FC Twente fans have made regular pilgrimages to Stranraer after a friendship formed by a terminally-ill supporter and two visiting Scots.
Dennis Van Unen's dying wish was to experience an Old Firm match in person. The FC Twente fan, who had terminal cancer, achieved that dream in 2006 with the help of two Stranraer supporters. What followed was an unlikely friendship between fans of the Dutch club and the Scottish town that has endured ever since.
That bond has now been immortalised in fabric through a special tartan-inspired shirt, which will make its debut in FC Twente's Dutch Eredivisie match away to AZ Alkmaar this weekend. The unlikely connection began in 2006 when Dennis met Stranraer supporters Jim Mc Kie and James Hilton during a match at Twente's De Grolsch Veste stadium, in the eastern city of Enschede.
Suffering from skin cancer, Dennis told them his dream was to experience one of football's most intense rivalries, a match between Celtic and Rangers. Jim, who also supported Rangers, and James, who was a Celtic fan, secured tickets and accompanied him on a football tour that included Ibrox, Celtic Park and Hampden. The friendship formed during that visit survived Dennis's death the following year, with Twente supporters subsequently travelling to Stranraer and establishing a tradition of reciprocal visits that continues to this day.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing