First Minister: “Qualifying for the World Cup was a landmark moment”
First Minister John Swinney has met the Scotland men’s national team in Glasgow to celebrate the squad qualifying for their first World Cup finals since 1998.
The Scotland men’s national side, managed by Steve Clarke and captained by Andy Robertson MBE, will face Haiti, Morocco and Brazil in Group C this summer, with matches taking place in Boston and Miami.
The Scottish Government has announced £2 million for a “Summer of Sport” football fund to support clubs across the country to deliver new opportunities for children and young people by using the power of football.
First Minister John Swinney said: “Football is woven into the fabric of life in Scotland. The men’s team qualifying for the World Cup was a landmark moment, and the reaction to the dramatic win against Denmark illustrated how important football is to this country.
“Thousands of fans will make the journey to the USA, but the whole country will be right behind the team. The Scottish Government will build on the excitement surrounding the World Cup and Glasgow’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games to deliver new sporting opportunities for young people across the country.
“Qualifying for the finals is an incredible achievement and I’m very proud of the team – tonight was an opportunity to recognise and celebrate that success.”
Scottish Government’s additional £40 million will help people get more active
Providing free, accessible and inclusive access to sporting opportunities for Scotland’s children and young people is at the heart of targeted funding designed to capitalise on a “spectacular summer of sport”.
In June Scotland men’s national football team will compete at the FIFA World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years before the city of Glasgow hosts the 2026 Commonwealth Games, from 23 July to 2 August.
While the nation’s elite sportspeople compete on the world stage, the Scottish Government is investing an additional £40 million into the 2026-27 sport budget.
If approved by the Scottish Parliament, this will see a £20 million uplift to core funding for sporting organisations and an additional £20 million to create innovative and inspiring physical activity opportunities for young people across Scotland, including:
a £15 million “Summer of Sport” initiative offering free sporting activities for children and young people
a universal learn-to-swim offer for every primary school child in Scotland that will continue beyond 2026, backed by initial year-one investment of £2 million
a £2 million ‘Celebration of Football’ fund, aligned with the World Cup, using the power of Scotland’s national game to change lives through football.
and a £1m ‘Health in the Community’ campaign targeting areas with low activity levels to become and stay active
Free, accessible and inclusive access to sport for Scotland’s young people is at the heart of @scotgov funding designed to capitalise on a “summer of sport”.
Health Secretary @neilcgray announced the £40 million investment at St Brigid's Primary.
Health Secretary Neil Gray, following a visit to an Active Schools event at St Brigid’s Primary in Glasgow, said: “We are all looking forward to a spectacular summer of sport with our men’s football team competing at the World Cup Finals and Glasgow welcoming athletes from across the Commonwealth for the Commonwealth Games in just six months’ time.
“The ‘Summer of Sport’ programme will harness the excitement of these world class sporting events.
“The Scottish Government is offering every young person the opportunity to learn to swim, regardless of their background. This is a core life skill which will benefit so many children.
“Our investment will remove barriers for communities to access sport and will also significantly increase the core budget for sportscotland, in turn creating and sustaining opportunities for people across Scotland to be more active.
“Sport can be a force for good and by encouraging people to become and stay active, we can unlock a range of wider physical and mental wellbeing benefits that can leave a lasting impact long after the World Cup and Commonwealth Games this year.”
Forbes Dunlop, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said: “As Scotland prepares for an extraordinary Summer of Sport, we have a unique opportunity to harness the inspiration of major events to drive longer term participation and community benefit.
“The Scottish Government’s additional £40 million investment in sport strengthens our shared ambition to widen access, support local delivery partners, and ensure people of all ages feel the physical, mental, and social benefits that sport provides.
“This funding will allow us to work with partners to build on the momentum generated by the World Cup and Commonwealth Games and to deliver a more inclusive, active Scotland for the long term.”
Scotland will play host to or co-host three of the world’s biggest sporting events over the next three years – the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, the Tour de France Grand Depart 2027 and EURO 2028.
Commonwealth Judo Gold Medallist Sarah Clark will judge the Scottish applications for this year’s Miller Homes Summer of Sport competition.
Now in its fourth year, Summer of Sport is giving local sports clubs across Miller Homes developments a chance of receiving a cash boost by taking part in the competition, which could see them win £500 or, for the first time, pick up a top prize of £1,000.
To take part, entrants have to say in no more than 200 words why their sports club is worthy of winning, how the money will benefit the club and what it will be spent on.
Neil Gaffney, Sales and Marketing Director at Miller Homes Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have Scottish Judo Champion Sarah Clark on board with us to judge the entries for Summer of Sport. Sarah’s judo career has been inspirational and was topped off when she picked up the Gold medal in Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games last year. Her insights and enthusiasm will be a welcome addition to the judging process.
“Over the last few years we’ve been delighted with the success of our Summer of Sport competition and particularly the impact receiving the prize money has had on the winning clubs.
“We have been really impressed with the diversity and standard of entries from those clubs who’ve taken part previously. As a result we will be extending our support this year for those in our communities who are providing opportunities for sport, education and development by awarding an overall prize of £1,000 to one of our six regional winners.
“We strongly encourage anyone with an affiliation to a sports team or club to have a go, and wish all entrants the very best of luck.”
Commonwealth Gold medallist Sarah Clark said: “Coming from a small local club, as many of the entrants to the competition will be, I know first hand how important it is to have the right equipment and access to regular training. The Summer of Sport competition is an excellent way of supporting local clubs and I’m looking forward to receiving entries for this year’s competition. I am sure it will be a tough challenge to select a winner.”
Competition judges will assess the entries on a variety of factors, including how the money will be used and how it will directly support the development and fitness of its members.
Details of the initiative have been distributed at a local level among sports clubs and associations; however community leaders and club managers can also pick up an entry form at any one of Miller Homes’ marketing suites across the country.
To find your nearest Miller Homes development, please visit the Miller Homes website. Closing date for entries is Wednesday 31 August. Terms and conditions apply.
Miller Homes operates in the following six regional areas: Scotland, North West of England, North East of England, Yorkshire, The Midlands, and Southern.
