DEAR Scotsmen and women, I am writing to you from a small town near Düsseldorf. My intention is simply to say thank you. Thank you for turning our country into a volcano of joy. You have come to us with open hearts, a love of football and a desire for a good time. With you, we were once again able to be people who sing, dance and live together respectfully, which is not always easy for Germans. 2018 was a tournament with the handbrake on. Corona killed any joy in 2021, and I’m not even talking about money-making show that was the World Cup staged in Qatar. And then in June 2024, a bunch of enthusiastic people are coming to our country, our cities and our neighbourhoods. We Germans are carried away by the sound of bagpipes and the unbridled joy of countless people who love their country, which has never made it past the group stage. But we also let ourselves be infected by their enthusiasm that football is finally back. Life again at last. People celebrating with people. Two Scotsmen help a frail man from Cologne through the rain. A neighbour drops beer bottles onto the Tartan Army from his balcony. So many videos, so many stories full of respect and the simple joy of finally being together again. No Scotland, no party. Thank you for being with us. Thank you for showing us that a summer together can be so much more fun than a time alone. You have filled my heart and soul with joy and restored my faith that humanity is not yet completely lost. Except for the English, who are lost. But something is always lost. In 2028, the football festival of Europe will be hosted by Great Britain. We’ll come to Scotland, we probably won’t make it to the stadium. But we want to bring back some of the joy of life that you brought to Germany to the streets of Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee and Cockburnspath (it really is called that). Thank you for your joy. Thank you for your fun. Thank you for your songs. Thank you for your voices. Thank you for your music. Thank you, Scotland. Best regards, Christian Gehlen,  47906 Kempen,  Germany. ‘Magnificent’ supporters I AGREE with Denis Bruce (letters, June 25) that we should all celebrate the fantastic achievement of the Glasgow Warriors in winning the United Rugby Championship, but I feel that he has been just a tad ungenerous to the part played by the Tartan Army in Germany; we didn’t win at football, but the Tartan Army won the hearts of the German people and charmed others from all across Europe.  I’m very sorry for our footballers, their mothers and their manager. They must be devastated, and we all share their pain. But they  took us to the Euros, and now we’re back, and at least we can take comfort in the magnificent Tartan Army, the kilts, the pipes, the good humour, the loyalty, the singing and the Saltires. And as R Matthews points out “there’s always next time”. Ruth Marr, Stirling.

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