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Haitch

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Women's fitba on Saturday. Chicago Red Stars vs Jen Beattie's Bay FC and it's being played at Wrigley Field - normally they play at Toyota Park which is the Fire's old home, miles and miles and miles and miles out into the Southwest burbs. Must be trying to get a big crowd as it's only $5 per ticket (with a $4.30 booking fee on each one because the Cubs are gouging b*****ds). 

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They got their big crowd; 35,308 which is apparently the highest attendance in NWSL history. The boy’s going to be awfully confused in later life when I tell him his first fitba game was in a baseball stadium. Chicago 1 - 2 Bay FC, for the record.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Abbey Vale 0-7 Queen of the South

Back at it after a brief break.

A first visit Maryfield Park New Abbey for South of Scotland v League 1. 

It is quite difficult to find the park as it is up behind the primary school and Sat Navs take you into the doctors next door. However, once you locate it there is a very basic but very pleasant arena.

Vale won the 22/23 South of Scotland and in turn turn were pumped 0-5 by Amateur Cooper Hearts in the big Scottish. The South's struggles to attract any real quality are well known. Weird to say after a heavy defeat but the Vale keeper put in a superb first half performance to keep it respectable. 

A crowd of over 200 will make a big difference to Abbey Vale. Lots of Queens fans and groundhoppers in attendance made it an excellent friendly atmosphere. Vale are really welcoming and they'd be delighted to see you. 

If you came to the far side of the park 20 years ago you'd have got an excellent photo of Sweetheart Abbey but the trees have grown a bit so it is partially obscured but hey ho. Next to us was a field with a rather large bull. Needless to say when we weren't impersonating prime Yashin to stop the ball clearing the fence we weren't too keen to retrieve it.

Queens get a first look at new players. Abbey Vale get cash and we get a lovely day oot to start off our fourth season and third full season of groundhopping.

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On 09/06/2024 at 17:26, carpetmonster said:

They got their big crowd; 35,308 which is apparently the highest attendance in NWSL history. The boy’s going to be awfully confused in later life when I tell him his first fitba game was in a baseball stadium. Chicago 1 - 2 Bay FC, for the record.

 

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There's a big hedge on one side and a gap on the other and people complain about the view at Meadowbank! 

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On 12/05/2024 at 17:24, The Mantis said:

I was inspired by the music and looked up Beluga Lagoon. I had a spell in hospital in the Autumn and listened to their stuff on Apple Music. Saw them at Stirling Albert Halls in March with Mrs Mantis, and going to Barrowland on May 30. Both sold out in about 3 minutes. In fact I was on at the woman who sold me a spare for Barrowland, just  yesterday, she still has another one her daughter bought her. Look up their short movies on belugalagoon.com and get in there! 

I had been in Fintry when it had a youth hostel and I was in the pub under age. Can't remember if we were walking or cycling back then but it sure seems well out of the way now... went in by the Carron Valley but went back by the A811 which was far faster.

Wee interview with Beluga Lagoon on Scotland Outdoors.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0j25dn

 

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Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica

A surreal experience to find myself watching Brazil on a summer’s night in Los Angeles. Kenny Vargas on the Costa Rican bench probably felt the same considering he was playing away at Greenock and Airdrie a few months ago.

Plenty Brazilian individual flair on show but zero end product. The Costa Rican goalie (who plays for Ibiza) got man of the match without having to do an awful lot for it. Ex-Arsenal man and committed journeyman Joel Campbell came off the bench and was outstanding at getting Costa Rica up the park. Can’t help but feel a tad depressed though watching a team of massive underdogs with a back 5 put up a great defensive performance and come away with what they wanted against a vastly superior side in a major tournament (ahem Steve Clarke).

An incredible result but I was most impressed at the fact the referee was hooked up to the stadium speakers and announced, in detail, what the VAR decision was for. A common sense rule which would be too simple for the clowns over here to implement.

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DHC Delft 3-2 Victoria '04 (after extra time)
Saturday 8th June
 
Due to family reasons I didn't get to many football games recently. I am now in The Netherlands due to these same reasons. I did manage to squeeze two games in though (so far).
 
DHC are historically the biggest team in the city of Delft in the west of the country. They played professional football for 13 seasons in total, although the last 2 seasons were as a merged club Xerces/DHC'66. The merged club went bust in 1968, DHC restarted independently in non-league. They have been a good non-league club for years, but recently fell into decline. In 2023, they got relegated from the 5th to the 6th tier. Also this season they have struggled, ending up on a relegation play-off place. This game against Victoria'04 from the nearby city of Vlaardingen was the semi-final of those play-offs. DHC won after extra time, so they reached the play-off final. However, they lost that one and as a result suffered back to back relegations, which will see them in the 8th tier for next season.
 
Just like the club, the ground also had better times. However, it's still a lovely old ground with a capacity of 8K (it was 18K in the club's professional days). There is an old seated stand with terracing around the pitch.
 
There aren't any photos of the game itself due to a low battery, but thankfully I arrived early to take photos of the beautiful old ground.
 
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Wippolder 1-6 DZC'68
Wednesday 19th June
 
Non-league in The Netherlands often continues until late in the season. I managed to go to one of the penultimate competitive games in the country (barring possible minor cups). Both these clubs were amongst 6 to lose a play-off final for promotion to the 5th tier. In The Netherlands, that promotion is significant as it takes a club from the regional leagues to the nationally organised "division structure". However, as one team resigned from the league, the losing finalists were playing in a repechage for the final available spot. This was one of 2 semi-finals, with the winners playing in the last domestic game of the season the following Saturday to try to claim that final promotion spot.
Wippolder are a small team from just outside the city of Delft. The visitors are from Doetinchem, a town right on the German border, a 2 hour drive, very long for Dutch standards, especially for a Wednesday night game. As a neutral I was hoping for a close game. However, it was far from close. The visitors were the better team from the start which resulted in an early goal. Around 20 minutes in, the task got a lot harder for the hosts as one player got yellow for a handball, got furious at the referee and even pushed him, so he immediately got his second yellow card. The visitors wasted no time in taking advantage of the extra man and scored twice in 15 minutes. The hosts did pull one back just before the break, but any doubts/hopes the fans might have had were put to bed immediately after the restart when DZC scored 1-4. Wippolder then lost their heads. A mad tackle resulted in a fully deserved straight red only 5 minutes into the second half. With 9 against 11 the game was done and dusted. The visitors started saving themselves for the final, but still scored another two. Although it would be unfair on DZC'68 to put the victory just down to the red cards as they were already commanding the game when both teams had 11 men on the pitch. The visitors went on to win the final the following Saturday so will play in the "Vierde Divisie" next season.
 
The ground isn't particularly exciting, a 3G pitch with a small stand on one side, but further standing room on the other side and behind one of the goals. The bar is nicely located with a balcony that gives a great view of the match. Benches in the club colours with the club crest were a nice touch though! The home fans created a good atmosphere in the first half, it's understandable of course that this didn't last.
 
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East Fife 2-0 Dunfermline Athletic

Next in the series of Fife Friday Football. Hopefully not as dramatic as Burntisland v Crossgates when we last did this! 

Been to Bayview several times before but not since we started groundhopping officially so need to tick it off. A Fife Derby is the perfect excuse. I was wondering why East Fife were playing tonight when they take on Raith Rovers in Pat Slattery's testimonial tomorrow? A look at the crowd answered that. Brilliant attendance. 

Surprisingly it was actually a good game. Dunfermline had more of the ball early on but the Fifers dominated barring a few flourishes from the skillful yet very youthful Pars. A fantastic goal before half time gives East Fife the lead and a fine one on one finish from lower league veteran Scott Shepherd gives the hosts the bragging rights. 

I thought I'd been transported back several decades seeing an Andy Tod in the Dunfermline line up. Relation? More interestingly he was resplendent in Edgar Davids Goggles. Surprised we don't see more of them. Either people are lot better with contact lenses that I am, people are playing blinded or medical advances are going well. 

Good night had by all. The seats at Bayview being an inch too high for a short arse like me aside. Fifers looking good and based on tonight we be up near the top of League Two this season

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Italy 0-2 Switzerland 

The Swiss were excellent and a thoroughly deserved win for them. As an event, superbly well organised all round.

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Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool (1-2 HT) @ Villa Park 🌱. 13.05.24. 8pm. Premier League. Jurgen Klopp’s final away game as Liverpool manager. A bit of a crazy game that the Reds 🔴 looked to have won until Villa scored twice late on to secure a point. Crowd 42,000 odd.

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Edinburgh South 2-1 Coldstream (1-0 HT) @ Paties Road Stadium 🌱. 14.05.24. EOSFL 2nd Division. 7.20pm. The promotion ⬆️ chasing home side 🇦🇹 picked up 3 vital points to move into the top 3 with 1 game left. Coldstream halved the arrears late on to set up a nervy finish. Crowd 62.

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Kirkcaldy & Dysart 7-0 Vale of Leithen (4-0 HT) @ Alex Penman Park 🌱. EOSFL 1st Division. 7.30pm. A midweek trip to Fife for a 5th game in 10 days for the visitors. The home side 3-0 up early on and ran out comfortable winners. Crowd 83.

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The Spartans 2-2 Dumbarton (1-1 HT) … 3-4 on aggregate @ Ainslie Park Stadium 🌱. 7.30pm. cinch SPFL League 1 PO Final 🏆 2nd Leg. The Sons led 2-1 having trailed early on and deservedly held on to gain promotion 🆙. A brilliant first season in League 2 for Spartans. Crowd 2281.

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Vale of Leithen 1-4 Lochore Welfare (0-3 HT) @ Victoria Park 🌱. 7.45pm. EOSFL 1st Division. Lochore ahead ⚽️ early on and were then gifted 2 more before half time. The Vale spent much of the 2nd half on top and eventually pulled a goal back but conceded a late 4th. 🧮 Crowd 45.

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Broxburn Athletic 8-1 Dalbeattie Star (5-1 HT) @ Albyn Park 🌱. (12-2 on aggregate). Lowland League Play-off 2nd Leg. The East of Scotland Champions comfortably see off their South of Scotland counterparts to gain promotion ⬆️. The Star keeper sent off 🔴 at 4-1. Huge crowd 950.

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Celtic 1-0 Rangers (0-0 HT) @ Hampden Park 🌱. Scottish Cup Final 🏆. 3pm. Celtic 🟢 shaded an end to end 1st half, Rangers 🔵 on top in the 2nd and saw a goal from a corner ruled out by VAR. With extra time looming Brendan Rodgers side won it in the 90th minute 💥. Crowd 48,556.

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Haddington Athletic 2-3 Sauchie Juniors AET (1-2 HT) @ Westfield Park ☀️. EOS League Cup Final 🏆. Sauchie came back to lead 2-1 however Haddington took it to ET with a great 🚀 94th minute equaliser. The Reds retook the lead and held off a late push to lift the cup. Crowd 450.

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Kelso Rugby FC 1-6 Berwick Rugby FC (0-0 HT) @ The Stanks 🌱. 4pm. Berwick Charities Cup Group 🅰️. A goalless 1st half but Berwick opened the scoring in the 2nd and went on to record a big win. Crowd 130.

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