Random Matches You Are Going To...

[buchan30]

St Mirren 2 Kilmarnock 2. Smisa stadium. Attendance 6,957 (34/42)
The Mcinnes curse continues. Good game although i would say Kilmarnock were the better side. Started brighter, but were set back after a lovely cross from Brown found the head of Olusanya. 
A quick thinking corner from Killie gave them the equaliser. Armstrong was left unmarked on the edge of the box. The ball was rolled to him, as he hit it, it hit watkins on the way through and found the net. 
The first of a few VAR decisions as the goal was checked but the goal was given. 
The next VAR decision gave St Mirren a penalty, cross came in and i missed it, but a shout went up for handball, Killie came up the park, ball went out and the ref stopped it and brought it back for a penalty. O’Hara tucked it away to leave the saints in front. Then Joe Wright was sent off for a rammy with Rooney, apparently he struck him in the baws, another VAR intervention seen him sent off. This left saints going in 2-1 up at half time. They came out second half and could not take advantage and killie pressed, after a good shot by Ndaba was saved, the corner came in and came off Ayunga to make it 2-2. Scott thought he had won it for saints, but Var would have the last say as it was ruled out for a high foot apparently. Going to have to watch sportscene tonight because i missed that. Overall, a good game and really enjoyed it in an alright stadium. 

Edited Saturday at 16:55 by buchan30

[Trackdaybob]

Beautiful day here but only 622 at The Walks today to see Kings Lynn Town narrowly beat Cheshunt FC 1-0 in the FA Cup second qualifying round. Two successive home defeats taking its toll despite the reduced entry price (£15). 

Not much between the sides but midway in the second half, a piece of quality down the left and a lovely ball into midfielder Tommy Hughes ended with a delightful chip over the Cheshunt keeper inside the far side netting. The Linnets then seeing the remaining time out comfortably against a tiring opposition. 

Edited Saturday at 16:56 by Trackdaybob

[Andy groundhopper]

Glos County League : Chalford (who won the Glos Northern Lge and a play off last season ) v Almondsbury. Hard to find venue with my eyesight, but a friendly club(house) and set up for this level.£2 prog. 1-1 ft att 124.A game of two halves,Almonds waking up after bringing the subs on to level late on.After the hosts had a 'sin bin' around 75,they pushed for the winner to no avail.Enjoyable game however.

[Andy groundhopper]

[GordonS]

Bunillidh Thistle 1-2 Fort William, North Caledonian League. Attendance 15-20.

My 274th and final ground in the Scottish men's pyramid.

Given Bunillidh's difficult return from abeyance I thought this might be easy for Fort William but in the first half half there was little between the two. The home side took the lead through a penalty with Fort William equalising midway through the half and scrambling home a second just before half time. Fort had the better of the second half but the result hung in the balance, with a game high in intensity and low in accuracy always looking like more goals would come. None did.

The ground is an open park with a little wooden fencing in places, to the extent dog walkers will wander in front of you while you're watching the game. The setting is glorious, above the mouth of the River Helmsdale, with the glen stretching behind one goal and the North Sea behind the other. In one corner stands a monument to those cleared from this land, a father and daughter looking ahead while the mother looks back to their home. In my football mindset I couldn't help but think she looked like a defender hoping to see an offside flag that would never come.

They have a new social club too, a great facility and a credit to the league. As it was my last ground I thought I'd buy a souvenir, they're still working on hats and scarves but I was pleased to get a mug with the club badge.

Please excuse the self-indulgence, I want to give a couple of thanks. First is to David Stoker and his brilliant fixtures website, https://scottishfootballfixtures.wordpress.com. Before I found that I would occasionally look at the East or West Juniors websites and go to the odd game. Seeing all the fixtures together, all the places I could go, fired my imagination and the more new places I went to, the more I enjoyed it. This is mostly his fault.

My second thanks is to the regulars on this thread. Seeing where everyone has been really motivated me to get off my lazy backside and go see live football, even on cold, dark nights. Coming on here is a happy routine every week whether I've been to a game or not and I love reading the reports. Long may it continue.

 

[Groundhopping Adventures]

4 minutes ago, GordonS said:

Bunillidh Thistle 1-2 Fort William, North Caledonian League. Attendance 15-20.

My 274th and final ground in the Scottish men's pyramid.

Given Bunillidh's difficult return from abeyance I thought this might be easy for Fort William but in the first half half there was little between the two. The home side took the lead through a penalty with Fort William equalising midway through the half and scrambling home a second just before half time. Fort had the better of the second half but the result hung in the balance, with a game high in intensity and low in accuracy always looking like more goals would come. None did.

The ground is an open park with a little wooden fencing in places, to the extent dog walkers will wander in front of you while you're watching the game. The setting is glorious, above the mouth of the River Helmsdale, with the glen stretching behind one goal and the North Sea behind the other. In one corner stands a monument to those cleared from this land, a father and daughter looking ahead while the mother looks back to their home. In my football mindset I couldn't help but think she looked like a defender hoping to see an offside flag that would never come.

They have a new social club too, a great facility and a credit to the league. As it was my last ground I thought I'd buy a souvenir, they're still working on hats and scarves but I was pleased to get a mug with the club badge.

Please excuse the self-indulgence, I want to give a couple of thanks. First is to David Stoker and his brilliant fixtures website, https://scottishfootballfixtures.wordpress.com. Before I found that I would occasionally look at the East or West Juniors websites and go to the odd game. Seeing all the fixtures together, all the places I could go, fired my imagination and the more new places I went to, the more I enjoyed it. This is mostly his fault.

My second thanks is to the regulars on this thread. Seeing where everyone has been really motivated me to get off my lazy backside and go see live football, even on cold, dark nights. Coming on here is a happy routine every week whether I've been to a game or not and I love reading the reports. Long may it continue.

 

Massive congratulations to you. Our hobby within a hobby gets a bad name at time but it's the travel and the grounds themselves that make it. The matches are just a bonus. What's the next challenge? England, Ammies, start again?

[Le Tout P'ti FC]

12 minutes ago, GordonS said:

Bunillidh Thistle 1-2 Fort William, North Caledonian League. Attendance 15-20.

My 274th and final ground in the Scottish men's pyramid.

Given Bunillidh's difficult return from abeyance I thought this might be easy for Fort William but in the first half half there was little between the two. The home side took the lead through a penalty with Fort William equalising midway through the half and scrambling home a second just before half time. Fort had the better of the second half but the result hung in the balance, with a game high in intensity and low in accuracy always looking like more goals would come. None did.

The ground is an open park with a little wooden fencing in places, to the extent dog walkers will wander in front of you while you're watching the game. The setting is glorious, above the mouth of the River Helmsdale, with the glen stretching behind one goal and the North Sea behind the other. In one corner stands a monument to those cleared from this land, a father and daughter looking ahead while the mother looks back to their home. In my football mindset I couldn't help but think she looked like a defender hoping to see an offside flag that would never come.

They have a new social club too, a great facility and a credit to the league. As it was my last ground I thought I'd buy a souvenir, they're still working on hats and scarves but I was pleased to get a mug with the club badge.

Please excuse the self-indulgence, I want to give a couple of thanks. First is to David Stoker and his brilliant fixtures website, https://scottishfootballfixtures.wordpress.com. Before I found that I would occasionally look at the East or West Juniors websites and go to the odd game. Seeing all the fixtures together, all the places I could go, fired my imagination and the more new places I went to, the more I enjoyed it. This is mostly his fault.

My second thanks is to the regulars on this thread. Seeing where everyone has been really motivated me to get off my lazy backside and go see live football, even on cold, dark nights. Coming on here is a happy routine every week whether I've been to a game or not and I love reading the reports. Long may it continue.

 

Outstanding. I’ve a long way to go to reach that landmark, a fantastic ground to choose to end at. Very well done! Working your way through them, the North especially, must have taken some amount of dedication.

Sometimes I wonder why I bother, I’m not sure I even like football that much. I certainly find myself glazing over when I’m in a conversation that turns to football. Then the kind of football that most people consume is that wee bit different to the fun you get as you fall down the pyramid. So I don’t keep up really in those kind of chats.

But it’s always the thrill of parking up in a new town and going for a wee wander, often aided by the Walk Highlands website, knowing there’s a game at the end of the day which gives the day some sort of purpose. I never regret going to a game, even the stinkers. It’s given me reason to get out the front door and sometimes that’s hard enough.

As regards what next, you may have been in the presence of greatness today. Edwyn Collins lives in Helmsdale and his recording studio overlooks the town. He’d surely tell you to take your list of the 247 and rip it up and start again!

I’ve had a great day today. My sordid wee love affair with Kintyre has been replenished through whisky, haggis nachos, and a game of football. A 0-6 in the soggy mire of Campbeltown. I’d come back here you know.

 

[tamthebam]

7 hours ago, Groundhopping Adventures said:

Royal Albert 1-2 Kirkintilloch Rob Roy 

South Challenge Cuo weekend again and a fairly rare journey to the West for us to the former home of Stonehouse Violet and the current home of Royal Albert (nothing to do with Hawick). 

 

Actually, I have read HRA took their name from the wee Albert- there were some ex-Larkhall folk who worked in the Hawick mills apparently.

[tamthebam]

Sanquhar is known for three things: being the birthplace of Colin "Bomber" Harris, having Scotland's oldest Post Office and being rhyming slang for referees. It also has Nithsdale Wanderers. 

I'd been in the ground before when there was no match on but took the advantage of having a Broxburn supporting pal to tick another ground off. I miss these sort of trips when Edinburgh City weren't a Scottish league club ("you'll get your chance to relive them soon enough"- rest of the Scottish League). 

Nithsdale, am I told, are top of the South of Scotland League. They took two goals off Broxburn (equalising at one point) but leaked 10. At one point the referee was enjoying booking everyone and it looked like someone would walk sooner or later but it wasn't until late on that there was a second booking for a Nithsdale player. 

A pleasant day out in the South West, lots of goals and good value for a fiver. 

[Groundhopping Adventures]

12 minutes ago, tamthebam said:

Actually, I have read HRA took their name from the wee Albert- there were some ex-Larkhall folk who worked in the Hawick mills apparently.

Excellent pedantry acknowledged

[GordonS]

2 hours ago, Groundhopping Adventures said:

Massive congratulations to you. Our hobby within a hobby gets a bad name at time but it's the travel and the grounds themselves that make it. The matches are just a bonus. What's the next challenge? England, Ammies, start again?

Ta. A few things next - the women's pyramid is top, but at the lower ends of that the clubs often bop around between grounds and don't have homes. It wouldn't take me many to complete though. On the men's side, there are a few grounds where I've not seen the home side play. For instance I've never seen Aberdeen at Pittodrie, only Scotland, and I've only seem amateur cup finals at Rothie and Irvine Vics, so I'd like to see a few of these. And I'd like to see all the proper derbies, I've been to a few but there are a lot more to see.

Mostly I'll just go back to how I started - when Linlithgow Rose aren't at home or are away somewhere not very appealing, I'll go to whatever looks interesting.

[GordonS]

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

Outstanding. I’ve a long way to go to reach that landmark, a fantastic ground to choose to end at. Very well done! Working your way through them, the North especially, must have taken some amount of dedication.

Sometimes I wonder why I bother, I’m not sure I even like football that much. I certainly find myself glazing over when I’m in a conversation that turns to football. Then the kind of football that most people consume is that wee bit different to the fun you get as you fall down the pyramid. So I don’t keep up really in those kind of chats.

But it’s always the thrill of parking up in a new town and going for a wee wander, often aided by the Walk Highlands website, knowing there’s a game at the end of the day which gives the day some sort of purpose. I never regret going to a game, even the stinkers. It’s given me reason to get out the front door and sometimes that’s hard enough.

As regards what next, you may have been in the presence of greatness today. Edwyn Collins lives in Helmsdale and his recording studio overlooks the town. He’d surely tell you to take your list of the 247 and rip it up and start again!

I’ve had a great day today. My sordid wee love affair with Kintyre has been replenished through whisky, haggis nachos, and a game of football. A 0-6 in the soggy mire of Campbeltown. I’d come back here you know.

I've loved the games and the grounds - well, most of them - but when I think back to what I've enjoyed most the first memories that come to mind are about the trips. Scotland is an incredible place and almost every sizeable community has a football ground, so seeing the grounds means seeing the country. Trying to visit all the grounds has meant going to places I would never otherwise have gone, and that's been the best thing about it. Like you I always try to combine it with a walk and an explore, if I can - like before today's game we went up to the RSPB place at Forsinard, deep in the Flow Country (pics below).

As for Campeltown, for my visit there we spent three nights in a double-decker bus that had been converted into self-catering accommodation. That and Halkirk/Orkney were the two best trips, Kintyre is seriously magical. 

[Sergeant Wilson]

8 hours ago, GordonS said:

 

Looks like they knew you were coming Gordon!

[Jordi1977]

8 hours ago, tamthebam said:

Sanquhar is known for three things: being the birthplace of Colin "Bomber" Harris, having Scotland's oldest Post Office and being rhyming slang for referees. It also has Nithsdale Wanderers. 

I'd been in the ground before when there was no match on but took the advantage of having a Broxburn supporting pal to tick another ground off. I miss these sort of trips when Edinburgh City weren't a Scottish league club ("you'll get your chance to relive them soon enough"- rest of the Scottish League). 

Nithsdale, am I told, are top of the South of Scotland League. They took two goals off Broxburn (equalising at one point) but leaked 10. At one point the referee was enjoying booking everyone and it looked like someone would walk sooner or later but it wasn't until late on that there was a second booking for a Nithsdale player. 

A pleasant day out in the South West, lots of goals and good value for a fiver. 

Wait all game for a red card and two come along at once! The sent off guy very politely asked the ref if he could see that card again just as he was stomping off. The ref being a good sport happily obliged. 

[Le Tout P'ti FC]

As a postscript to the Campbeltown game that may be of interest to @The Mantis: Loanhead Mayflower played a game here in the 1950s and flew over. Travelling in style, the Loanhead way!

There can’t be many teams in Scotland who have flown to a game in Scotland. Somebody will have a list somewhere I’m sure!

(Campbeltown around the same period in time flew to a game at St Andrews.)

 

[VillaKnollBoy]

Down in Manchester for the T20 today, so took the opportunity to visit the Peninsula Stadium yesterday for Salford City v. Cheltenham Town.

After a pretty dire first half, the visitors took the lead with a decent strike, before an inspired substitution led to Adelakun notching the equaliser and then a deserved winner for Salford.

Not too bad an afternoon for a reasonable £17, which is cheaper than the entry to Links Park.

Edited Sunday at 10:45 by VillaKnollBoy

[HibeeJibee]

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

As a postscript to the Campbeltown game that may be of interest to @The Mantis: Loanhead Mayflower played a game here in the 1950s and flew over. Travelling in style, the Loanhead way! There can’t be many teams in Scotland who have flown to a game in Scotland. Somebody will have a list somewhere I’m sure! (Campbeltown around the same period in time flew to a game at St Andrews.)

I was at a heritage event in Shielfield on Friday and there was a historical panel with a photo of Berwick flying to a Scottish Cup tie at Nairn in 1956. (Incidentally it finished 5-5 and went to a replay !).

Recall seeing a picture of Aberdeen flying to Dumfries (cannot remember year but guess it was late 1940s/early 1950s - it was purportedly the first instance at SFL level).

[GordonS]

16 hours ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

Looks like they knew you were coming Gordon!

Truth hurts man.

The locals were all in the smaller room through the door. Possibly because the TV in this lounge was showing Inside Out. 

[Billy Jean King]

Las Palmas v Athletic Bilbao today. As expected McKenna looked like a fish out if water, a few insults hurled his way. They seem to quite like Mcburnie although he dud hee haw. Both subbed 2nd half. Decent watch it a big sunny bowl of a stadium. 3e a beer in the fanzone and a very surprising number of Bilbao fans over on the Idland for a long weekend.