The Mantis

Aye, Gille Bride ( St Bride’s gillie) is the Gaelic for the Oystercatcher, or Shalder as they call it in Shetland, or Tjaldur in Iceland.

Yo ho ho - oof!

Been there a couple of times, the last being 2-2 v WW in 2015. The spread they put on at half time put Edinburgh Uni to shame. Wick went 2-1 up in 92 minutes and a disgusted Sir Peter went for a pish. When he came out we were all dancing about as it was now 2-2.

Zico

More to the point, last time I was there (must have been the Buckie game last season) the c***s never gave any warning. It looked like 2 identical turnstiles apart from one saying card payments. And the pies were all sold out and I got the last of the soup which was lukewarm and absolutely bogging.

Oops brain fart

This is an unattributed quote so it had me confused for a bit. However, you've got the wrong Usher. You've got Usher's of Trowbridge, Wilts and we're talking about Thomas Usher of Edinburgh. Ushers of Trowbridge Thomas Usher

Nah, it was Vaux Breweries of Sunderland that took them over. In my young days the brewers were known as Usher-Vaux and they produced this insipid beer which must have suited a Teesside Wearside palate as it was similar to Vaux beer which I probably tasted once on holiday. I believe that Ushers was respectable enough in Scotland before that, also their whisky. it was Drybroughs that were taken over by Watneys. Yeah a good bit of marketing but still shite. Pretty awful to think that back then, people including me would choose a pub that sold Tartan Special or McEwan’s Export, the ‘finest’ beers you could get in Scotland at the time. The other main player was Tennents, whose lager I think was top quality compared to what they sell now, but unless you were a lager drinker you wouldn’t bother with their tied houses as their various ales, like Bass Special, were awful. Unless you could find a pub which said ‘free house’.

No highlights from Creetown? I saw it was being filmed…

All change at WW John, much younger committee, you might see Newky but I'll probably not make it although I trekked down to Creetown at the weekend. I'm not involved at the club and Jamie who did all the media and programme is away too (has been going to Vale of Leithen this season as his mates are involved). Craig the Hunter who filmed the games is now at Vale of Leven. Sadly WW have lost a few stalwarts since you last played. Peter McGauley, Derek Waterson and Wallace Weir the kit man have all passed away. Also at least 3 long term supporters that you might have known only by sight (and sound ) are no longer with us. Edit - might get the train down and have a few beers when EK play Berwick next month.

There’s only 2 or 3 times a season when you have a great day out, you meet some familiar faces and a few new ones. This was one of the good days amongst all the shite

Just posted a few photos on the Random Matches thread

Castle Cary Park yesterday for Creetown 1 v Whitehill 3 in the Scottish. A cracking day for it and stopped at the Devil's Beeftub on the way down, a pretty impossible place to get a photo that shows how dramatic it is. The Whitehill boys left at 9.15 in the team bus and understandably drink was taken, i.e. a good few were pished.

My verdict on the WoS which was the wrong forum for it. First visit to Castle Cary Park and a very welcoming club like all the South clubs I've been at with WW.

Pretty comfortable for Whitehill. Home team started brightly but WW pretty dominant till Creetown got a softish spot kick for a handball after 30 mins. This gave them a lift and they had their best spell up to the break. Second half WW took the game by the scruff of the neck and never looked in any danger. WW have arrested their recent decline and have to say as a mid table tier 7 side I always had them as favourites despite Creetown being top of SOS. (apologies for off topic)

Compulsory greenie for red squirrel pie reference

He’s not got a neck though. I like my managers to have a neck. And not a brass one like Robertson or Gardiner.

Just to add to this in general. I was at the first LL AGM when GF got elected. There was a brief discussion about 'ventilation' which I felt should have gone to a vote but didn't. However at the time there were 4 clubs without lights and there wasn't a lot of love in the room for those clubs, one of which was mine. I felt the LL would have happily done without those clubs.

Remember being there with Whitehill against the Binos in the Scottish. Got the full treatment, boardroom, bevvy etc. Met the late Peter McKenzie, a real gent. But playing the Uni in the LL, they only got a wee room at the front and the boardroom was out of bounds. They only had 2 guys as committee and somebody had made up a few pieces. A similar situation at the Recs when Broomhill were using it.

It's actually far more fertile than Yell which you must have travelled through to get to Fetlar. Yell has the reputation that you draw the blinds on the side windows as you pass through. The bird life on Fetlar is tremendous though. Yell landscape:

Tuesday. Lowland League. Edinburgh Uni 1 Berwick Rangers 3. Nice night to be out and a decent moon... The Uni scored after about 30 seconds and led at the break. The second half had barely begun when their trialist defender was red-carded for a dogso and Liam Buchanan scored from the spot, going on to complete his hat trick.

Not very exciting posting about ammies games but usually good games to watch. Thursday night in the LEAFA Sunday Morning Premier, and the last set of midweek fixtures before winter. Pentland Athletic 4 Lochend AFC 4 at the Glencorse Centre in Auchendinny. Pentland seemed to have won it with a great free kick in stoppage time from man of many clubs including Raith, Dundee and East Fife, Craig O'Reilly but Lochend came back and equalised. In keeping with the Colinton Tunnel pic in my last ammies report, here's an old selfie from the tunnel at Auchendinny

Not random, but fancied getting a couple of aerial shots yesterday at Airdrie v ICT. High point of my day obviously...

Aye they move fast. I tried the same thing at The Oval in Belfast where it’s only about 2 km to City Airport and they come in really low. They go longways up the park but you don’t get much warning. Thought I had a few pics but can’t find any.

If the game’s crap you can have fun trying to catch the shadows