Scotland persuade FIFA to allow their fans to wear sporrans on their kilts to World Cup games – after fears they were too large to meet bag restrictions!

Scotland fans have been given the all-clear to wear their sporrans at the team’s matches at this summer’s World Cup.

Tournament rules only permitted certain types of bags into stadiums, and the pouch traditionally worn by Scots at the front of their kilt was deemed too large to meet the strict criteria.

As a result, there were concerns that supporters would not be able to wear their sporrans to the group matches against Haiti and Morocco in Boston, and Brazil in Miami, and any fixtures beyond.

Talks between FIFA and the Scottish Football Association, however, have reached a positive conclusion for the thousands in the Tartan Army expected to descend on the United States.

An SFA spokesperson said: ‘FIFA have confirmed that sporrans will be permitted into the stadiums following the standard search and inspection procedures and will continue to work together with the Scottish FA to educate their matchday staff as they prepare to welcome fans to Boston and Miami.

‘The ticketing and membership team at the Scottish FA are in continued dialogue with the tournament hosts to ensure that the Scotland fans will be welcomed to venues in the way they have been across the world.’

Thousands of supporters are expected to cheer on Steve Clarke’s men in the United States

The sporran is descended from medieval belt pouches, which were used to store precious items, and though worn sparingly nowadays, will sometimes accompany a kilt at special occasions. 

Despite this win for the fans, the Scottish national team will break from tradition in another aspect as they are ditching their kilts for tailored suits.

The Scottish FA announced in January that Steve Clarke’s side will wear ‘sharp, made-to-measure suits’ when travelling to matches across the US in June. 

Kilts were worn by players to the tournament in France in 1998 under the late Craig Brown, who personally insisted they wear them to intimidate opponents.

The decision to leave them behind has caused an outcry and it serves as an unwelcome distraction for Scotland ahead of the competition.

They will get their World Cup underway against Haiti on June 14, before facing Morocco on June 20 and Brazil on June 25. 

That last group fixture is a re-run of the opener to the 1998 World Cup, when Brazil beat Scotland 2-1 at the Stade de France.