June 25 Friendlies

[Eassy]

Obviously no rumours yet but where’s people’s preferences for potential friendlies in June? I’d imagine 1 at home and 1 away, USA in New York or Canada in Toronto too big an ask?…

[wanderer]

I suspect June will be a Home, so it can be included in the season ticket package, and Away game in Europe somewhere

[Barney Rubble]

3 hours ago, wanderer said:

I suspect June will be a Home, so it can be included in the season ticket package, and Away game in Europe somewhere

Likely this.

Reprehensible that so called 'friendlies' are being bundled on to packages for qualifiers. The last 5 game package featured two such add-ons. And both 'friendlies' were priced at the same rate as qualifiers.

'Friendlies' have no place being marketed alongside competitive qualifiers. To do so is nothing short of extortion by the SFA.

[Northern Light]

Friendlies against Ukraine and Israel

[Sempre]

Presuming we're sticking to Europe, then taking away the European teams who all have games on those dates, here's who are available:

First matchday June:

Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden, Kosovo, Slovenia, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Rep of Ireland, Armenia, Poland, Cyprus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Faroe Islands.

Second match day June:

Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden, Kosovo, Slovenia, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Rep of Ireland, Armenia, Lithuania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Israel, Liechtenstein, England, Montenegro.

Switzerland - were a planned warm up for Euro 2024 before we got paired with them, so could see that being resurrected.

Sweden - haven't played them for ages and would be seen as a decent warm up for Denmark.

Hungary - not unrealistic after a close game at the Euros and maybe feeling we owe them one.

England - don't rule it out. They play away to Andorra on 7 June in a qualifier, but have a free date on the 10th which they would presumably want at home. With the big European names all otherwise engaged in the Nations League there's no glamour friendly v Italy or France etc. They either invite a Brazil or Argentina, or they might think "sod it, give Scotland 20,000 tickets and let's fill the place".

Latvia/Lithuania/Northern Ireland - if we have a fairly big team for the home game, they might be seen as decent enough tests away from home without too long a journey to travel. 

[er yir macaroon]

It should be a B squad. I'd rather our top players had some time off in the summer. 

[Caledonian Craig]

8 hours ago, er yir macaroon said:

It should be a B squad. I'd rather our top players had some time off in the summer. 

I agree with this. Save these games for our fringe players or up and coming players. Give game time to the likes of Lewis Ferguson, Ryan Gauld, Lewis Morgan, Lennon Miller and match time to likes of Tierney and Hickey if fit.

[adamntg]

1 hour ago, Caledonian Craig said:

I agree with this. Save these games for our fringe players or up and coming players. Give game time to the likes of Lewis Ferguson, Ryan Gauld, Lewis Morgan, Lennon Miller and match time to likes of Tierney and Hickey if fit.

Yeah, let’s do that.  I’ve never been to Malta but I bet it’s nice in June. 

[Northern Light]

On 12/14/2024 at 2:18 AM, Sempre said:

Presuming we're sticking to Europe, then taking away the European teams who all have games on those dates, here's who are available:

First matchday June:

Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden, Kosovo, Slovenia, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Rep of Ireland, Armenia, Poland, Cyprus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Faroe Islands.

Second match day June:

Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden, Kosovo, Slovenia, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Rep of Ireland, Armenia, Lithuania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Israel, Liechtenstein, England, Montenegro.

Switzerland - were a planned warm up for Euro 2024 before we got paired with them, so could see that being resurrected.

Sweden - haven't played them for ages and would be seen as a decent warm up for Denmark.

Hungary - not unrealistic after a close game at the Euros and maybe feeling we owe them one.

England - don't rule it out. They play away to Andorra on 7 June in a qualifier, but have a free date on the 10th which they would presumably want at home. With the big European names all otherwise engaged in the Nations League there's no glamour friendly v Italy or France etc. They either invite a Brazil or Argentina, or they might think "sod it, give Scotland 20,000 tickets and let's fill the place".

Latvia/Lithuania/Northern Ireland - if we have a fairly big team for the home game, they might be seen as decent enough tests away from home without too long a journey to travel. 

Would the four Nations League quarter final losers not also be available for June friendlies?

[wanderer]

If I had to guess, I would say June will be something along the lines of Sweden or Turkey at Hampden, and then an away tie against someone like Northern Ireland (we must be well over due a game in Belfast given the number of times we have played them in Glasgow over the last 2 decades) or Latvia.

[Squirrelhumper]

On 12/14/2024 at 11:40 PM, er yir macaroon said:

It should be a B squad. I'd rather our top players had some time off in the summer. 

Hard one to balance. Lose the games and folk start using it with a stick to beat the manager with (not won in x amount of games etc)

[Squirrelhumper]

28 minutes ago, wanderer said:

If I had to guess, I would say June will be something along the lines of Sweden or Turkey at Hampden, and then an away tie against someone like Northern Ireland (we must be well over due a game in Belfast given the number of times we have played them in Glasgow over the last 2 decades) or Latvia.

Would be delighted with NI. 

Belfast is great for a weekend. 

[Goozay]

On 12/16/2024 at 9:20 AM, Squirrelhumper said:

Would be delighted with NI. 

Belfast is great for a weekend. 

Belfast is indeed great for a weekend but I wouldn't thank you for a Friendly against Nrn Irn, home or away. Too much 'baggage' (by which I mean sectarian bullshit) plus the match itself would be a local derby with Nrn Irn digging in and putting bodies-on-the line.

Quite simply, it wouldn't be a "Friendly" if it was Nrn Irn.

[GLOSTA]

The SFA will want a sell out at Hampden so a decent team for that one will be top of their list. Do Turkey owe us a return fixture? They would be a good test.

Sweden away again would be nice too. No Ibrahomovic to single handedly batter us this time.

 

[DesiScotsman]

On 12/21/2024 at 9:22 AM, LoganRoy said:

Latvia at home and Belgium away. 

Is that confirmed or just a personal preference of yours?

Personally hope it’s two teams outside of Europe (shite ones) that we play as been a whole since faced someone outside of our continent.

[Sempre]

On 12/15/2024 at 9:02 PM, Northern Light said:

Would the four Nations League quarter final losers not also be available for June friendlies?

No, because all the "losers" will be in five-team groups so have fixtures already in June, with the only exception being Portugal or Denmark, who of course we won't play in a friendly.