Marathon dribblers greeted with Hampden roar
WHITEHILLS man Andrew Milne got a hero’s welcome at Hampden Park when he and three fund-raising friends dribbled a football into the stadium before the kick-off of Scotland’s opening World Cup qualifying game against Serbia.
The 35,000 crowd may not have had much to celebrate at the final whistle – the main event ended in a goal-less draw – but Andrew (33), Stuart Doyle (29), Chris Strother (32) and 24-year-old Mark Graham were treated to a roar from the Hampden crowd when they did a lap of honour at the end of a nine-day, 300-mile trek from John O’Groats with a ball at their feet every inch of the way.
John Dean, secretary of the Tartan Army Children’s Charity (TACC), said: “What they achieved was magnificent, and the Scotland fans who had followed their trip on Facebook and gave them a great welcome when they came into the stadium before the game kicked off made it clear that they appreciated the lads’ efforts.
“All of the money they raised will be put to good use by TACC, an official SFA charity, and the lads deserve enormous credit for seeing through such a daunting task. They were recognised as national heroes by their fellow Scotland fans.”
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