Scoring away from home: a statistical study of Scotland football fans at international matches in Romania and Sweden

This paper explores the logistic, social structural and affective properties of Scotland football supporters attending two types of international fixture abroad: a high prestige tournament in Sweden and a low prestige qualifier in Romania. Representative samples of supporters were canvassed on both occasions, and the accruing data subjected to univariate and bivariate analysis. The findings indicate that the comparatively positive fan identity of Scottish fans, as boisterous and internationalist, is premised on socio-cultural rather than social structural factors. Principal changes in the Scottish support relate to the growing number of white-collar fans, and the proportion of fans affiliated instrumentally to the official Scotland Travel Club. The major continuity with the past concerns the fans' preference for autonomous methods of organizing travel and accommodation requirements.