A Lifelong Fan

Megan Thomas, Scotland

We have teamed up with MiXR, the app that helps you find the best pubs and bars to watch football, to showcase the diversity of fan and pub culture throughout England and Scotland during the 2024 Euros. Eight passionate fans have documented the tournament atmosphere at MiXR pubs across the UK while cheering on their national team to show there is a place for any fan, whatever you’re for.

Megan Thomas, a train driver in Glasgow, is deeply involved in her grassroots football community and supported Scotland from the Old Smiddy while also celebrating her teammate Heather’s birthday.

My name is Megan and I am a 33-year-old train driver from Glasgow. I spent part of my teens and early adulthood living in Birmingham and when I moved back to Glasgow, I was worried it would be challenging to make new friends. However, during the years I have been back home, I have formed amazing friendships through the grassroots football community here, including my team Camp Hellcats FC. 

Camp Hellcats FC originally started as a small group of us playing five-a-side during the Covid pandemic. The rules had just started relaxing and we could finally play outdoor sports again. Once we started to return to normality post-pandemic, one of our players suggested we enter a local tournament. In order to enter the tournament we needed a name and, as we play near Camphill Park, Camp Hellcats FC was born. 

Since then, the team has grown so much alongside the local grassroots community in Glasgow. We now have three competitive teams in a local five-a-side league and two teams in a local seven-a-side league. We recently became constitutionalised and have introduced formal roles to the team. It is a far cry from the small group of us trying to tackle each other with minimal contact back in 2021. 

Alongside playing football at the grassroots level, I am a lifelong fan of both the men's and women’s games. In my spare time, I regularly travel to watch matches. Not a day goes by that I do not play, talk, or think about football. So, to put it into words - football is everything. 

No One Is A Stranger

The first football match I went to was Scotland v Lithuania at Hampden Stadium in 1999 and Scotland won 3-0. This was a strong start to my love for the Scotland national team. 

Whenever Scotland plays, my friends and I gather in a pub or at one of our houses. After the last round of World Cup Qualifiers in 2022, we were naturally disappointed. We watched the last game against Ukraine on a projector at my friend's house, and I remember everyone erupting when McGregor scored - only for Ukraine to seal the loss in the late stages of the game. 

As always, we got together to support the team for the qualifying rounds of the Euros. None of us had any expectations but things started to get exciting when we beat Spain. We then went to a pub to watch Scotland play Norway away and were practically jumping on the seats as they won the game in the last five minutes of the match. 

This summer, I will watch Scotland play from various pubs and fan zones with my friends - many of whom play for Camp Hellcats FC. This includes my friend Heather, who also coaches at Camp Hellcats with me and celebrated her birthday at the Old Smiddy over the Scotland v. Germany match! This was the first major tournament for the men’s team that she has watched so it will be great to share that experience with her. 

Sometimes I feel like I am missing out by not getting to a match, but standing in a pub with everyone supporting the same team is an extremely close second to the real thing. When your team scores a screamer, no one is a stranger anymore. 

During the group stages, I will be getting married, which is very exciting! My partner was kind enough to agree to a date around the domestic football league, however I am sure she will be delighted to know that I will be glued to the Hungary game the day after our ceremony. 

Finding Football Again

I played football when I was younger and I found it difficult because I was a girl in a male-dominated space. Heather had a similar experience as she felt embarrassed to play football as a girl in her teens, and only started playing again with Camp Hellcats in 2020. 

I found my love for playing the game again in my late twenties when I started playing at the grassroots level. I also recently completed my first coaching badge and have been coaching beginner players. 

I coach the beginner players of Camp Hellcats FC. I like to coach individuals or small groups and I absolutely love working with women and non-binary players who have never felt confident enough to play football. It is amazing to watch them grow. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the reaction of a player who you have worked with score a goal. 

It is so important that girls feel they have a space they can play football in. Sport is for everyone and should not be limited to gender. I hope that in the next few years, we continue to challenge outdated stereotypes and empower young girls to dream the dreams they would not have been able to previously.