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ABOUT US

The Scotland Seniors Football Squad continues to fly the flag for Scottish football, health, and community spirit both at home and abroad. Founded in 2011 by Alan McTurk and Paul Donnelly, the squad was born from a promise to bring a Scotland team to the Seniors World Cup in Thailand — a tournament established to promote tourism and goodwill in the wake of the 2004 tsunami.


Alan was first introduced to the competition during a visit to Australia in 2010 to see a friend battling cancer. There, he reconnected with former teammates who had been representing Australia at the event. Fascinated by the concept — and inspired by stories of former professionals, including a German team led by Felix Magath, lifting the trophy — Alan vowed to form a Scottish side capable of competing at the
highest level.


The squad officially joined the tournament in 2011 and quickly became known for both their quality on the pitch and their generosity off it, taking boots and kits to Thailand for local children and running a coaching day as part of the event’s charitable focus.

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A Decade of Dedication

Since its inception, the Scotland Seniors have attracted a wealth of talent, including former professionals Gary Holt, Colin Cameron, Steve Tosh, Barry Wilson, Charlie Christie, Jason and Lee Dair, Gary Clark, Neil Irvine, Scott Walker, Ian Little, and Marvin Andrews — all proud to pull on the dark blue once more.

 

When the pandemic halted international travel in 2020, the team refocused its efforts closer to home, raising thousands of pounds for Scottish charities and promoting health, wellbeing, and community engagement through senior football.

Recent Highlights

The squad now focuses on over-50s tournaments, with a busy calendar of fixtures and events:

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  • England Friendly (Livingston F.C, 2025): Scotland put in a strong performance but were pegged back to a 1-1 draw.

  • Florida Masters Tournament: The team travelled to the U.S. earlier this year, competing against international sides in a self-funded trip. Player Ken Horn  became a crowd favourite, entertaining fellow teams with his bagpipes and Scottish spirit.

  • Four Nations Tournament (England): Scotland won the tournament for the 1st time in the tournaments history taking the trophy from the last twice winners England.

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Upcoming Fixture

The Scotland Seniors will host Bangladesh at Pollok F.C on Sunday, 16 November 2025, in what promises to be another exciting clash. Supporters are warmly invited to attend and cheer on the team.

 

A charity collection will take place on the day, with all proceeds going to Calums Cabin, a local charity supporting families affected by cancer.

Sponsorship and Support

The Scotland Seniors Football Squad are currently seeking sponsorship partners to help sustain their fundraising activities with around £40k previously donated to charities, They participate in community work, health and wellbeing initiatives, and continued participation in national and international tournaments.

 

Sponsorship offers local businesses an opportunity to:

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  • Support senior sport and health initiatives in Scotland

  • Gain brand visibility at matches and events

  • Be part of a long-running charitable football project with an international reach


For sponsorship enquiries or further information, please contact:​​

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About the Scotland Seniors Football Squad:

Founded in 2011, the Scotland Seniors promote lifelong involvement in football, friendship, and charitable giving. The team represents Scotland at home and abroad, raising funds for local causes and inspiring players of all ages to stay active and connected through sport.

 

​It has been an amazing journey, and the same of which can be said about the evolution of the Scotland Seniors Football team. Credit to Alan McTurk – who has had some health issues over the past several years with a head/brain injury and then diagnosed with cancer - but still very much the driving force behind the national squad. 

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McTurk, who played for Ayr United then in Australia and Singapore before returning to Kilwinning Rangers, first formed the idea in 2009 when he went on a family holiday Down Under and caught up with some of his old antipodean team-mates. He was fascinated to hear they had been representing Australia at the annual over-38s Seniors World Cup in Thailand, created to promote tourism and international sport in wake of the tsunami which devastated the country in 2004. They assured him the standard was high, underlined by the fact Germany – led by Felix Magath – had recently lifted the trophy. “But we’d had a few beers and the banter was flowing, so my natural reaction was to tell them I could put a Scotland team in the tournament that would come over and hammer them,” laughs McTurk, now 53. 

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McTurk and former Dunfermline Athletic midfielder Paul Donnelly, who he played alongside in Oz, headed out on a fact-finding mission to the 2010 tournament in Thailand, and it convinced them that Scotland should form a team and enter the following year. “It was a brutal eye-opener for us,” admits McTurk. “No disrespect to any of the lads that went on that first trip in 2011, but as a team, we just weren’t at the level needed, and we got thrashed 9-0 in our first game. We did get a bit better as the tournament went on, but it was a reality check and we knew if we were going to come back each year and do ourselves justice, then we needed to recruit some top quality players.” 

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Co-managers Donnelly and McTurk cast their net far and wide to attract the right calibre of player, and the list of those who have answered the call over the past decade includes Steve Tosh, Charlie Christie, Jason and Lee Dair, Gary Clark, Barry Wilson, Scott Walker, Marvin Andrews, Colin Cameron and Gary Holt. 

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