Premier League football heads north of the border on Wednesday afternoon as Newcastle United face Everton in a pre-season friendly at Murrayfield, the home of Scottish rugby, in Edinburgh.
Both clubs usually play at two of English football's best stadiums – St James' Park and Everton's recently-opened Hill Dickinson stadium, which the Toffees first played at last season. However, they meet in unfamiliar surroundings on Wednesday for a warm-up fixture.
Kick-off time and venue
Newcastle vs Everton takes place at 5.15pm BST at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, on Wednesday, August 12.
Why Murrayfield?
An official reason for the choice of venue hasn't been given, but Murrayfield exceeds the capacities of both St James' Park and the Hill Dickinson.
Everton boss David Moyes appeared to suggest the club has a strong supporter base in Scotland, stating: "A fixture like this, in one of the biggest stadiums in the country, will help us continue building towards the start of the campaign. Everton has always had a strong connection with Scotland, and we know how well our supporters travel, not just from Merseyside but from across the country."
For Newcastle, rumours have circulated among fans that this could be a dry run for the club, which is keen on expanding St James' Park in the near future. Should they be forced to temporarily vacate their home, it's been suggested that Murrayfield may serve as a short-term solution, much like Tottenham Hotspur played at Wembley for a season. Those suggestions, however, have not been confirmed by anyone official at this stage.
Murrayfield's capacity
At a capacity exceeding 67,000, Murrayfield is Scotland's largest sporting arena. While primarily known as the home of Scottish Rugby, the stadium regularly hosts major events during the summer months. Its location makes it ideal for a fixture of this scale.
Quotes corner
New Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle: "I received a call at the end of July, when it was clear that most likely Eddie would quit. Obviously if there's first of all a club original from Premier League, and then also a club like Newcastle with that special club history, that fan base, that DNA, which is so linked to the idea of how I want to play football. There was no doubt or question marks but to listen and take that process further. For sure I had a big smile."
New Everton signing Brennan Johnson: "There were a lot of reasons why I was so keen to join – the manager, the players, the direction the team is going in. You can see this is a club that wants to go in the right direction, and I'm a player who wants to go in that direction, too, so it feels like a really good match. I want to come in and show what I can do. The manager spoke to me about getting back to the form that I've shown previously, and that's a massive thing for me – the fact he knows and believes in what I can do."
