Diehard St Johnstone fans are looking out their passports as they prepare to follow their side’s latest European adventure.
Despite the distance and costs involved, hundreds of fans are expected to make the trip to Lithuania early next month.
The draw for the first qualifying round of the Europa League was met with excitement among Saints supporters when it was revealed they will play FK Trakai in the first leg at McDiarmid Park on June 29 before travelling to Lithuania for the second leg on July 6.
The club’s fans have enjoyed following the club around Europe in recent years – notably to Turkey, Switzerland and Norway – and many are already investigating the travel options.
“There are flights direct from Scotland to the capital Vilnius, it should be fairly easy to get there,” said a travel consultant with Ramsay World Travel in Perth.
The company has helped numerous fans in the past and is expecting a flurry of inquiries.
While the trip might not present too many difficulties for intrepid fans, the club itself is something of an unknown quantity.
Jamie Beatson, editor of the We are Perth St Johnstone fans’ website, said most supporters would be slightly in the dark about the Lithuanian opposition.
“Recent history suggests these games can be tougher than you think,” he said.
“There is always danger involved when you step into the unknown, but it could have been worse. Shamrock Rovers have a reasonable European history and were potentially the toughest opposition.”
The only downside is a draw closer to home would inevitably have boosted the number of fans making the trip.
“If we had drawn the Irish team we would have seen huge numbers of supporters travelling,” said Mr Beatson.
Despite the short notice and the greater distance involved he said he wouldn’t be surprised if 200 to 300 supporters made the trip.
Trakai is a popular tourist destination and lies only 17 miles west of Vilnius.
Should Saints win, they will face a second qualifying round tie in either Kosovo or Sweden.
