A small but determined group of Scotland supporters have made the long trip to Hungary for their side’s World Cup qualifier against Belarus — even though the match is being staged behind closed doors.
The game takes place at the ZTE Arena in Zalaegerszeg on Monday evening, but fans are barred after Uefa ordered Belarus to play at neutral venues without spectators because of its government’s backing of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
That hasn’t stopped a handful of Tartan Army regulars from making the journey. Steven and Cammy McNab, John and Jane Grigor, and Jim and James Todd flew from Copenhagen to Budapest before catching a train to the small town near the Austrian and Slovenian borders — a round trip of more than 828 miles.
In the hours before kick-off, the group even managed to get inside the stadium to pose for photos in the sunshine, although officials have made clear they will not be allowed to stay for the match itself.
“There were cheap flights to Budapest,” explained one of the group. “Scotland trips are brilliant, but usually the worst part is the 90 minutes of football! When we heard about this game, even though we couldn’t get in, we just had to come.”
Others were less forgiving of the situation. “It’s ridiculous,” one fan said. “I don’t understand why Belarus are even allowed in the competition.”
Jane added that organisers were trying to arrange a venue in town where Scotland fans could watch the match on television. “We’ll probably head there. We always make the best of it.”
