Scotland supporters to show solidarity with Ukraine before World Cup play-off semi final
Members of the Tartan Army are going to join Ukraine fans singing the country's national anthem ahead of kick-off.
Last updated 1st Jun 2022
Scotland fans are going to join Ukraine supporters singing the country's national anthem, in a show of solidarity, before their World Cup play-off semi final.
The match at Hampden Park was delayed in March, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
A group from the Scottish Football Supporters Association, and opera singer Vasyl Savenko, will stand on the steps outside the stadium, to sing “Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy”.
They will be offered a phonetic transcription of the anthem, organised by language-learning site Duolingo.
Speaking to Northsound 1, Vasyl said: "I am a fan of my national team, and it is really very lovely that Scottish fans can join Ukrainians in Scotland and express solidarity with Ukraine."
Asked how confident he is that Scottish fans will be able to pick up his country's language, he joked: "I'll try my best to make it clear, and to make it understandable.
"It's not like something I've experienced before!"
Colin Watkins, from Duolingo, said Scots shouldn't be worried about getting it spot on: "When it comes to language learning in general, whether you're learning Spanish or French or High Valyrian, or whatever it is, you're not going to be perfect from the start.
"We wanted to be sensitive that we were doing the right thing, but of all the Ukrainians we've spoken to, they all loved it, so you're not going to mess up if you just give it a crack."
Steve Morton from Glasgow's Voice of the Town choir, which is also taking part, said: "I think it's actually quite amazing. While we love football, and we're a football nation, it shows that there are larger, more important issues at hand.
"Whilst it's an emotional game, in the grand scheme of things it can seem quite incidental, but this is a fantastic opportunity to show that Scotland is united behind Ukraine, and we show solidarity with them during these incredibly distressing times,"
Dnipro Kids
Children who were evacuated from Ukraine by Scottish charity Dnipro Kids will also be at the game tonight, cheering on their team.
But founder Steven Carr says there's no question over his allegiance during the game.
He said: "I want to see my country playing in the World Cup finals, as I'm sure the kids want to see their country in the World Cup finals too, so it's all to play for, and we're all really looking forward to it."