Could this Three Towns man be the Tartan Army’s most dedicated supporter?

Lewis McMeekin first ‘caught the bug’ back in 1976, aged 13, when he attended Hampden Park with tickets obtained through his school – Ardrossan Academy.

While he didn’t start off attending every home match, that would change when he turned 18 and he found himself in the stands whenever the opportunity arose.

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Around 1985, supporting his nation extended well beyond Glasgow as Lewis would travel to every away match.

This may sound like a familiar story to many, Lewis’ dedication was very much put to the test just over a decade ago.

At this time, he retired from the fire service and would relocate over 10,000 miles from his hometown – to Australia.

While this may have deterred many from joining the Hampden roar, it did not curtail Lewis and his efforts to support Scotland.

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He explained: “I said to the wife, I am not giving up the football – she said ‘it is fine you can do what you want’.

“I joked when I went to Australia it would be good if I could get a job at Brisbane Airport – I ended up getting a job as a baggage handler.

“That got me staff travel, I have been using that which helps, it’s ideal – that’s why I can get back so often.”

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Despite his move to the other side of the globe, Lewis has continued to attend every Scotland home match over the past 12 years – with the exception of those affected by the Covid pandemic.

He has also found himself in stands across “about every country in Europe” as he racks up considerable miles to support his national team like any other member of the Tartan Army faithful.

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Since his move to the land down under, across an estimated count of at least 50 trips, Lewis has travelled over ONE MILLION miles to continue following Scotland.

“People will say to me ‘are you daft?’,” he commented. “Aye, probably, but to me it is like an addiction.

“You go to your first away game and you have such a great time and it hooks you, and you keep going.

“I don’t expect great football, it’s Scotland, it’s just the great time you have with your mates.

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“You go away, have a great time, a laugh, go to the football and if it doesn’t work out you just look forward to the next one.

“While I’m fit and able, I don’t have plans to stop anytime soon.”

His method of travel is unique also, with Lewis returning to Scotland first prior to any trips away to “cram everything in”.

He still has a property, bought for his daughter, in Stevenston to base himself in whenever he returns back home.

“It probably adds more travel for me but it’s the way I do it,” he said.

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On occasion, Lewis has had to head straight back to Australia – with days off limited. It’s an effort he is willing to make because it allows him to add to his growing list of away trips which started with a fixture at Ninian Park in Wales – a match then manager Jock Stein died shortly after.

Most recently, Lewis was in Zagreb when Steve Clarke’s side took on Croatia in the Nations League – and has planned his trip to Greece for a play-off match in the same tournament.

He also added Euro 2024 to a list of major tournaments – which includes World Cups in 1990 and 1998 as well as Eros in 1992 and 1996 – after a 26-year gap in being able to attend such matches.

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It is exactly these occasions that have provided Lewis’ best memories from his years in the stands.

He commented: “I always think back to the 1990 World Cup, the game against Sweden. Stuart McCall and a Mo Johnston penalty.

“We were right behind the goals when Johnston was taking that penalty, he was basically hitting it straight at us.

“The atmosphere that night in Genoa was absolutely electric, that’s the one that always sticks out – possibly because I was pretty young back then.

“Germany was electric as well, just because of the numbers that were there. Every bar you went into was heaving. It was great, the big tournaments are special.”

Outside of tournaments, Lewis recalled fond memories of that night in Paris in 2007 where James McFadden struck the winning goal.

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“That was unbelievable that night as well,” he said, “that was one of those ones we weren’t supposed to have tickets for the stadium.

“It was a 50,000 capacity that night, I think about 27,000 Scots were in. The French left and it was just all the Scots there, it was unbelievable.”

In future, Lewis has no plans to let up in his support of Scotland – only hoping to add to the list of countries he has visited.

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After a disappointing failure to qualify for the USA World Cup in 1994, Lewis hopes to follow his side in the states when they host again – alongside Mexico and Canada – in 2026.

He said: “I just cross my fingers and hope that we do get there because I wouldn’t miss that either.

“It would cost me a lot of money, but I’d look forward to it if we get there.

“I always thought Australia was going to get the World Cup, obviously that’s not going to happen now.”

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While he has one other hope that he is still holding out on.

Lewis added: “I’ve kept saying to myself there is one day I am going to witness a good Scotland team – I’m still hoping for that!”

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