You’d think a Scotland World Cup match would kick off at a sensible 3 PM, right? That’s the perfect time for a Saturday afternoon pint and a pie. But no, the football gods have a twisted sense of humour.
Most of our games end up at 8 PM or 9 PM local time, which translates to a glorious 3 AM for fans in the US or a 7 AM breakfast-time scramble in Australia. Ironic, isn’t it? The world’s biggest tournament, and we’re watching it through half-closed eyelids.
I’ve learned to set three alarms: one for the kick-off, one to wake me up, and one to cancel the pizza delivery I ordered in a stupor. You feel me on that, right?
The “Thursday-At-Noon” Nightmare
Let’s talk about the real enemy: the midweek 12 PM kick-off. For European fans, that’s a total nightmare. You’re either stuck in a meeting pretending to take notes, or you’re the person “working from home” with the volume on mute.
Imagine the tension: Scotland is 1-0 up, it’s the 85th minute, and your boss walks by. You have to fake a cough to hide the scream of joy. It’s a skill, honestly—a survival skill.
And for the kiwi fans? That’s a solid 2 AM start. My mate Dave in Auckland once sent me a photo of his breakfast kebab at 3:45 AM. He looked proud. And a little bit broken.
