A trip to Scotland: Caledonia calls for festive football

Words: Han Balk

Images: Han Balk

Every now and then, voices are raised, suggesting that football should be played during Christmas in the Netherlands again.

The last time a full round of matches was scheduled over Christmas and the days that followed was in the 2008/2009 season. Since then, the entire Dutch football pyramid has ground to a halt for a few weeks starting in late December.

For many, getting through this period without football is quite a challenge

But whether I’d be thrilled if football returned to Christmas in the Netherlands is another question entirely.

As in previous years, we fill the football-free period with a trip across the North Sea.

©Han Balk/ Terrace Edition. Celtic FC vs Motherwell FC.

This time, we attended four matches in Scotland, using Glasgow as our base.

On Boxing Day, we woke up at 3:30 a.m., landed at Glasgow Airport around 8:30 a.m., and arrived well in time for Celtic vs. Motherwell.

The Scottish FA treated us well the next day. Dunfermline Athletic and Falkirk kicked off on Friday evening at 7:45 p.m. Some research showed that this game was easily reachable by train via Edinburgh, even for the return trip.

Unbeknownst to us, we had ordered tickets for what seemed to be just another game in the weeks leading up to the trip.

But we soon discovered that this was no ordinary game. It was a true derby with a fierce rivalry. Expectations were high.

©Han Balk/ Terrace Edition. Dunfermline Athletic vs Falkirk.

Dunfermline vs. Falkirk turned out to be a derby with all the trimmings. Two strong ultra groups, about 3,000 away fans, pyro shows, and various interruptions due to fireworks or fans celebrating on the pitch.

Falkirk took the lead three times, but The Pars equalized each time: 3-3.

Saturday was dedicated to Partick Thistle vs. Queen’s Park, the small Glasgow derby. Lots of effort on a heavy grass pitch, but the real derby atmosphere was missing. Nevertheless, Firhill Stadium remains an incredible ground.

While Scottish football is much more than just Celtic and Rangers, I would’ve loved to see a match at Ibrox as well.

Strangely enough, Celtic were playing at home again that Sunday, while Rangers were away in Motherwell, facing the local FC.

©Han Balk/ Terrace Edition. Motherwell FC vs Rangers FC.

From Glasgow Central, Motherwell is just a 20-minute train ride away. Tickets for the match were a bit harder to come by—no online sales, and a booking history was required. But with the right connections, it all worked out, and it turned out we had the best seats in the house! Classic wooden folding chairs in row 3 of the main stand—you could almost smell the grass.

The Motherwell ultras of Block E put on a fantastic Home Alone tifo, and the 4,500 Rangers supporters made themselves heard loud and clear.

The first half was all Motherwell. Rangers were on the ropes and lucky to go into halftime trailing only 2-0. After the break, it was like watching a different Rangers side. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, a result that likely left both sides unsatisfied given the unusual flow of the game.

On the train back to Glasgow, we found ourselves sitting with some Rangers supporters. To our surprise, Celtic fans boarded the train at one of the stops.

In the Netherlands—a country of segregated bus transport for fans, where almost every weekend one or more games are played without away supporters—this would be unimaginable.

After four matches in four days, our Glasgow trip was nearly over. It was an incredible trip. Glasgow turned out to be better and more beautiful than we could have imagined, and our Scotland visit was definitely worth repeating.

©Han Balk/ Terrace Edition. Partick Thistle vs Queen’s Park.

Han is on X and Instagram: @hanbalk and Bluesky : @hanbalk.bsky.social

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