SCOTLAND'S Tartan Army spent the weekend in Minsk and captured the hearts of the locals, writes Ken Gallacher.
Again the Scottish supporters moved into a city and became local heroes. The earlier suggestions that they were travelling to Minsk to find primitive conditions were soon proved wrong.
Yesterday at the stadium one supporter from Falkirk said: ''I was in a supermarket the other day and there were more goods on the shelf than I have seen back home. It's been superb just to be here, and the people have welcomed us.''
Another from Fife said: ''I was in Latvia, in their capital Riga, and Minsk is much better. We have not had a problem. People have gone out of their way to make us feel at home.''
There were 250 Scottish fans at the game and SFA security chief Willie McDougall said: ''They have behaved magnificently. There were certainly suggestions that there might be a problem, but that has not happened.
''The Belarus officials had a big military presence at the game, but it was not necessary. There was a worry beforehand about the policing differences between one country and another, but that came to nothing.''
q The fences could be coming down in time for next summer's World Cup after all as FIFA lobby the new French Government.
Former Premier Alain Juppe's administration had resisted all attempts by the world games' governing body to get the iron grilles surrounding most French stadiums dismantled.
FIFA general secretary Sepp Blatter has fiercely lobbied for change after visiting the World Cup venue grounds in Montpellier, St Etienne, Lens and Nantes.
With the previous government set firm in their resolve not to back down, FIFA had happily accepted that the fences would be staying up.
Now, however, the newly-elected government of Lionel Jospin are reconsidering the issue with World Cup organising committee head Fernand Sastre looking to use his political influence to bring about a new policy.
FIFA spokesman Keith Cooper said: ''We want the fences to go and hope the change of government will bring a reappraisal of the situation.''
r Graeme Souness met Torino president Massimo Vidulich yesterday to discuss a deal which would take the former Liverpool and Southampton manager to the serie B club.
Souness resigned as manager of Southampton last month, less than a year after joining them from Turkish club Galatasaray, who had sacked him.
The former Scottish inter-national captain has also been closely linked with Torino.
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