Scotland fan who took son out of college for Euros shares image
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A Scotland fan who told teachers his son was going on ‘an educational trip through Germany’ has shared a photo of them at the airport on the way to the Euros.
Iain Meiklejohn was celebrated online after sharing a picture of the email he sent to Forresters High School in Edinburgh, and today shared a photo on X with the caption ‘We’re off!’.
The father promised 12-year-old son Aleks would produce a report in ‘full detail’ on what he called ‘the extreme emotional highs and lows that only a Scotland fan goes through.
He is among other parents risking fines for taking their children out of school to watch the Euros.
While parents in Scotland do not face £60 fines for unauthorised non-attendance like in England, they can be handed ‘attendance orders’ ordering them to explain a child’s absence. Parents who do not provide a reasonable excuse could then be fined up to £1,000.
Iain Meiklejohn was celebrated online after sharing a picture of the email he sent to Forresters High School in Edinburgh, and today shared a photo on X with the caption ‘We’re off!’
Mr Meiklejohn wrote to school staff joking about son Aleks’s absence during the Euros
He shared a picture of the email on X, formerly Twitter, ahead of Friday’s opening game
Mr Meiklejohn and his son have previously attended the World Cups in Brazil in 2014 and in Russia four years later – though missed out on getting into the Rio showpiece final between Germany and Argentina after falling foul of ticket touts.
In the email sent to his son’s school yesterday, Mr Meiklejohn wrote: ‘Hi! I am just writing to inform you that Aleks Meiklejohn will not be attending school from Thursday, June 13th until whenever Scotland are eliminated from Euro 2024.
‘We will be going on an educational trip through Germany visiting several cities where we will study the extreme emotional highs and lows that only a Scotland fan goes through.
‘I will ensure Aleks completes a report on his return in full detail. M’on Scotland!’
After he posted a screenshot of the message on X, Mr Meiklejohn received responses including ‘Top work’ and ‘Have a great time learning’.
Another user posted: ‘What an absolute legend! Funniest thing I’ve seen today.’
He was also told: ‘Good luck to you both, mate! These memories you’re about to make with him will last a lifetime time. You can learn long division any old time.’
And a fellow sympathiser said: ‘As a teacher, these are the kind of absences I’d be perfectly ok with.’
But there was also mockery over Scotland’s prospect as the country aims to reach the knock-out stages of a major international tournament for the very first time.
One poster commented: ‘I doubt you’ll be in the competition long enough for them to notice he’s missing.’
Other parents have also decided to take their children out of school for the tournament.
Keith Work, 45, and his wife Julie were posing for photos in Munich today with their nine-year-old son, Adam – who was delighted to be able to miss the last few days of term.
Mr Work told the Daily Record: ‘It just feels amazing to be here. We don’t know if we’ll be able to have another trip like this for a long time so we decided we had to be here to experience the atmosphere.’
There is no suggestion Adam’s absence was unauthorised.
Aleks was seen in tears after his mother’s Poland lost to Colombia at the 2018 World Cup
Father and son did win tickets for the 2018 World Cup final in which France beat Croatia
They had been supporting Poland, the native country of Mr Meiklejohn’s wife Iwona
When calling Forresters High School, MailOnline was told: ‘Any unauthorised absence will be dealt with in accordance with the local authority’s policy.’
Edinburgh City Council has been approached for comment.
Aleks previously won tickets for the 2018 World Cup final in Russian capital Moscow – France’s 4-2 victory over Croatia – and was celebrated in a social media post by the sport’s world governing body Fifa.
The boy had been mocked online after being seen crying when Poland – the native land of his mother Iwona – were beaten 3-0 by Colombia in the opening round.
After scooping the tickets four years after missing the 2014 final, Mr Meiklejohn said at the time: ‘The whole thing has just flipped 100%. It’s just amazing, it’s brilliant.’
Talking about Poland’s elimination by Colombia, he said: ‘Aleks got a wee bit upset as you would when your team gets put out of the World Cup.
‘All the Colombian fans started to gather round us, started chanting ‘Polska, Polska’, giving us hats, scarves, patting us on our backs, patting us on our heads.
‘Iwona, my wife, took a quick 15-second video of this happening, uploaded it to Twitter later that night and the whole thing exploded.
‘It went viral and we have had non-stop communication from all over the world for the last six or seven days. It’s been unreal.’
Aleks previously attended the 2018 World Cup with parents Iain and Iwona
His experiences in Russia were shared by football governing body Fifa in an online video
Scotland have the honour of opening the tournament by facing Germany in the first match tomorrow, and supporters have already made their presence felt in the Bavarian capital
Also among those cheering on Scotland this summer is a kilt-clad fan walking all the way to Germany raising money for charity – trekking 1,000 miles there.
Craig Ferguson, 20, has taken on the endurance feat on feet, so far generating more than £44,000 for Glasgow male suicide prevention charity Brothers In Arms.
He initially did not have any tickets for games but Euro 2024 sponsors Peoples BYD have now promised one for Friday’s opener at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.
Mr Ferguson, a waiter from Paisley in Renfrewshire, previously described any chance of watching his side in action as ‘a bonus’.
He said of his trek: ‘It’s been the journey of a lifetime.
‘I’ve got a love for travel and exploring anyway, but on this journey going through so many different towns, cities and villages you meet so many amazing people.
‘It really has been something so special so far.’
He began his walk at Scotland’s national stadium Hampden Park in Glasgow, where the side played their last pre-Euros match last Friday – a 2-2 draw with Finland.
Scotland face not only hosts Germany but also Switzerland and Hungary in Group A.
Kilt-wearing Scotland fan Craig Ferguson, 20, is trekking 1,000 miles on foot to Germany
Scotland’s official team bus was seen on the squad’s arrival at Munich airport last Sunday
They are taking part in only their second major tournament since the 1998 World Cup in France, having previously competed in the Covid-delayed Euro 2020 finals.
A bagpipe player provided a welcome at Munich airport for fans travelling over from Glasgow and Edinburgh airports ahead of Friday’s game.
Meanwhile, Gareth Southgate‘s England are in Group C – with an initial fixture against Serbia this Sunday evening.
They then take on Denmark on Thursday next week and Slovenia five days later.
