A SCOTTISH football fan has had a request denied to take the Bannockburn saltire to Hampden for the crucial World Cup qualifying match against Ukraine.
Die-hard Scotland fan Ian Kelly made a request to the battle site's visitor centre for the Bannockburn flag to be taken to Hampden but the National Trust felt it would not be “appropriate for an item of such significance” to be lent to a member of the public for “an event of this type”.
However, the flag has a history with the Tartan Army. It was stolen by four supporters in 1998 before being taken on a jaunt for two weeks for the World Cup in France. The group scaled the flag pole, the tallest in Scotland, and replaced it with a matted blanket and a note saying that it was on a French adventure.
After its fortnight in France, the flag was safely returned to the authorities. The infamous story instantly hit headlines and has subsequently been retold in a BBC documentary.
But this time around, Kelly wanted to take the flag legally and with full permission. While Kelly’s request was turned down, he has an online petition to try and keep the pressure on.
Speaking about the petition, Kelly said: “The inspiration came because we are patriotic. The flag is symbolic for Scotland, it’s the national flag and the [Bannockburn] flag is bigger than any of those in the Tartan Army.
“I saw the flag when I was a wee kid and I was in awe of it. When you’re wee looking up at that massive flag you think ‘wow’”.
“Taking that flag and handing it over to the Tartan Army, it would be sacred. It would be well looked after but the National Trust said ‘no’”.
When asked by The National for his initial response to the Trust’s answer, Kelly said they were “killjoys”.
However, Kelly is now hoping that if Scotland make it to Qatar that the National Trust will reconsider its position and allow the flag to be taken to the World Cup.
Kelly has previously made headlines for his love of the national game when he made a video documenting the highs and lows of the Scottish national team between the 1998 World Cup and the delayed 2020 Euros, Scotland’s first major finals in two decades.
A National Trust for Scotland spokesperson said: “As much as we would have wanted to make a positive gesture for such an important fixture, the saltire is a significant item in its own right and there simply would have been too much risk, and substantial cost, involved in loaning it out in this way.
"We therefore had to decline the request to take the flag to the match in case it got lost or damaged. We’re sorry that we couldn’t help and hope everyone enjoys the game.”
