Favourite quirks of Scottish stadiums.

[thisal]

24 minutes ago, CityDave said:

When was this, has to be last century, 80's, 90's?.

Found some older photos of Firhill online before the JH stand went up.

 

 

 

I'm seeing in this last one from about 1984 or 85 the offices and the newer players entrance hasn't been constructed yet.

Cracking photos. The offices were originally a social club (mentioned earlier) when the conversion was done the changing room and tunnel were moved. Relatively recently as in 20 -30 years ago in a 100 year old stand. Incidentally one of my favourite quirks was the we flat bit at the front of the terrace that you can just about make out in that picture, we used play kick the can on when we were wee. Jumpers for goalposts and all that.

[GordonD]

1 hour ago, CityDave said:

When was this, has to be last century, 80's, 90's?.

Found some older photos of Firhill online before the JH stand went up.

 

Why is the pitch mown to resemble the flag of the Japanese Navy?

[thisal]

51 minutes ago, GordonD said:

Why is the pitch mown to resemble the flag of the Japanese Navy?

It's not mown it's the imprint where big slavin landed.

[GordonD]

Now appearing as Tyrone Dobbs in Coronation Street.

[topcat(The most tip top)]

I remember watching thistle, as a student, when their groundsman was being creative with a succession of geometric designs mown into the Firhill Pitch.

After a few games the SFA told him to stop as the assistant referees prefer straight lines to help judge offside

That dates the Japanese Flag picture to the Early 90s

Edited September 13, 2016 by topcat(The most tip top)

[CityDave]

A few more pics of Keir's Park, Hill of Beath these of google images. The mighty hedge.

the one below features a taller inferior conifer hedge where committee members were constantly having to retrieve practice balls from, I think with a fishing net on a pole. Easier just putting a catch net up behind the goal??.

And one of the Pavillion/changing rooms which I didn't have in my own photos.

Edited September 13, 2016 by CityDave

[Mark Connolly]

6 hours ago, GordonD said:

Why is the pitch mown to resemble the flag of the Japanese Navy?

There's not much natural sunlight in Maryhill, so the groundsman attempted this as an early, cheap alternative to the Stadium Grow Lighting concept.

[locheedfcno1]

Here's a good rival to Brechin City's hedge, Keir's Park home of Hill of Beath Hawthorn. Real hedges need to be something other than the abomination that is leylandii (spit!!) any hedge appreaciator knows this and the good old Beach is a winner, nice colour, changes to a pleasant light brown in autumn.

Keir's Park is a nice modern ground, one of the best kept in the East Juniors, where you do see a lot of difference between the haves and have nots, the well off and the just scraping by.

 

 

Been there once watching Lochee united. Realigning ground. Great club [emoji16]

[PauloPerth]

9 hours ago, topcat(The most tip top) said:

I remember watching thistle, as a student, when their groundsman was being creative with a succession of geometric designs mown into the Firhill Pitch.

After a few games the SFA told him to stop as the assistant referees prefer straight lines to help judge offside

That dates the Japanese Flag picture to the Early 90s

I have a programme from a Thistle v Saints game in the 90's. The cover photo is an incredibly detailed thistle emblem mown into the centre of the park.  I seem to recall the groundsman is sat proudly on his tractor in the pic, but I may be mixing up this memory with the iconic photo of Sergi Baltacha sitting on a tractor smiling when he signed for Saints in a cheap, insensitive and inaccurate example of regional stereotyping. It was a Massey Ferguson IIRC.

[WILLIEA]

23 hours ago, CityDave said:

Firhill home of Partick Thistle. I've been a few times but have only sat in the Jackie Husband Stand which is an excellent stand. The quirk factor has to be the old Main Stand which for a time wasn't used for supporters though its used for the club's offices and the club shop. As it seems with many old stands the entrance to the pitch for the players is from the corner. The North Stand behind the goal for a few years was only partially completed which gave the stadium a very lopsided appearance and the South terracing is now a grass embankment. I will be interesting to see how this stadium develops over the next twenty years.

The match below is from a 1st Division meeting with QotS in February 2008, this is the only match I have ever fallen asleep at. It was a cold day so I brought down my McMurdo Parka which is like a big duvet, sat in the JH warm and cosy and at some point during this dull game which incidentally finished 0-0 I nodded of for 10 minutes during the 2nd half, then woken suddenly by the Thistle supporters reacting to a bad foul which resulted in a red card for a Queen's player. Now how did I manage to stay awake sometimes watching ICT at home under John Hughes' last season???

 

 

Was it that game. It was indeed a bore fest. Mitigated only slightly by the fact that one of my mates was a co sponsor that day so we were in hospitality

It was Jim Thompson sent off iirc

[CityDave]

16 minutes ago, WILLIEA said:

Was it that game. It was indeed a bore fest. Mitigated only slightly by the fact that one of my mates was a co sponsor that day so we were in hospitality

It was Jim Thompson sent off iirc

The most interesting thing that happened was the home mascot which was at the time a tucan tripped backwards over a QotS kit bag landing in a big heap, then had a struggle to get up.

[CityDave]

Took some photos at Fort William's ground Claggan Park a few years ago, tremendous setting with the foothills of Ben Nevis close by. The down side of this is during wet spells there is only one way for the rain water to go and the park tends to act like a sponge and this makes it hard for the water to shift hence they had a lot of postponements and fixture backlogs. I haven't heard much more about this in recent years so I wonder if they have found a solution??. They have moved the pitch in the past. I don't think any photos truly give justice to the view you get of the surrounding area. Ft William vs Keith in 2008 was the match being played.

 

[CityDave]

Some better ones of google.

[CityDave]

Speaking of views of hills from football grounds - Recreation Park home of Alloa Athletic. (I have these up on the Alloa season thread). It a nice classic old ground with a lot of interesting points like the long box like Main Stand which over looks the pitch rather than faces it at ground level at many stands do. Then there's plenty of terracing and a small covered standing area. Then there's the only blight you can find, the gazebo. Was this the same one that Stenhousemuir used to have?. Then there's the view of the Ochils.

Which other grounds in Scotland have views like which Alloa and Fort William have, SPFL or Non League?

At Dumbarton's ground you can see the southern edge of the Nevis Range and the beginning of the West Highlands

 

 

Edited September 14, 2016 by CityDave

[itzdrk]

Speaking of views of hills from football grounds - Recreation Park home of Alloa Athletic. (I have these up on the Alloa season thread). It a nice classic old ground with a lot of interesting points like the long box like Main Stand which over looks the pitch rather than faces it at ground level at many stands do. Then there's plenty of terracing and a small covered standing area. Then there's the only blight you can find, the gazebo. Was this the same one that Stenhousemuir used to have?. Then there's the view of the Ochils.

Which other grounds in Scotland have views like which Alloa and Fort William have, SPFL or Non League?

At Dumbarton's ground you can see the southern edge of the Nevis Range and the beginning of the West Highlands

 

 

Probably my favourite picture I have taken at a game was there.

[vikingTON]

You cannot see any part of the Nevis range or the West Highlands from Dumbarton FFS. Those are just some low hills around Loch Lomond.

[The Mantis]

8 hours ago, CityDave said:

Speaking of views of hills from football grounds - Recreation Park home of Alloa Athletic. (I have these up on the Alloa season thread). It a nice classic old ground with a lot of interesting points like the long box like Main Stand which over looks the pitch rather than faces it at ground level at many stands do. Then there's plenty of terracing and a small covered standing area. Then there's the only blight you can find, the gazebo. Was this the same one that Stenhousemuir used to have?. Then there's the view of the Ochils.

Which other grounds in Scotland have views like which Alloa and Fort William have, SPFL or Non League?

At Dumbarton's ground you can see the southern edge of the Nevis Range and the beginning of the West Highlands

 

 

 

Cheap plug - I blogged Alloa a couple of weeks ago including some old pics before it was improved HERE

[The Mantis]

On 13 September 2016 at 13:18, CityDave said:

A few more pics of Keir's Park, Hill of Beath these of google images. The mighty hedge.

the one below features a taller inferior conifer hedge where committee members were constantly having to retrieve practice balls from, I think with a fishing net on a pole. Easier just putting a catch net up behind the goal??.

And one of the Pavillion/changing rooms which I didn't have in my own photos.

Statue of Jim Baxter just down the Hill from Keir's Park, I'm away from home right now or I could dig out a photo

[CityDave]

10 minutes ago, The Mantis said:

Cheap plug - I blogged Alloa a couple of weeks ago including some old pics before it was improved HERE

I remember the Hilton Road side and how wide it was but then must have been about 2002 or 2003 the covered stand had been removed and the old entrance in the corner with a small rise up to the top of the back of the terracing. All that gone and rebuilt closer to the pitch.

Another thing I noticed was a black or very dark material like cinder used on the old terracing, maybe a by-product from the coal yards, am I right?. I've not seen this anywhere else. I don't think the use of this is allowed anymore.

[CityDave]

32 minutes ago, The Mantis said:

Statue of Jim Baxter just down the Hill from Keir's Park, I'm away from home right now or I could dig out a photo

That will be nice.

That first photo of yours shows the toilet in the near side corner where the red post box is. Taking a piss and watching people walk past in almost full view took a bit of getting used to especially if you are tall, you do feel a little bit exposed. Had to take a step back and lean forward holding onto the fence with my other hand just so to keep as low as I could. I don't know about Fife customs, but maybe they are used to having folks peeing in public and don't bat an eyelid. Still better toilets than at Central Park.