Edinburgh football team celebrates 30-year link with German side

The link has led to decades of friendship

An Edinburgh football team is celebrating a 30-year link with a local side in Germany which has led to decades of regular matches, visits and cultural trips.

The works team at World Markets near Crewe Toll first visited the Blackforest region of Germany in 1989 for a friendly game with the local team in Voegisheim.

The match was organised by Edinburgh-born Dave MacIntyre, a tree surgeon who was living in Germany at the time and persuaded a friend at the company to bring his team over.

The group were due to meet again this week

The Scottish side won, and remained unbeaten throughout decades of friendly competition until a six-a-side tournament in Voegisheim last year when they were outplayed by ‘far younger opponents’.

A group of 35 of the German side were due to visit Edinburgh this week to mark 30 years since they returned that first visit, playing at Peffermill in May 1990.

The German group have visited several times, taking in Scottish distilleries, whisky tours, visits to the Bass Rock and Inchcolm Island and sightseeing in St Andrew’s.

Many among them have been converted to supporting Hearts and have seen the side play at Murrayfield and Hampden.

They also sport Hearts and Scotland flags in the Voegisheim clubhouse, and have saltires as corner flags in recognition of pitch sponsorship from the Scots.

Dave MacIntyre said: “30 years on and many events were planned for the German guests for this coming week but unfortunately due to present circumstances it will now have to wait another year.

“This however should not stop us from celebrating a fantastic friendship which has endured all the political upheaval of recent times and seems to go from strength to strength especially now that the next generation are getting inspired by the friendship and wives, girlfriends and the offspring of the original squad are regularly in attendance.”