An Eejit Abroad Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 (edited) Manhattan Kickers 0-0 New York Ukrainians Att: ~30 First random game since the first day of the year as I managed to get along to a Cosmopolitan Soccer League game on Randalls Island in New York on one of those perfect days of weather you can get in NYC in the three weeks between the baltic winter and the horribly humid summer. The CSL has been running since the 1920s and was originally a league for German immigrants. It has expanded its scope since but is still mainly made up of teams founded by local immigrant communities, such as the NY Ukrainians who were formed just after WWII (Kickers aren’t one of those clubs as they were formed as a scouts team or something in the 70s). The standard tends to be decent enough although more professional and semi-professional teams playing in the NY metro area has diluted the quality a little at this level. Randalls Island is my least favourite of the CSL venues I’ve been to. It’s an absolute ballache to get to from anywhere in the city other than Harlem and the very upper Upper East Side and there’s really not a lot worth doing once you get there, unless you’re checking in to the rehab centre or doing firefighter training. The pitches are also all bunched together so half the game is spent kicking balls from other games off the pitch. But it’s still a pretty stunning setting, being on an island in the East River between the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens and with the Triborough and Hell Gate bridges running above it. Game wasn’t great. My pictures are worse. Bonus Acela heading towards Boston for the train folks. Edited March 4 by An Eejit Abroad 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marten Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 (edited) Dundee United Women 0-3 Hearts Women Yesterday I went to Foundation Park, opposite Tannadice (previously called Gussie Park), for this game. I haven't been there since it was improved. There is now a wee stand and catering facilities. That makes the experience a lot nicer than it was previously. The first half was very one-sided. Hearts were easily the better team. A great finish from the edge of the penalty area got them the lead and the 3-0 score at half time didn't flatter them. Dundee United did improve for the second half. Good defending prevented worse for them but they were never really close to getting back in the game. There was a group of Hearts fans who were at Tynecastle for their midday game against Celtic. They left straight after the final whistle there and made their way to Dundee for the women's team. A guy I spoke to was waiting near the exit for the final whistle, went straight to Haymarket station and jumped on a train, to pick up his car from a station in Fife so he could get to Dundee in time. Hats off to these fans for their commitment. Edited March 4 by Marten 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvo Montalbano Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 I know you don't need much seating but it would have been nice if the first row was raised up a bit so you could sit there and have a decent view. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonS Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 (edited) 1 hour ago, Marten said: Dundee United Women 0-3 Hearts Women Yesterday I went to Foundation Park, opposite Tannadice (previously called Gussie Park), for this game. I haven't been there since it was improved. There is now a wee stand and catering facilities. That makes the experience a lot nicer than it was previously. The first half was very one-sided. Hearts were easily the better team. A great finish from the edge of the penalty area got them the lead and the 3-0 score at half time didn't flatter them. Dundee United did improve for the second half. Good defending prevented worse for them but they were never really close to getting back in the game. There was a group of Hearts fans who were at Tynecastle for their midday game against Celtic. They left straight after the final whistle there and made their way to Dundee for the women's team. A guy I spoke to was waiting near the exit for the final whistle, went straight to Haymarket station and jumped on a train, to pick up his car from a station in Fife so he could get to Dundee in time. Hats off to these fans for their commitment. Good to see, when I was there they didn't have any cover, seats, catering or even toilets. They shouldn't have been allowed to play in SWPL1 with that. Odd memory from that trip was graffiti across the road that said F*CK ROMA. If you didn't know better you'd think it was a hotbed of racism against Gypsy/ Travellers. Edited March 4 by GordonS 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crow Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool (0-0 HT) @ The City Ground . 3pm. The Premier League leaders win it in the most dramatic of circumstances. The returning Darwin Nunez ️ heading in an Alexis Mac Allister cross right at the death (90+9). Crowd 29,603. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crow Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Heart of Midlothian 2-0 Celtic (1-0 HT) @ Tynecastle Park . 12 noon. cinch SPFL Premiership. Dramatic stuff involving VAR as Celtic have a penalty saved, see Yang sent off and then concede from the spot. Lawrence Shankland sealed the win in the 2nd half. Crowd 17,748. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marten Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 15 hours ago, GordonS said: Good to see, when I was there they didn't have any cover, seats, catering or even toilets. They shouldn't have been allowed to play in SWPL1 with that. Last time I was there was for a January friendly between Dundee United and Lochee United, well before the stand was finished. There were definitely toilets then as I used them. We got completely humped because Dundee United had some league games called off and fielded a nearly full strength XI to keep up match fitness. 15 hours ago, GordonS said: Odd memory from that trip was graffiti across the road that said F*CK ROMA. If you didn't know better you'd think it was a hotbed of racism against Gypsy/ Travellers. I know a guy who is half-Scottish, half-Italian, supporting Dundee United & Lazio. maybe I should ask if he did that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonS Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 4 hours ago, Marten said: I know a guy who is half-Scottish, half-Italian, supporting Dundee United & Lazio. maybe I should ask if he did that. The graffito would have been a reference to the 1984 European Cup semi-final. Dundee Utd beat Roma 2-0 at home but lost 3-0 away because the Roma president had bribed the referee with £50,000. He admitted it years later. Dundee Utd should have played Liverpool in a European Cup final. And bribery should be a capital offence. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Tout P'ti FC Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 Dalkeith Thistle 1 Edinburgh South 2. Was hoping to get to Innerleithen to see the Vale of Leithen game tonight but got held up at the place where bills get paid from. Diverted at last minute to familiar turf to see a pretty decent game. Edinburgh had about a million chances but failed to put Dalkeith away at 2-0, then Dalkeith finished very strongly but fell short. Good crowd (for Dalkeith!) in too considering Bonnyrigg and Whitehill are both at home tonight. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuma Power Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 Iwaki FC vs Fagiano Okayama in the Japanese J2 (second division). Much less jet-lagged and much warmer than last week, had been really looking forward to this one and it didn't disappoint. Iwaki are the team I look out for in Japan as I spend a fair bit of time in the area for work. Iwaki is on the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, which was affected pretty badly by the tsunami and nuclear accident in 2011. Iwaki FC was set up in 2012 to give the area hope, and the team promptly started climbing the divisions, reaching the second tier of Japanese football the season before last. There's a good bit of money behind the project, however it is mainly going into getting the infrastructure in place, developing youth and building a club and fan base that the community can get behind and be proud of. With that in mind, the playing budget isn't huge and the squad mainly consists of players signed from university or out of other teams' youth systems, with an average age of 22.9 years. Iwaki play at the Hawaiians Stadium. Iwaki was a big coal mining region until the mines closed in the 1970s, when a Hawaii-themed resort was set up using the area's hot spring water to provide alternative jobs outside of the coal industry for young people. That's why behind the goal at the home end, there are big flags displaying two symbols of the city: a coal miner and a hula dancer. The game itself was good fun too. Iwaki play fast, expansive football, with pace to burn down the wings and the capability to zip the ball about on the deck as well. Despite going behind early on, Iwaki kept pushing, and got their equaliser in the 97th minute when the goalie (who had come up for the last free kick) knocked down an inswinging ball for his team-mate to backheel into the net. Brilliant effort from the home fans too, who sang and sang from an hour before kick-off until the final whistle! 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crow Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 Vale of Leithen 1-2 Heriot-Watt University (0-0 HT) @ Victoria Park . EOSFL 1st Division. 7.30pm. The Vale ahead just before the hour mark. The students levelled on 66 mins and then won it from the spot (Vale reduced to 10 following the award) 10 mins from time. Crowd 32. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Tout P'ti FC Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 Newtongrange Star 1 Fauldhouse United 0. King Cup third round. Not the prettiest game. Star making a wheen of changes to their starting XI, and neither team really getting going. I even felt sorry for the Star Ultras (all three of them) who dragged themselves out with their drum, but didn’t have the critical mass of numbers to have a wee sing with their pals. They quickly gave up and the drum was left forlorn on the terrace for most of the game. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonS Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 (edited) On 05/03/2024 at 17:57, GordonS said: The graffito would have been a reference to the 1984 European Cup semi-final. Dundee Utd beat Roma 2-0 at home but lost 3-0 away because the Roma president had bribed the referee with £50,000. He admitted it years later. Dundee Utd should have played Liverpool in a European Cup final. And bribery should be a capital offence. Found the picture I took at the time, I'd misremembered it but close enough. I took that in October 2022, still there in May 2023 when Google Streetview drove by. Edited March 6 by GordonS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crow Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Heart of Midlothian B 2-1 Albion Rovers (1-0 HT) @ Ainslie Park Stadium . Lowland League. Great game . Hearts ahead after just 3 minutes but Rovers recovered well and equalised from the spot. Hearts saw a penalty saved but did make it 2-1 shortly after and won. Crowd 259. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Tout P'ti FC Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Edinburgh 2 Edinburgh 2 in the Edinburgh derby at Paties Road, Edinburgh. All to play for in the second half as Edinburgh will be attacking the Edinburgh end of the ground. Lively game so far, Edinburgh are much on top but haven’t taken their chances, allowing Edinburgh to equalise close to HT. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groundhopping Adventures Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Glenrothes 1-2 Musselburgh Athletic Here at the Warout for some Romanian Secon... Sorry East Premier League action. If you love Brutalist architecture this is the place for you for all Almondvale and Broadwood's problems, at least they don't look like this. Still better than Meadowbank though. Another local one for us now so happy to jump up the road. First impression was the stadium, second was how small the Home keeper was. 5ft6 on his tip toes and lucky if he's 18. The hosts started really well however and took a lead after pressure. The chance of 2-0 was spurned after they balloon a penalty over the bar. A deflection and a lob over the vertically challenged goalkeeper sends the points down the road. The Warout is unique. Closest is probably a smaller Old Meadowbank. Did enjoy it, it'll be fun in the summer. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jute Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Edinburgh Uni 0-2 Cowdenbeath. Far closer game than I was expecting. Both teams playing some nice football at times in a really entertaining game. Uni did not look like a team that have only won once all season. Coffee and Walnut cake was amazing. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atfccfc Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Lochburn Park for Maryhill 0 V Ardrossan Winton Rovers 3. West of Scotland Division 2. Entry £6 programme £2. Crowd around 200. Midtable Maryhill hosting league leaders AWR. The hosts had the better of the first half as they controlled most of the game. Number 10 for Maryhill was the stand out player. Dictating play in midfield. But they couldn't really get that chance to take the lead. The visitors who seemed to be playing within themselves were making their manager very unhappy as he spent most of the first half roaring at his team! They helped him relax a bit though by taking a 38th minute lead when a long ball forward seen number 20 run through and chip the goalkeeper to give AWR an undeserved half time lead. The second half started better for the visitors as they again profited from a long ball and number 9 chipped the goalkeeper again. The third was a second for number 9 as the visitors dominated the second half. The match petered out for a deserved 3 points for the leaders. Absolutely loved the ground. Good pies. An impressive but small club shop and bar. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSJ.84 Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Raith 2-0 Dunfermline Comfortable victory in the end for Raith despite not being at their best. Dunfermline saw a lot of the ball but didn’t create an awful lot, although Dabrowski made an unreal save at 1-0. Main disappoint was only finding out the coffee I’d order was in fact Bovril after I’d added milk. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamthebam Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 4 hours ago, atfccfc said: Lochburn Park for Maryhill 0 V Ardrossan Winton Rovers 3. West of Scotland Division 2. Entry £6 programme £2. Crowd around 200. Midtable Maryhill hosting league leaders AWR. The hosts had the better of the first half as they controlled most of the game. Number 10 for Maryhill was the stand out player. Dictating play in midfield. But they couldn't really get that chance to take the lead. The visitors who seemed to be playing within themselves were making their manager very unhappy as he spent most of the first half roaring at his team! They helped him relax a bit though by taking a 38th minute lead when a long ball forward seen number 20 run through and chip the goalkeeper to give AWR an undeserved half time lead. The second half started better for the visitors as they again profited from a long ball and number 9 chipped the goalkeeper again. The third was a second for number 9 as the visitors dominated the second half. The match petered out for a deserved 3 points for the leaders. Absolutely loved the ground. Good pies. An impressive but small club shop and bar. I had a really fine pint of Vitamin T at the Maryhill Social Club last time I was there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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