saw Germany win 5-1.

Scotland fans gather in a Munich fanzone to watch as Scotland played Germany in the opening match of UEFA Euro 2024 on Friday.Scotland fans gather in a Munich fanzone to watch as Scotland played Germany in the opening match of UEFA Euro 2024 on Friday.
Scotland fans gather in a Munich fanzone to watch as Scotland played Germany in the opening match of UEFA Euro 2024 on Friday.

Graeme Shinnie, an administrator for the Tartan Army Facebook group, said he thought fans without tickets would be nervous to travel to the official fan zone in Cologne, where the second Scotland game against Switzerland is due to kick off on Wednesday evening, amid fears of a repeat situation.

He said: “I think people will be reluctant, based on what happened in Munich. They had a big screen, so it was mixed, a lot of Germans went there too – and it reached capacity quite quickly. That was 35,000 people, which was quite a lot, and they just weren't set up to handle that volume of people in terms of selling beers.

"My friend was there and he was two hours queuing for a beer, and when he finally got [to the front of the queue], it was really expensive and not very well organised, not what you expect from Germany.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Shinnie added: “As long as the rain holds off, I think everyone will have a good time in Cologne. It’s an excellent city and is geared up for being a party town during their carnival, so the pubs are well-versed to handling big crowds. I don’t think the Tartan Army will have any problem finding somewhere to have a wee drink.”

Scotland fan Graeme Shinnie and his wife, Emma, ahead of Friday's match against Germany.Scotland fan Graeme Shinnie and his wife, Emma, ahead of Friday's match against Germany.
Scotland fan Graeme Shinnie and his wife, Emma, ahead of Friday's match against Germany.

Another fan from Edinburgh, who is travelling to Germany on Tuesday, said he and his friends would avoid the fan zone.

"The fan zone in Munich looked like a disaster – a three-hour queue to get a pint,” he told The Scotsman. “I think we’ll probably be heading to pubs.”

An estimated 200,000 Scotland fans travelled to Germany for the opening match on Friday. Many of them are expected to continue on to Cologne for the second Scotland game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Even fans who managed to get served in Munich complained about the price.

After the match, one Twitter user wrote on a Tartan Army fan page: “If you like queuing for expensive food and drink, then the München Olympiastadion fan zone is for you!”

In Cologne, official fan zones have been set up in the district of Tanzbrunnen, which is said to have a capacity of 12,000 people, and another in Heumarkt, which can welcome 7,500 fans.

A large public viewing area has also been set up specifically for Scotland fans north of the city’s main train station, with three big screens showing the game.

Comments

 0 comments

Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.

Dare to be Honest
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice