AFTER 10 years of being unable to cheer on their favourites at the finals of a big football tournament, the Tartan Army is switching sides to back Poland at this summer's European championships.

The supporters' organisation - with 1,500 members and dozens of branches in the country - has thrown its weight behind the eastern European side after all the home nations were knocked out of the competition.

Since 2004, more than 40,000 Poles have come to Scotland and the Tartan Army foot soldiers have vowed to show solidarity with their new neighbours. Pubs and restaurants in towns and cities with large Polish communities are preparing special events to coincide with Poland games.

Sports stores in Scotland are stocking replica Polish shirts in the run-up to the tournament and are expecting to cash in on demand from Poles and Scots supporters alike.

Hamish Husband, spokesman for the West of Scotland Tartan Army, said that Scots were used to being the underdog in big competitions and should support Poland who face Germany, Croatia and Austria in the group stage of the tournament, next month, which is co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland.

“We know what it feels like to be the underdogs. We got behind Latvia at the last World Cup after their football association put out an appeal for all Scotsmen to support them,” he said. “It's been a difficult one because we are not given the option of supporting whoever is playing England so we have had to open our minds up a bit.”

The Polish national team, whose only Scottish-based player is the Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc, play Germany in their opening group game of Euro 2008 on June 8. They have also been drawn against Austria and Croatia, who knocked England out in their final qualifying game.

Frank Bannigan, manager of the football department at Greaves Sports in Glasgow, has stocked up on Polish merchandise and anticipates huge demand.

“As well as shirts, we now have tracksuits and flags,” he said. “We are expecting a real upturn in sales just before Poland play their first game. When fans see the games on the TV in these big tournaments they start coming in and buying the colours of their favourite team.

“It helps that we now have a large Polish community in Scotland, but it's not just Polish people who are buying the shirts, it's Scottish people too.”

Chris Kelly, manager of the Sports Cafe in Glasgow, said he was planning Polish-themed events to coincide with the matches. “We will have a Polish DJ playing traditional Polish songs and competitions to win Polish team merchandise,” he said. “We expect to be really busy and there will be lots of Scots cheering them on with Artur Boruc, who is a cult hero for Celtic fans, playing for them.”

The Sikorski Polish Club in Glasgow, which promotes integration between Scots and Poles, is trying to find alternative venues screening live matches on TV because its premises are not big enough to accommodate the huge numbers wanting to tune in.

“It's no surprise that the Scots are getting behind the Polish team,” said Kenneth Rybarczyk, the club secretary. “We have many Scottish members and although they don't have any Polish blood they have plenty of Polish spirit. The Polish supporters are very akin to the Tartan Army, they have that kind of fervent nature and are very passionate.”

The arrival of thousands of Poles in Scotland in recent years has seen the emergence of dozens specialist Polish delis and dedicated food aisles in supermarkets. Many pubs and bars now stock Polish beers such as Lech and Zywiec. In 2006, Darak Krzysik and his brother Tidufz established Scotland's first Polish restaurant, Bigos, in Edinburgh's Leith Walk.

Last year, Caesar & Howie, the Scottish law firm, set up a dedicated service staffed by Polish speakers to help immigrants to buy homes.

Despite the camaraderie between Scots and the immigrant Polish community, a growing number of Poles are leaving Scotland.

The trend has been fuelled by the soaring value of the euro, which has made Scotland a less lucrative place to work, and the relaxation of labour market laws by prosperous EU countries such as the Netherlands.

Germany is to open its borders to its Polish neighbours in 2011.

Meanwhile, Poland itself has become more prosperous. The country's economy has grown significantly in recent years, creating job opportunities which have encouraged many Polish emigres to return home.

A survey of Poles who arrived in the UK last year found that just under two-thirds intended to stay in Britain for less than three months. Fewer than 10% said they planned to stay more than two years.

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