Edinburgh dad who went viral for taking son out of school for Euros gives update

An Edinburgh dad who garnered internet fame for taking his son out of school to see the Euros in Germany is brimming with confidence over Scotland's chances against Hungary.

Iain Meiklejohn, 48, alongside his 12-year-old son Aleks from Edinburgh, has been soaking up the atmosphere in Frankfurt since the beginning of Euro 2024, supporting the Scottish team through their journey across German hotspots like Munich and Cologne.

With the all-important game against Hungary on Sunday, the enthusiastic Mr Meiklejohn, a professional tour guide by trade, is backing his team for the win.

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Speaking to PA news agency, he shared his optimism: "I'm feeling confident. A win gives us four points which should be enough to get through to the second round."

"I'm going for 1-0 Scotland."

His decision to whisk young Aleks out of school for the football fest made waves on social media after a post on X from June 12 showed his email to the school, detailing that Aleks will be missing classes from June 13 until "whenever Scotland are eliminated from Euro 2024".

Highlighting the educational merit he adds: "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."

Assuring the benefits for Aleks upon return, he stated: "I will ensure Aleks completes a report on his return in full detail."

This fearless act of football fervour caught the attention of millions, with the initial post racking up 6.3 million views and exceeding 25,000 thumbs-ups.

Reflecting on the experience, Mr Meiklejohn said: "There are literally hundreds of Scottish school kids over here enjoying the Euros."

He further mentioned: "It's not been an issue in the past taking him out of school for travelling reasons."

The father and son duo plan to don Scotland tops and kilts for the Scotland versus Hungary match, and will proudly display their Scottish flag in the stadium, emblazoned with the letters TTTA - an acronym for "Two Teekos Tartan Army".

Explaining the origin of the unique moniker, he shared: "My dad had the nickname 'Teeko' for about 70 years."

"When I came along I was naturally nicknamed 'Wee Teeko' (wee being the typical Scottish word for small)."

"When Aleks was born Iwona (my wife) and I honoured the name by giving Aleks the middle name Teeko."

"So after three generations, he is the only 'official' Teeko."

He went on to say that Aleks has travelled to 24 countries including Colombia and South Africa, asserting that travelling "broadens the mind", and his son will learn through exposure to different cultures, traditions, languages and cuisines.

He expressed that they have thoroughly enjoyed their time in Germany so far, with highlights including match day in Cologne, where Scotland and Switzerland drew 1-1, and the overall atmosphere.

"The general feeling between the Scotland fans and the locals has been superb," he added.

He revealed that his son has "played football ever since he could walk" and plays for Ratho United's under-13s team.

This isn't the first time Aleks has experienced international football tournaments. He has attended matches at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the 2018 World Cup in Russia, amongst others.

Lifelong football enthusiast Mr Meiklejohn has been sharing the joy of the beautiful game with his son, attending numerous matches together, including the 1998 World Cup in France.

They're set to head back home on June 24, but they've got their sights set on a return trip to Germany if Scotland sails through the qualifiers.

A spokesperson for the City of Edinburgh Council weighed in, stating: "Any unauthorised absence would be dealt with in line with the council's policy on this."