Overseas Tours

Sassco have toured since 2008, when the team travelled to Malta. The opening two tours were 11-a-side, but the subsequent ones have been 5 or 6-a-side.

Sweden Tour 2024
Sweden Tour 2024

We’re making early plans to head out to Stockholm in Sweden in May or June 2024.

The cheaper flights are from Edinburgh, so it’s likely we’ll get the train up to Edinburgh, shared transport from there to the airport and then a direct flight to Stockholm. Similar on the way back.

We always hear 101 people saying they’ll be coming, but it usually whittles down to 6 or 7 by the time money needs to be transferred. The process will be:

  1. Choose flight dates.
  2. Find opponents.
  3. Pre-book hotel.
  4. Book flights individually.
  5. Plan train or travel options to Edinburgh.
  6. Find a sponsor or self sponsor our kits.

Anyone who wishes to join after all these will have to arrange their own hotel in addition to what we have.

 

Netherlands Tour 2023
Netherlands Tour 2023

It’s close to home and it’s the Netherlands in 2022 after Covid. The team, now reaching their 50’s will need some medical marijuana for the aches and pains.

Both opponents have been arranged and the squad of Davinder Sangha, Dave Gourlay, Chris Dixon, Tim Gillespie, Mark McShane and John Harper will be in Amsterdam from 3rd to 6th May.

Cyprus Tour 2019
Cyprus Tour 2019

It’s Cyprus in 2019. The team aren’t getting any younger, so it as to be scheduled as one of the last tours, until Sangha scored in Tel-Aviv (on the pitch) and then “Where next?”.
Cyprus is the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, and was actually the first choice venue back in 2007, before we went over to Malta. The squad of five players is heading direct from Newcastle to Paphos, via Jet 2 on the 27th March and returning, if allowed back in due to Brexit on the 31st March.
Three game events have been scheduled v Alana FC, St. Georges FC and then a tournament arranged by the A.M. Fair Game Sports Center. The players taking part are Davinder Sangha, Tim Gillespie, David Gourlay, Chris Dixon and new old boy, Lee “Bulgy” Calvert.

Israel Tour 2018
Israel Tour 2018

It’s Israel in 2018. We’ll be taking a bunch of non-believers to the Holy Land, where, hopefully, with an epiphany, they will manage to secure at least three points in the series of games.
The venue is Tel Aviv, where we will be taking part against opponents: Soccer Stars and Milan Club Israel, sourced by the resourceful Elad Levin.
The four players travelling on the 10th May will be David Gourlay, Chris Dixon, Tim Gillespie and Davinder Sangha. So, while Israel conquered the Middle-East in six days, I expect Dave Gourlay to do it in four.

Iceland Tour 2017
Iceland Tour 2017

Aurora Borealis and volcanoes – and we’re not talking about what happens to Dave G after a few drinks!
Sassco headed North to Iceland in 2017. The Nordic island country lies between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. It only has a population of 329,000, making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe. The capital (and our location) is Reykjavík.
The opponents were superb hosts, white water rafting was exhilarating and the Blue Lagoon was relaxing.

Switzerland Tour 2016
Switzerland Tour 2016

The country which invented the cuckoo clock and shady banking hosted Sassco in 2016. It was in Geneva, Switzerland!
Sassco took on FC Semailles in an opening futsal game, before taking part in a specially prepared tournament, the following day, finishing a close second against three local opponents. The games took place on Friday 3rd June 2016 and Saturday 4th June 2016. 

USA Tour 2015
USA Tour 2015


Technically it was still a tour.
Originally, it was a late honeymoon, but Gourlay and Dixon tagged along with Sangha (all in separate hotels and flight times) before meeting up in the Lower East Side, under the Williamsburg Bridge. Then with a few additions, took on and defeated Alphabet City SC in iconic surroundings.

Denmark Tour 2014
Denmark Tour 2014

A fantastic tour saw the team suffer an opening defeat at the DBU headquarters, before storming back in the remaining three games to take the wins.
The hotel was excellent, the opponents were amazingly accommodating, which included a barbecue on the beach and free tickets for a Copenhagen game.

France Tour 2013
France Tour 2013

A good set of games, but a disappointing hotel, which, to be honest, was a dive in front of a sex shop (which was the only good thing).
An game of volleyball and then one of the most picturesque venues Sassco have ever played in, saw a long range strike on goal from Ed Cook and the first ever games recorded in HD. Unfortunately, David Gourlay, messing around with his Samsung Galaxy on the train; lost it and spoiled the tour.

Germany Tour 2012
Germany Tour 2012

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One of the best tours to date saw two defeats, despite a large squad.
The wonderful city of Dusseldorf hosted the Sassco team, as they suffered a defeat in “cageball” soccer and then another defeat in futsal. Despite this, the venues were great, the hotel was superb and Germans were wonderful.
 

Italy Tour 2011
Italy Tour 2011

Venice was the venue for a very successful tour, which saw all the games being played at our own hotel, but even then, we managed to be late for a game.
Highlights of the tour included Tim’s mission to find St. Marks Square, before David Gourlay got walloped in the mush with a hard futsal ball and spent the rest of the tour in a bad mood. The tour was one of the most relaxing ones in comparison to the Spain one. Two days and two sets of games on each.
 

Spain Tour 2010
Spain Tour 2010

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The recession hit (thanks you c**t bankers), so the tour was all but abandoned, but a late change meant we were back to where we started: Small sided games.
An 11-a-side tour was planned to the southern regions of Spain, but one-by-one, most dropped out and eventually we revitalised it as a 5-a-side tour and managed a marathon set of four games in three days around Barcelona.

Portugal Tour 2009
Portugal Tour 2009

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The second tour was the biggest to date, and this time we had substitutes (for a few hours).
After Malta in 2008, it was a case of “that’s it, we’ve done it!” and then back to normality. But it wasn’t long before the players started to ask about the next location. So, Portugal was chosen, with easy, direct flights and a full squad. This time, we managed to get a draw, a win and a loss.
 

Malta Tour 2008
Malta Tour 2008

After many cold afternoons struggling in the conditions, Sassco’s idea of a mid-season break overseas finally came to fruition with a weekend tour to Malta.

Despite a few failed starts, including a week tour planned to the USA in 2006 (too expensive), then an aborted trip to Cyprus in 2007 (not enough players), the venue for 2008 was chosen as a weekend tour. Eventually, we have 12 who put down the money in the self-funded tour and once we stepped on to the pitch at the Victor Tedesco Stadium, two hours after we landed, the first of many tours started.


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