King Charles has approved a one-off Bank Holiday to allow fans to celebrate Scotland’s kickoff in the World Cup.
June 15 marks the first World Cup match Scotland has taken part in since 1998, against Haiti.
First Minister John Swinney suggested the one-off Bank Holiday to give fans time to ‘recover’ before going back to work.
‘We want to make the most of Scotland’s participation in this global sporting event by ensuring people have the opportunity to come together and celebrate – no matter the outcome of the match,’ he said.
The first match is scheduled to begin at 9pm in the United States, meaning Scottish fans will have to tune in at 2am local time to watch the match.
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But some English football fans are calling foul, claiming they should also get a holiday to watch their team in the upcoming competition.
One English football fan, Chris, told The Sun: ‘I don’t understand why they’d be getting a bank holiday on the Monday if the game is on the Saturday night into Sunday morning.
‘They’ve still got 18 hours to recover. But I suppose to give them their moment in the spotlight.
‘Let them have a day off work because they’ll be going home in a week anyway,’ he added.
Many locals have pointed out that not everyone in Scotland is recognising the bank holiday, with schools and many workplaces remaining open and expecting pupils and employees to come in.
One X user urged Keir Starmer to give England a bank holiday as well.
After the Lionesses played in the World Cup in 2023, fans pushed for a day off, but their request wasn’t granted – even when they went on to win the Euros.
In a comment to the BBC, a government spokesperson said: ‘The current pattern of public and bank holidays is well established, and there are no plans to change this.’
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that he would declare a bank holiday if the Matildas took home the trophy – before they were knocked out by England that year.
Such days off can cost billions to the economy, though, bringing other issues to the country.
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