Favourite quirks of Scottish stadiums.

[Monkey Tennis]

I think we've got the highest free standing floodlight pylons left in Scotland, or something.

Made by Thomsons of Edinburgh, I see to remember reading.

With our plastic pitch, the lights are now on a Hell of a lot over each winter.  They make for a striking landmark.

[Stargazer]

On 8/29/2016 at 20:58, CityDave said:

I'm sure I've seen a couple more like that in the Juniors. One that springs to mind is the very long one at Largs and it has benches.

 

I remember the bus shelter at Coupar Angus, does that count?

Well - you've even managed to get a picture of me in this one......!

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

9 minutes ago, Stargazer said:

Well - you've even managed to get a picture of me in this one......!

Are you the boy that's about to have a pish?

[CityDave]

38 minutes ago, Stargazer said:

Well - you've even managed to get a picture of me in this one......!

Someone else said the same thing on the Junior forum when I put that photo up on the match thread. Largs Thistle v Kilwinning Rangers 17/03/12 Scottish Junior Cup Quarter Final. Largs won 2-0 and there were fights on the pitch between rival fans after the final whistle went.

I'll add a couple more photos of the inside of that stand, I got there early before anyone else. So far I have yet to see any other stand  like that with that shape plus length.

 

Edited September 4, 2016 by CityDave

[Stargazer]

1 hour ago, Zen Archer said:

Are you the boy that's about to have a pish?

Nope .....boy on the right with the dodgy jaikit ! Big yin's no having a pish although I'll tell him that...just making sure he's got his leg over !

[7-2]

32 minutes ago, Stargazer said:

Nope .....boy on the right with the dodgy jaikit ! 

Sorry, it's a junior game so you'll need to narrow it down a bit. 

[Mark Connolly]

1 hour ago, Stargazer said:

Nope .....boy on the right with the dodgy jaikit ! Big yin's no having a pish although I'll tell him that...just making sure he's got his leg over !

[Jimboyjones1976]

13 hours ago, CityDave said:

Maybe the terracing with the two ends open and the open space either side of the small Main Stand makes it seem to have more space, but the ground itself isn't that big at all. This is another largely untouched ground over the decades and well maintained. Unusual also for the floodlights on top of the roofing are similar to Cappielow and Rugby Park. Are there football grounds in Scotland apart from those three that still have flood lights like that?

Edit: With that covered standing area opposite the Main Stand which looks built fairly recent I doubt there would have been a lot of space there.

 

 

 

The main stand in the first photo's an interesting one. I've seen stands like this in a few places in Scotland, where the front row of the stand seating is about 8 feet up and unlike most stands doesn't start on the ground. Alloa's main stand is like that too. Must make for a more elevated view of the pitch whilst, I assume, making better use of the space underneath the stand.

[resk]

It's quite common to see a terrace in front of the main stand at old fitba grounds. I suppose it makes sense for the seating bit to be elevated so the folk sitting down (who've paid more money normally) can see over the folk standing up in front of them.

[HibeeJibee]

11 hours ago, jagfox99 said:

The older  floodlighting mentioned is actually called drench lighting.

I was waiting for someone to mention that. As mentioned above: drenchlighting - which I recall was pioneered by a Scottish company, can't remember the name - involved putting the entire head of the floodlight at an angle, within which presumably all the lamps were at 90 degrees to the head itself. Conventional floodlighting entails a flat head but all the bulbs are angled. I think very few drenchlighting systems remain in operation today. If that description has baffled you, it is easier to demonstrate simply by posting images of the 2 approaches:

Drenchlighting




Floodlighting




On a related note: will Palmerston still hold the "tallest floodlights" record now that Meadowbank is in SPFL? Lights there are monsters. Or has this record stood since pre-Livingston?

[WILLIEA]

30 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

I was waiting for someone to mention that. As mentioned above: drenchlighting - which I recall was pioneered by a Scottish company, can't remember the name - involved putting the entire head of the floodlight at an angle, within which presumably all the lamps were at 90 degrees to the head itself. Conventional floodlighting entails a flat head but all the bulbs are angled. I think very few drenchlighting systems remain in operation today. If that description has baffled you, it is easier to demonstrate simply by posting images of the 2 approaches:

Drenchlighting




Floodlighting




On a related note: will Palmerston still hold the "tallest floodlights" record now that Meadowbank is in SPFL? Lights there are monsters. Or has this record stood since pre-Livingston?

Pretty sure Palmerston is the tallest. Basing this o talking to Ian McChesney who was putting in new bulbs at Palmy and being the tallest came up .

I had been to Meadowbank to see Queens previous to this.

[CityDave]

8 hours ago, resk said:

It's quite common to see a terrace in front of the main stand at old fitba grounds. I suppose it makes sense for the seating bit to be elevated so the folk sitting down (who've paid more money normally) can see over the folk standing up in front of them.

Forfar are also one of the few clubs in the SPFL that still has someone at the top of the steps up to the Main Stand who charges an extra couple of quid to sit up there. Most clubs including many non league that allow free movement around their ground still do this. Alloa did as well, not sure about Berwick Rangers or Annan. At Ayr Utd another club who has terracing in front of their Main Stand. I paid to sit in the stand at the entrance/turnstile and then watched the first half of the match then watched the rest of the game from behind the goal at the away shed. Can't remember if there was someone on the steps with a role of tickets and a biscuit tin.

[CityDave]

I don't know if anyone has noticed this as well, but I find Valefield Park home of Kilbirnie Ladeside unusual for the shade of yellow the folks there have used to paint the stands and the railings. Creamy Yellow? Not even close to the colour shade of the team strips. Quite a rundown ground back then when I visited, but the pies were very nice.

 

 

Edited September 5, 2016 by CityDave

[HibeeJibee]

East Stirlingshire used to charge "the supplement" to sit while at Firs Park.

I think it happens at Elgin but wasn't aware of it elsewhere in SFL, not that I've been to every ground or sat though.

It's happened at almost every - possibly literally every - HL ground I've been to. Sometimes more than £1, too. Much be some kind of northern tradition.

[itzdrk]

Alloa and Peterhead do it. 

[Salvo Montalbano]

37 minutes ago, itzdrk said:

Alloa and Peterhead do it. 

Aye, Peterhead was who I had in mind. It's a bit cheeky of them since it's the only real accommodation they have - the terracing isn't terracing as such but just a path round the side of the park. Some junior grounds have more, even if it was just a step or two. Having said that, I did enjoy my trips to Balmoor and seem to remember that the catering was very nice. I think they sold chips which is always a welcome addition to a pie stall menu.

[GordonD]

9 hours ago, CityDave said:

Forfar are also one of the few clubs in the SPFL that still has someone at the top of the steps up to the Main Stand who charges an extra couple of quid to sit up there. Most clubs including many non league that allow free movement around their ground still do this. Alloa did as well, not sure about Berwick Rangers or Annan. At Ayr Utd another club who has terracing in front of their Main Stand. I paid to sit in the stand at the entrance/turnstile and then watched the first half of the match then watched the rest of the game from behind the goal at the away shed. Can't remember if there was someone on the steps with a role of tickets and a biscuit tin.

There used to be but the club found out and had him lifted.

[tongue_tied_danny]

20 hours ago, Jimboyjones1976 said:

The main stand in the first photo's an interesting one. I've seen stands like this in a few places in Scotland, where the front row of the stand seating is about 8 feet up and unlike most stands doesn't start on the ground. Alloa's main stand is like that too. Must make for a more elevated view of the pitch whilst, I assume, making better use of the space underneath the stand.

 

18 hours ago, resk said:

It's quite common to see a terrace in front of the main stand at old fitba grounds. I suppose it makes sense for the seating bit to be elevated so the folk sitting down (who've paid more money normally) can see over the folk standing up in front of them.

You can include Ibrox and Dens. Both had terraced enclosures in front of the main stand.

[Jimboyjones1976]

54 minutes ago, tongue_tied_danny said:

 

You can include Ibrox and Dens. Both had terraced enclosures in front of the main stand.

I know what you're meaning however, I'm talking about the stands that start high up but have no terracing in front, just dugouts and stuff.

[HibeeJibee]

Such stands are built over the changing rooms?

Similar story with Firs Park before it was demolished, and non-league stands earlier in the thread like Linlithgow Rose and Gala Fairydean Rovers. Widespread in HL.


Alloa, Forfar, Linlithgow, Gala, Ravenscraig (Greenock), Ayr Dam Park, Grangemouth, Irvine Meadow and Sauchie:

Edited September 5, 2016 by HibeeJibee