Random Matches You Are Going To...

[GordonS]

Oh, and I wondered how the club could keep going with so few supporters. The youth game over the fence had double the crowd and 10 times the noise. Then I looked at the car park:

[Jute]

Haddington Athletic 1-2 Jeanfield Swifts. 8th against 4th in East of Scotland Premier League. Haddington scored quickest goal I have seen in about 30 seconds with a tap in following an error by Jeanfield keeper. Jeanfield equalised not long after through another goalkeeping error. Jeanfield’s winner was complete opposite of first two goals come from a great passing move. Entertaining game with both sides creating some decent chances. Great set up at Millfield and cracking steak pie. 

Edited May 4 by Jute

[tamthebam]

40 minutes ago, GordonS said:

Banchory St Ternan 6-3 Forres Thistle, NRSJFA Championship. Att c. 25.

I've long wanted to come here and I love Deeside, so it was a wee bit disappointing to find the strath with a grey lid snapped on a few hundred feet up the hillsides. It's still a lovely spot, tight above the Dee and a good few miles east of the town. I also love teams named after saints, the more obscure the better. 

The best thing about this game was that it seems it's never occurred to either side that midfielders are allowed to do some defending. It was end-to-end throughout and could have finished any score. 

Before the match Banchory were only 4 points ahead of Forres having played a game more, so it was a surprise when the home side opened a 3 goal lead in the first 10 minutes. At that point you hope the losing side will either mount a comeback of have a heids gone, but it was Banchory that couldn't work out how to play it and Forres clawed it back to 3-2 on the stroke of half time. In the second half Banchory opened it to 4-2 and then midway through the half a double within a minute made it 6-2. Forres pulled one more back late but both sides had many chance. 8-5 would have been a fairer reflection.

Pick of the goals were the first, a Banchory player finding the ball at his feet and back to goal, cooly back-heeling it through the keeper's legs, and the last, a 25 yard free-kick wide left for Forres that curled and dipped into the postage stamp.

If you can't see the hills then the picturesque Falls of Feugh are near Banchory. You can see salmon leaping up them when it's the season for salmon to leap

I've been meaning to do a programme feature on clubs named after Saints as well... 

[An Eejit Abroad]

San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 Los Angeles
Att: 43,374

San Jose Earthquakes are celebrating the 50th anniversary this year of the founding of the original Earthquakes in the old NASL. There’s no George Best or Jimmy Johnstone nowadays but this was a decent enough, if sloppy, game in Silicon Valley. San Jose were worthy winners although LA put them under considerable pressure late on.

It’s the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo tomorrow and San Jose put on a big show with everything from skydivers to Mexican music to lucha libre wrestling. They also, ambitiously, decided to move the game to the 68,500 capacity Levis Stadium of the local NFL team, the San Francisco 49ers (which is in Santa Clara, just the 30 miles from the 49ers old ground in San Francisco itself). Very skeptical of the announced attendance but there was a decent crowd and a decent atmosphere. LA brought a considerable away support too, which isn’t something you usually see in MLS. Baltic though.

 

[Jute]

7 hours ago, An Eejit Abroad said:

San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 Los Angeles
Att: 43,374

San Jose Earthquakes are celebrating the 50th anniversary this year of the founding of the original Earthquakes in the old NASL. There’s no George Best or Jimmy Johnstone nowadays but this was a decent enough, if sloppy, game in Silicon Valley. San Jose were worthy winners although LA put them under considerable pressure late on.

It’s the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo tomorrow and San Jose put on a big show with everything from skydivers to Mexican music to lucha libre wrestling. They also, ambitiously, decided to move the game to the 68,500 capacity Levis Stadium of the local NFL team, the San Francisco 49ers (which is in Santa Clara, just the 30 miles from the 49ers old ground in San Francisco itself). Very skeptical of the announced attendance but there was a decent crowd and a decent atmosphere. LA brought a considerable away support too, which isn’t something you usually see in MLS. Baltic though.

 

In past Quakes used to play games against the LA teams at Stanford Stadium just up the road from Levi which has a 50,000 capacity so not an unusual thing for them to move to a bigger venue. 

[An Eejit Abroad]

2 hours ago, Jute said:

In past Quakes used to play games against the LA teams at Stanford Stadium just up the road from Levi which has a 50,000 capacity so not an unusual thing for them to move to a bigger venue. 

They’re playing the Galaxy there next month. I’m down in Palo Alto for an afternoon next week so hoping to get up there for a look around. Heading to the Oakland Coliseum today to catch an Athletics game before they’re moved out of Oakland - which I believe is another venue that the Earthquakes have used in the past.

[GordonS]

On 04/05/2024 at 15:48, Groundhopping Adventures said:

Campbeltown Pupils 3-3 Saltcoats Victoria 

There comes a time in every groundhopper's career when the Glasgow and Edinburgh grounds just won't cut it and you need to start extreme groundhopping.

That's why today we find ourselves at the Western most town on Mainland Scotland (it's not Malaig) at the Western most football club in the pyramid (it's not Fort William). Their nearest team in the pyramid is (I think) Girvan, think there will be a Northern Irish team closer though. Campbeltown is famously a long way from everywhere. 50 miles to their old "local" Derby against Lochgilphead Red Star for instance. They are however an excellently run club who do their best given the huge geographical challenges. Even Orkney has the three Caithness teams in Wick, Thurso and Halkirk.

Unfortunately for most of this game it was pishing with rain. Thankfully they let you out to retrieve your umbrella. I think Kintyre Park is a work in progress. They do have toilets but they leave something to be desired. Also no tea hut. Is it really too difficult to put and urn on?

Usually I'm crap at reporting on the actual football but this one was crazy. The game kicked off at 13:55 and by 2 pm Saltcoats were 2-1 up! After a Pupils equaliser I go to the loo, it is a 4 hour drive from Fife after all, and I miss a further two goals. 3-3 after 20 minutes! My dreams of an 8-5 are dashed and there is no more scoring. When the relegation battles in League one and two are reaching their conclusions where else is there to be but the two lowest ranked teams in Scotland battling out a draw at the end of the universe.

Do come, you hopefully get better weather than us. Hopefully for a lot of you and the Saltcoats Vics players they get round to putting the Ardrossan to Campbeltown ferry back on.

 

I got caught out by the lack of food too, we'd been for walk down at Southend and the Mull of Kintyre, I'd planned to get lunch at the ground but had to starve until after.

Shame you did down and back in a day, it's a great place for a holiday. We stayed in a converted double-decker bus just outside Campbeltown, not the most weather-tight and I had to kneel in the shower but fun for the kids and it has a cracking wood-burning stove.

On the way out we took the Gourock-Dunoon and Portavadie-Tarbert ferries, with a wee skip over to Gigha, and on the way back we drove up the east side of the peninsula, incredible views towards Arran, then took the Cloanaig-Lochranza and Brodick-Ardrossan ferries. If they ever get that direct ferry running again it will be great, but it only runs in the summer anyway so is only useful for a handful of fixtures.

[Groundhopping Adventures]

5 minutes ago, GordonS said:

I got caught out by the lack of food too, we'd been for walk down at Southend and the Mull of Kintyre, I'd planned to get lunch at the ground but had to starve until after.

Shame you did down and back in a day, it's a great place for a holiday. We stayed in a converted double-decker bus just outside Campbeltown, not the most weather-tight and I had to kneel in the shower but fun for the kids and it has a cracking wood-burning stove.

On the way out we took the Gourock-Dunoon and Portavadie-Tarbert ferries, with a wee skip over to Gigha, and on the way back we drove up the east side of the peninsula, incredible views towards Arran, then took the Cloanaig-Lochranza and Brodick-Ardrossan ferries. If they ever get that direct ferry running again it will be great, but it only runs in the summer anyway so is only useful for a handful of fixtures.

Fear not. Stayed over night in Tarbert and have family in Lochgilphead so saw them today. Done Campbeltown and Southend before. Highly recommend to anyone who hasn't been. Not just for the football

[Le Tout P'ti FC]

I am delighted to see the wonderment of a trip to Campbeltown getting due recognition on here.

I’m not so bothered by the lack of food at the park, as I always get lunch at the Black Sheep (Haggis nachos) after my long drive, and you don’t walk out of the Black Sheep seething about their miniscule portions!

However, the ferry timetable is useless for a football trip. Late Friday night ferry to Campbeltown followed by a Saturday dawn ferry back to Ardrossan. Then nothing until a Sunday evening ferry to Ardrossan. It would be amazing if they played some games on a Sunday so this could all be joined up, but they don’t and shouldn’t organise their fixtures for erm “ferry enthusiasts” like me who would make a point of doing that very trip just for the sake of it!

But it’s all dependent on Calmac showing the people of Kintyre some respect by running an occasional ferry. I’m not sure there has been any sustained service since Covid, but I’ll stand corrected on that.

Anyway, no matches for me this weekend. I’ve been in Iona praying for Talbot to stop winning football matches. Barely acceptable journey back to Oban tonight!

 

[Groundhopping Adventures]

3 minutes ago, Le Tout P'ti FC said:

I am delighted to see the wonderment of a trip to Campbeltown getting due recognition on here.

I’m not so bothered by the lack of food at the park, as I always get lunch at the Black Sheep (Haggis nachos) after my long drive, and you don’t walk out of the Black Sheep seething about their miniscule portions!

However, the ferry timetable is useless for a football trip. Late Friday night ferry to Campbeltown followed by a Saturday dawn ferry back to Ardrossan. Then nothing until a Sunday evening ferry to Ardrossan. It would be amazing if they played some games on a Sunday so this could all be joined up, but they don’t and shouldn’t organise their fixtures for erm “ferry enthusiasts” like me who would make a point of doing that very trip just for the sake of it!

But it’s all dependent on Calmac showing the people of Kintyre some respect by running an occasional ferry. I’m not sure there has been any sustained service since Covid, but I’ll stand corrected on that.

Anyway, no matches for me this weekend. I’ve been in Iona praying for Talbot to stop winning football matches. Barely acceptable journey back to Oban tonight!

 

Stoating photo. On the way back from watching Iona Rovers v Benbecula United for it to be on this thread surely?

Spoiler

Iona Saints surely? I'll save you all the bother

 

Edited May 5 by Groundhopping Adventures

[Jute]

7 hours ago, An Eejit Abroad said:

They’re playing the Galaxy there next month. I’m down in Palo Alto for an afternoon next week so hoping to get up there for a look around. Heading to the Oakland Coliseum today to catch an Athletics game before they’re moved out of Oakland - which I believe is another venue that the Earthquakes have used in the past.

Was not aware the Quakes had played in Oakland. Been to a Raiders game there. Pretty run down then and guessing it will be worse now. Been to Stanford a few times and it’s a nice stadium and would suit a football game as stands close to the pitch. Back over in November and hoping to catch either Cal or Stanford if the make College play offs so can catch a game at the football venues. 

[GordonS]

4 hours ago, Le Tout P'ti FC said:

I am delighted to see the wonderment of a trip to Campbeltown getting due recognition on here.

I’m not so bothered by the lack of food at the park, as I always get lunch at the Black Sheep (Haggis nachos) after my long drive, and you don’t walk out of the Black Sheep seething about their miniscule portions!

However, the ferry timetable is useless for a football trip. Late Friday night ferry to Campbeltown followed by a Saturday dawn ferry back to Ardrossan. Then nothing until a Sunday evening ferry to Ardrossan. It would be amazing if they played some games on a Sunday so this could all be joined up, but they don’t and shouldn’t organise their fixtures for erm “ferry enthusiasts” like me who would make a point of doing that very trip just for the sake of it!

But it’s all dependent on Calmac showing the people of Kintyre some respect by running an occasional ferry. I’m not sure there has been any sustained service since Covid, but I’ll stand corrected on that.

Anyway, no matches for me this weekend. I’ve been in Iona praying for Talbot to stop winning football matches. Barely acceptable journey back to Oban tonight!

 

The ferry timetable is perfect for making a weekend of it though, out on the Friday evening and back on the Sunday evening. The problem has been due to CMAL's (which is separate from Calmac) general long-term fleet troubles - when boats are needed to cover for others with technical problems, if they don't have a spare they take them from the least important service, so long as linkspans etc fit. And as the fleet has aged they've needed to get every working ship in service. As Campeltown isn't on an island, it's first to lose out. There's an argument that they'd have been better never starting the service at all, given their maintenance problems.

There will be more ships in the fleet next summer, fingers crossed that the Campbeltown service will run as planned.

[GordonS]

4 hours ago, Groundhopping Adventures said:

Stoating photo. On the way back from watching Iona Rovers v Benbecula United for it to be on this thread surely?

  Reveal hidden contents

Iona Saints surely? I'll save you all the bother

 

Iona Kings? Iona Abbots? Iona St Colum Cille?

Don't think I've seen so much as a set of goalposts on the island, even at the primary school.

[GordonS]

On 04/05/2024 at 21:57, tamthebam said:

I've been meaning to do a programme feature on clubs named after Saints as well... 

Been thinking about this. I make it we've got:

Mirren

John (St John's Toun is an old name for Perth, after the main kirk)

Cadoc

Roch

Anthony

Peter

Andrew

Ninian

Ternan

Duthus

James (Santiago de Dundee)

Cuthbert

[Andy groundhopper]

Somerset Div 3 : Tunley Athletic (Bath) v Draycott (Cheddar) 1-2 att around 20. Final nail in the Tunley coffin means they've lost all 26 games, youngsters a bit naive, unfit imo, and unable to get the ball down too often. At least they turn up and keep the club going, fair play when most others would fold up. Draycott not much better on the day, just a bit more experienced. 

[tamthebam]

5 hours ago, GordonS said:

Been thinking about this. I make it we've got:

Mirren

John (St John's Toun is an old name for Perth, after the main kirk)

Cadoc

Roch

Anthony

Peter

Andrew

Ninian

Ternan

Duthus

James (Santiago de Dundee)

Cuthbert

Defunct clubs:

Bernard

Machar

Joseph

Also St Marnock in the name of Kilmarnock

[Jute]

Spartans 2-1 Peterhead League 1 play off semi final 1st leg. Peterhead will be wondering how they managed to lose that. Better team by far but just could not get 2nd their play deserved. Not sure what the penalty was awarded for as was up the other end and from what was said at the end I don’t think many of players were aware either. Decent crowd in with a fair number down from Peterhead. No programme was only disappointing thing. 

[GordonS]

Wishaw 3-2 Cumbernauld Utd, West of Scotland League Second Division, att. c.100.

Cumbernauld Utd have one foot in the First Division while Wishaw have one foot in the Third. You wouldn't have known it from this absorbing, incident-packed game on a great surface in perfect weather which was allowed to breathe by the referee. Top pies too.

Cumbernauld took the lead in the first minute but Wishaw battled back to go in deservedly 3-1 up at the break, the third goal being a worldie free kick, on the right and fiercely whipped right-footed around the wall and in at the near post.

The second half was a muscular battle with little football played. With about 10 minutes to go Cumbernauld got one back, sparking the now-standard rammy with the goalkeeper to get the ball back. The Cumbernauld attacker shoved the keeper, who, from my distant vantage point, appeared to smash him in the face. The ref had a better view and issued a pair of yellow cards. Another fight between two other players right at the end got the same outcome.

So Wishaw are still alive in this division but only just; if they win their three remaining games they can get to 33 points, while the sides in 12th and 13th have 32 points with one game left to play - which is against each other on Saturday. Next up for tonight's teams though is a rematch at Guy's Meadow on Friday. Given the niggle tonight that could be spicy.

[realmadrid]

On 20/03/2024 at 23:08, Andy groundhopper said:

Jeanfield 4 Kinnoull 3 two early clangers by the gk made it 20 , then a hectic 21/31/32/42/43 kept it going until the end. Swifts wasted several shots, flying wide and not very handsome, to have killed the game off. They look good going forward but always gave Kinnoull a.chance. Decent pie, the ground a.work in progress, nice set up. Does anyone use the athletics stadium up the road ?

One of my mates is a teacher at the school next to Riverside and the athletics ground. The school does use it for games but the surface is not great and the venue is set up for athletics not football

Jeanfield  in time have plans for a stand opposite the enclosure.

[An Eejit Abroad]

San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 Oakland Roots

Second Earthquakes game in four days as they took on another Bay Area team, Oakland Roots of the USL Championship (2nd tier), in the US Open Cup. Oakland were just about the better team in the first half but San Jose took control in the second and should have won by more. Definitely not a classic.

MLS tried to pull out of the Open Cup this season in a very American attempt at cultural vandalism. The competition dates back to 1913 which I believe makes it one of the oldest cup competitions outside of the British Isles. As a compromise, 8 MLS teams entered this year, including San Jose. They seemed to take the history of the competition seriously, though, and brought out the players from three Bay Area amateur teams at half-time that had won the cup in consecutive years in the 90s prior to MLS’ foundation - San Jose Oaks, El Farolito, and San Francisco Greek American Athletic Club. Which was a nice touch.

Pretty poor crowd for a local derby on a beautiful night but there were plenty of people down from Oakland. Despite only having three stands, it’s a great stadium with a bar and food trucks behind one goal. Watching the planes land behind that same goal at San Jose Airport was perhaps as interesting as the game itself. Hammered with the hayfever which didn’t help my enjoyment of the football itself.