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Interesting and Unusual Grounds


Kelvin Valley

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The Best Ground thread made me think, there's loads of grounds I probably can't say are the best but they're some of my favourites because they have interesting features, strange layouts or unusual settings. Wondered what things like that other people have spotted on their travels? Ones that spring to mind are the mini covered terraces at Blantyre that are like abandoned sheds, the Rovers Return at Kello, the 'stands' at Crossgates, the guys walking in front of trains to get the ball back at Irvine Vics and the super views from grounds like Kirriemuir.

These types of things are all unique parts of junior football that help make it interesting.

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I've wondered how the rail companies feel about balls ending up on the tracks from football grounds, considering that trains can be derailed by leaves, as we've all learned. There's always a couple end up there during games at the Recs, and there are so many grounds next to rail lines. Surprised nobody's cottoned on to a compensation scheme for business lost due to the inability to run trains while games are in progress.

They're always running freight trains with coal for Longannet past the ground, so I'm hoping that eventually a ball ends up in one of the carriages and gives someone at the power plant a "WTF?" moment when they're unloading :P

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Ha very good. Obviously not literally walking in front of trains! Was being figurative rather than literal as I think can be taken from the tone of my post. Did see a guy last year getting the ball from on the line and walking back as a train approached fairly near where he was mind...

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FC Stoneywood was a strange wee ground.

Asked the locals how to find it and even they didn't have a clue ; it was situated in the middle of a forestry with a tiny cricket stand sitting just off one of the corner flags.

The rest of the ground had a white wall around its perimeter and it certainly was a different and interesting ground.

" The mighty are giving the students a lesson" - Jeff Stelling.

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Cruden bay was another bit of an oddity and the bus had to go down a 200 yard dirt track into the ground and it sat in amongst lots of farmers fields.

In fact the outside Perimeter was totally surrounded in stacks of coo dung ( apparently it's good for the lungs as the locals told us) and it was another strange experience with the local golf club being the place for a few drinks.

" The mighty are giving the students a lesson" - Jeff Stelling.

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Even though it was a bit decrepit the old stand at Bo'ness was a bit of history- now gone.

Kennoway Star Hearts' ground is worth a visit- next to the hamlet of Star it is up a dirt track between two fields near a wood. Very "Field of Dreams".

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The elevated terrace layout at Maryhill really lends itself to spectating and creating a good atmosphere. It works so well that you wonder why it's so unusual.

Might be good for spectators but I am not sure how much players enjoy a wall about a yard away from the pitch.

Nelson is an interesting ground (place) - works on a different weather system than the rest of Scotland

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The Best Ground thread made me think, there's loads of grounds I probably can't say are the best but they're some of my favourites because they have interesting features, strange layouts or unusual settings. Wondered what things like that other people have spotted on their travels? Ones that spring to mind are the mini covered terraces at Blantyre that are like abandoned sheds, the Rovers Return at Kello, the 'stands' at Crossgates, the guys walking in front of trains to get the ball back at Irvine Vics and the super views from grounds like Kirriemuir.

These types of things are all unique parts of junior football that help make it interesting.

Are you talking about the Crossgates in Fife? If so, there isn't a "stand" there.

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I remember ma first visit 2 townhead 2 play Cumnock we were seniors at the time and when I seen the caged ramp leading up to the changing rooms I thought 2 myself WTF the c***s doon here must be mental till n thought that w

Till half way through 2nd half a ned came round drinking a bottle of peach snaps lol. Funny as f**k

Mon the papers

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Might be good for spectators but I am not sure how much players enjoy a wall about a yard away from the pitch.

Nelson is an interesting ground (place) - works on a different weather system than the rest of Scotland

Too right! I mind a couple of years ago we had a game called off in late April when Brig O'Lea suffered a complete whiteout with a mad hail shower not long before kick off. The best part was that the village was only white from the halfway along the Main St to the Brig O'Lea end of the village. The other half of the village was completely dry and folk down that end thought I was at the wind up when I tweeted the match was off! No surprise we've already had our first postponement on Saturday 18th July!!

Our wee ground's claim to fame is being the first junior ground to have floodlights and therefore host the first ever junior league match under lights. It was a real smart wee stadium back in the 60's and we had STV up in 1967 to film a floodlight match which was later shown as a highlights programme on STV. Unfortunately they no longer have the footage. Also the old Scottish comedian Lex McLean filmed a sketch at the ground for his BBC sketch show 'Lex' in the 60's.

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I remember ma first visit 2 townhead 2 play Cumnock we were seniors at the time and when I seen the caged ramp leading up to the changing rooms

Station park, Bailiestons' ground also had a cage over the steps leading up to the pavilion. I remember an incident involving "Simmit" Thompson and a Baillieston player' it was the first time I had seen actual cage fighting, now quite popular in certain circles I believe.

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Cruden bay was another bit of an oddity and the bus had to go down a 200 yard dirt track into the ground and it sat in amongst lots of farmers fields.

In fact the outside Perimeter was totally surrounded in stacks of coo dung ( apparently it's good for the lungs as the locals told us) and it was another strange experience with the local golf club being the place for a few drinks.

One of my favourites - an oddity too in that they sold merchandise despite their relatively small size.

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Burghead Thistle , i think the most northerly junior ground in scotland?? . Nice wee town , feels like you are at the end of the earth when you stop off there.

Pitch is at the edge of a forrest , fields all around you, feels like it has its own wee micro climate not particularly unusual, just feel really remote from the rest of the civilised work ( even though its not really ).

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