Friendlies pre euros

[Squirrelhumper]

9 minutes ago, KirkieRobRoy said:

If you average out our three group opponents, you basically get Austria. They'd be a good shout.

Be at home i'd guess given we played them last year over there in a friendly. 

[wanderer]

Austria are apparently playing Turkey and Switzerland in March

[Orraloon]

6 hours ago, ProudScot said:

That’s good but now we need the other friendlies to be against opponents the level of Switzerland & Hungary, so we can get used to beating that level of opponent again. 

I think Netherlands are about the same level as Switzerland and Hungary. Maybe slightly better but not that much.

[wanderer]

35 minutes ago, Rich NATA said:

Ajax stadium?

Would Ajax (Feyenoord and PSV) not be too big for a friendly (?)

They've played a few games at Twente in the past few years.

While Friendlies do seem a rarity these day, they do play the majority of them in Amsterdam, but you are talking against the liked of Germany, Italy and England.

Only thing that sticks out in recent years is a friendly v Georgia played in Enschede not so long ago.

[mccaughey85]

On 12/5/2023 at 12:31 PM, Orraloon said:

I think Netherlands are about the same level as Switzerland and Hungary. Maybe slightly better but not that much.

Netherlands on paper are a long way better than Hungary. Probably a good bit ahead of Switzerland as well.

Looking at their form they have only really lost to other elite nations over past 3 years.

Saying that they clearly are not the force they used to be, especially when it comes to star players.

I would say they are a tougher test than Hungary and Switzerland.

 

[McToot]

Other than the article in the Scotsman/Record about playing the Netherlands, has there been anything else re March/June games? 

[LoganRoy]

Italy or Slovakia at home 👍

[wanderer]

11 hours ago, McToot said:

Other than the article in the Scotsman/Record about playing the Netherlands, has there been anything else re March/June games? 

Been rumbles of Northern Ireland at Home is the 2nd game for March.

Italian Press hinting that in March we were suppose to play Italy in the United States, but looks like we are more taken by the Dutch game.

Sweden away and Wales at Hampden being spoken about as June's games. 

[wanderer]

SFA confirm Netherlands away and Northern Ireland at home for March

[loanhead-tartan]

Aye Northern Ireland confirmed as the 2nd March friendly 

[wanderer]

Venue for Netherlands game TBC..... Really hope they take it outside of Amsterdam, as would be good to see somewhere else in the country 

[AlfieMoon]

What’s the worst case scenarios for Netherlands venue for travel to/from Amsterdam? 

Booked last week, arriving morning of match and back early next day. 

[wanderer]

2 minutes ago, AlfieMoon said:

What’s the worst case scenarios for Netherlands venue for travel to/from Amsterdam? 

Booked last week, arriving morning of match and back early next day. 

You are never more than 1.5-2 hours from Amsterdam to the vast majority of the big stadiums in the Netherlands, so its really not all that much of an issue, especially when they have a good internal rail network that runs non-stop up to midnight

[dan cake]

5 minutes ago, AlfieMoon said:

What’s the worst case scenarios for Netherlands venue for travel to/from Amsterdam? 

Booked last week, arriving morning of match and back early next day. 

There really isn’t one, Groningen in the north 2 and a half hours and Eindhoven in the south 1 and a half hours (train)

[wanderer]

Speaking to a Dutch friend, Eindhoven or Enschede would be the most likely outside Amsterdam/Rotterdam he feels, as they like to take friendlies outside of the usual places so the people in the east of the country get something.

[scotlad]

Would rather have played NI in Belfast; we played them at Hampden not so long ago (it was probably about eight years ago but not so long in the scheme of things!).

[wanderer]

2 minutes ago, scotlad said:

Would rather have played NI in Belfast; we played them at Hampden not so long ago (it was probably about eight years ago but not so long in the scheme of things!).

Think we have played them in Glasgow fairly recently a couple of times, there was a game under Burley, and there was also one under Strachan I am sure.

[scotlad]

1 minute ago, wanderer said:

Think we have played them in Glasgow fairly recently a couple of times, there was a game under Burley, and there was also one under Strachan I am sure.

Good point, I'd forgotten about the Burley-era game (I was going out with a lassie from the north of Ireland at the time too!), it was the one under Strachan I remember (Berra scored the winner, IIRC).

I quite fancied a game in their "new" ground.

 

[wanderer]

3 minutes ago, scotlad said:

Good point, I'd forgotten about the Burley-era game (I was going out with a lassie from the north of Ireland at the time too!), it was the one under Strachan I remember (Berra scored the winner, IIRC).

I quite fancied a game in their "new" ground.

 

Apparently a game in Belfast was agreed just right before COVID, but was scrapped before it could be announced, but agree, this game will make us well over due a game in Belfast (which to be honest I would actually have preferred to this, as always found Belfast to be better than Dublin)

[DesiScotsman]

When will ticketing details be announced for both these games?

[wanderer]

7 minutes ago, DesiScotsman said:

When will ticketing details be announced for both these games?

Probably January for NI and Feb for Netherlands

[McToot]

2 hours ago, DesiScotsman said:

When will ticketing details be announced for both these games?

I expect there’ll be a season ticket with the March/June friendlies, and NL games. 

[McToot]

2 hours ago, wanderer said:

Apparently a game in Belfast was agreed just right before COVID, but was scrapped before it could be announced, but agree, this game will make us well over due a game in Belfast (which to be honest I would actually have preferred to this, as always found Belfast to be better than Dublin)

Definitely must be due a game in Belfast. 
 

With Wales being mentioned for June, I read a while ago, they were keen to play us in 2026 in Wrexham for their 150th celebrations. Perhaps this summer part of the deal. 

[thesaint]

3 hours ago, DesiScotsman said:

When will ticketing details be announced for both these games?

Not for a while i hope. Had enough for now. Time for a break. 

[N4Footsoldier]

I'm generally never too enamoured by playing either NI or the Republic. To me it always feels slightly on edge with regards to hints of sectarianism creeping in, booing GSTQ and everything that comes with that type of thing etc.

Slightly similar to what it's like playing England given the non-football related baggage that can come with it.

I've also been to Belfast for multiple weekends away and always feels overpriced, not quite Dublin levels but not too far off.

Edited December 11, 2023 by N4Footsoldier