v Tayport (2002)

9th March 2002

Bathgate Thistle 2-2 Tayport

(Scottish Junior Cup quarter-final)

Tayport gained a well deserved draw at Creamery Park in front of an attendance of just over 800.

The visitors opened the scoring after 5 minutes, when the Bathgate defence failed to deal with a throw-in from the right.  Barry McNAUGHTON was left unmarked at the far post, but totally sclaffed his attempton goal.    Unfortunately for Bathgate the ball spun high into the air and looped in to the net at the top corner.

Bathgate were level within a further 5 minutes, Ged O'HARA heading in a Petrie free-kick.  And another set piece move on 20 minutes gave the home side the lead, Andy ROBERTS following up after Tayport 'keeper Fitzpatrick had spilled his initial header.  Bathgate then enjoyed their best spell of the game, but by half-time Tayport had begun to take control of the midfield, and had come closest to adding to the scoring when Rab Balfour's crossbar was rattled.

The second half was pretty much all Tayport, and both Brian Craik and Ronnie Kenneth wasted gilt edged opportunities after the Bathgate defence was cut open.  These let-offs simply delayed the inevitable, however, and Tayport drew level in 64 minutes, Derek WEMYSS prodding in after another in a series of goalmouth scrambles.

The last 20 minutes was a rerun of the Cumnock backs-to-the-wall display with more than one Bathgate player looking dead on his feet towards the end.  Consequently, it was the homesters who looked more relieved to hear the full-time whistle.



Under the World media spotlight.



Tayport on the attack, as they were for pretty much the whole of the second-half.



Panorama of Creamery Park, Bathgate.



Through the magic of Microsoft Live Photo Gallery, I have cloned Paul Jack.

Dunfermline RFC - McKane Park

2^nd December 2006

Dunfermline RFC 9-9 Musselburgh RFC

Since moving to Fife in 1993, I sort of followed the fortunes of Dunfermline Rugby Club by the lazy expedient of simply looking up their result in the local rag each week.  I knew where McKane Park was in the town (on the southern edge), but this visit in 2006 was my first.  The extensive grounds of McKane Park, so I have been told, actually belong to Dunfermline Cricket Club who let out a corner of it to their oval ball chasing friends.  There is a small pavilion used by both clubs, and rather rickety looking wooden shelter which runs along one length of the rugby pitch.

Dunfermline, I knew had made a good start to their campaign in the Scottish Premiership League Division Three, and were today hosting one of their rivals for promotion: Musselburgh.  I am no expert in analysing rugby matches (or indeed football ones, I acknowledge), but it looked to me as if these two sides just cancelled each other out.  The ball rarely seemed to leave the middle third of the field, and I am sure some of the backs never touched the thing once, such was the way each pack jealously guarded possession. 

All the points came from either penalties or drop-goals, with both sides having late opportunities to sneak a win.  In dying minutes of regulation time Musselburgh’s Stewart sclaffed a penalty wide when it looked, to an outsider like me anyway, a straightforward enough kick.  Then in injury time Dunfermline’s Ali O’Connor had a whack from much further out, but his attempt just drifted wide.   

Amongst the hundred or so spectators, I was surprised to see what looked like former Dunfermline Athletic manager Dick Campbell.  Or it could have been his twin Ian.  Or both of them.  Or neither, I suppose.

Welcome to McKane Park.



The McKane Park pavilion.



The wooden shelter.



A closer view.

 

I am afraid my stitching software has made the McKane Park playing surface look rather more bumpy than it actually is.

Forfar Athletic - Station Park

1^st August 1998

Forfar Athletic 0-1 Stirling Albion

It is not uncommon for clubs in the lower reaches of the Scottish League to free the majority of their playing squad each May, and start again pretty much from scratch for the following season.  A slightly more cynical version of myself would view this clearing the decks exercise simply as a way of avoiding paying players during the close season.  

Back in the summer of 1998, Stirling Albion had gone through one such purging process following relegation and the departure of manager Kevin Drinkell.  Consequently the first task faced by the new man, ex-Motherwell defender John Philliben, was to scurry around signing players to flesh out the skeleton staff he inherited.

One of those he persuaded to commit to the Bino’s cause was former Scotland Internationalist Brian Martin.  I had first encountered Martin back in 1988, when I had toddled along to Broomfield Park, Airdrie to see the locals take on Hamilton Accies in a New Year Derby match.  

Playing right-midfield that afternoon for the visitors was a very balding, slightly scary looking fellow, whose name I did not recognise.  I have to say I must have watched over a thousand football matches over the last 40 years or so, but I cannot recall seeing one player so dominate a game as Brian Martin (for he was that scary chap) did that afternoon.  He totally ran the show in the first-half setting up all three goals, as even hardened Accies fans were left rubbing their eyes in disbelief as their side turned around three up.  

Martin took out his pipe and slippers somewhat in the second half, as his side took pity on their neighbours and the match finished 4-1 (I think).  OK, I acknowledge this level of football was hardly top drawer, but it was a league match and not some cup-tie mis-match.

I subsequently followed Martin’s career with interest, as he moved onto St Mirren before being converted into a very effective and efficient centre-half at Motherwell, playing the best football of his career.  

He even managed to force his way past Craig Brown’s blinkered Old Firm bias and into the Scotland squad during the mid 1990s, picking up two caps in a meaningless tournament in Japan.  He was never really more than fourth of fifth in line for a place in the team, but he must have felt his big chance had come as central defenders began dropping like flies prior to a Euro96 qualifier with Greece in 1995.

However Craig Brown, in my opinion snubbed Martin by keeping him on the bench, choosing instead to play Celtic’s Tosh McKinlay, a last minute call up to the squad.  Despite his shoddy treatment Martin accepted the decision with dignity, and there was no bleating to the tabloid press as a number of others have done before and since when not selected - step forward Jackie McNamara.

Martin played this particular afternoon, as did seven other debutants in the re-built Albion side who eventually ground out an unconvincing 1-0 win, substitute Gavin PRICE heading in after 66 minutes. 

The players' entrance at Station Park. 



Mr Brian Martin.

 

Panorama of Station Park, Forfar (1998)

Panorama of Station Park, Forfar (2017)

Forfar Athletic v Annan Athletic (May 2017)

A panorama of Station Park from the West Terracing.

The stand was opened in 1959

View along the East Terracing.

Panorama from East Terracing.

The covered South Terracing runs the full length of the pitch.

The ball just squirms under Forfar goalkeeper Grant Adam from Aidan Smith's 50th minute penalty kick.
This goal pulled the score back to 3-1 after Forfar had lead 3-0 at the break.
Forfar eventually won the match 4-2 to progress to the League One Play-off Final with Peterhead.

View from the grandstand.

Annan Athletic's veteran striker Peter Weatherson (R) contemplates another season in League Two.

The rear facade to the grandstand.

Station Park - Forfar Athletic.

Newcastle United - St James' Park

27^th October 2010

Newcastle United 0-4 Arsenal

“Look after your car, Mister?”  Those five words imbued with a mixture of pleading and threat, I am sure most of us Groundhoppers have heard at some point or another.  

I had only ever encountered the request previously around Parkhead, from the mouths of some of the most ragged arsed, bedraggled looking kids imaginable.  Each seemingly with 50% of their teeth missing, and the same weasely, ferrety look on their hard street-wise little faces – Macaroon Faces, a friend once described them.  One almost felt one was contributing to the Welfare State by shelling out.

So when I heard the words spoken in Newcastle after parking a few hundred yards up Stanhope Street, I was for a moment taken aback they were not uttered in an East End of Glasgow brogue.  Son and I had arrived a good couple of hours early, thinking we may get away with looking like locals and not have to fork out the protection money.  

But Son foolishly decided to get changed into his Arsenal top in the car (we had tickets for the away end), and four eagle-eyed urchins picked us out as easy prey - although they must have been more than slightly puzzled by our accents.

I only had a few pounds change so I handed this over, whilst attempting to smile and ingratiate myself with them.  As you do, or at least I do.  The look of disgust on their faces at the pittance I produced told me I should probably expect to lose at least two hub-caps and a wing mirror before the evening was out.  

Walking towards the ground, my paranoia shifted into overdrive and I began to fret – Arsenal supporting Jocks!  We almost deserved to find the car up on bricks after the match.  So I turned around back up the hill, got into the car and drove on – the little oiks whom I had paid to look after my car were, of course, nowhere to be found.  We eventually parked a mile further on.

Two Angels?   I think not.

I had no such trouble the only previous time I had visited St James Park, back in the early 1990s to witness the Toon eliminate Peter Shilton’s Derby County from the FA Cup.  Playing for the home side that day was a very well-nourished Mick Quinn, who made even my rotund figure look rather svelte. 

In 2010....

...same handsome chap in 2018

This match this evening was another cup tie, but of the Carling Cup variety and whilst both sides fielded a number of their big names, Joey Barton, Andy Carroll, Bacari Sagna, Cesc Fabregas and Andrei Arshavin all started on the bench for their respective clubs.  I felt Newcastle probably just shaded the first-half, with both Alan Smith and Nile Ranger coming close, but the home side conceded a silly own goal seconds before the break, Ryan Taylor whacking a clearance off the back of his own ‘keeper Tim KRUL and into the net.

Arsenal took just seven minutes of the second period to kill off the game, with another very odd goal.  Nicklas Bendtner returning from an offside position, simply barged into chasing United defender Mike Williamson, leaving Theo WALCOTT free to run in and score.  How the Gooners around us laughed, but I could not help sympathising with the home players who had been the victim of a gross injustice.  

Newcastle manager Chris Hughton threw on Andy Carrol and Jonas Gutierrez at this point, but it changed little, and Arsenal put a barely deserved gloss on the result with two further strikes through BENDTNER and WALCOTT again in the dying moments.   

 

Panorama of St James' Park, Newcastle.

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Newcastle v Spurs
10th August 2018 

The Leazes Stand, St James' Park

The Gallowgate End, St James' Park.

Our £65 tickets gave us access to the Milburn Sports Bar, where we enjoyed the privilege of being able to buy 
drinks at eye-watering prices.  The chap in the queue in front of us shelled out £88 for a round of soft drinks 
for the boys' team he had brought along.

Newcastle v Spurs - August 2018 

Salomón Rondón came on a sub for his United debut.
Jan Vertonghen' attentions ensured there would be no chance of a repeat of the hat-trick of headers in 
13 minutes the Venezuelan achieved against Swansea City back in 2016.

Panorama of St James Park, Newcastle

Panorama of St James Park, Newcastle

Carlisle United - Brunton Park



16^th April 2002

Carlisle United 0-0 Cheltenham Town

I drove down to Carlisle on a whim to take in this game – even now I can see the mixture of shock and bemusement on Father-in-Law’s face when I told him I had driven to Carlisle and back for an evening football match. “Why?” he asked.  “You are asking the wrong person here”, I thought.

But after parking in Carlisle, I did meet couple of folks whose behaviour was at least as singular as my own.  Unfamiliar with the town, I stopped a pair of likely looking lads who had that purposeful stride thing going on – you know the one; that men on their way to the football do.  I asked directions and, as I had hoped, was told “Follow us.  We’re on our way to the ground”. 

But here’s the thing.  They were not going to watch the match, but solely to protest outside.  Apparently, each home match (presumably not away ones), they went along to Brunton Park, stood outside and shouted abuse at club owner, Michael Knighton for 15 minutes or so.  Then they went home again.  This made my 240 mile round trip look positively sane, and I consoled myself 240 miles was a good deal less than the Cheltenham supporters were undertaking.

But they, I suppose, at least had the excuse of an emotional investment in the outcome of the match.  Particularly so as a win would guarantee Cheltenham Town promotion to (what was then) Division Two.  However, the travelling support were to endure a dreadfully frustrating evening as their side failed to break down a Carlisle side who were effectively marking time until the end of the season, and hence seemed content just to make as big a nuisance of themselves as possible to their visitors. 

A tall youngster by the name of Nathan Tyson, who had come on as a late sub for the visitors had a chance to see his name in lights right at the end, but biffed his attempt straight at Carlisle ‘keeper Peter Keen.  In the event Cheltenham did achieve promotion that season, but only via the tortuous route of the play-offs.



Outside Brunton Park, Carlisle



The Warwick Road End with its multi-span roof erected in 1965.

The Cheltenham support.  'Tis better to travel in hope etc.

v Linlithgow (2003)

9th June 2003

Bathgate Thistle 0-5 Linlithgow Rose
(St Michael Cup Final @ Carmuirs Park, Camelon)

And not for the first time this season, Bathgate's ill-discipline led to their undoing on the major stage.  Graeme Love was the offender this time around, being sent packing eight minutes into this Streamline Taxis sponsored Cup Final, for stamping on Rose forward Sinclair.

It was pretty much one-way traffic from then on in, with David FLYNN revelling in the extra space to snaffle a hat-trick in a ten minute spell - his second a real peach.

Rose brought out the pipe and slippers thereafter, and most of entertainment was provided by a daft mutt careering about the park during play, although Rose did awake from their reveries long enough for SINCLAIR and McLAUGHLIN to add to the tally towards time up.

Congratulations to Linlithgow - just another day at the office
slapping down the oiks from the scruffy end of the county.  Pretty much all Bathgate can take from this performance is a reinforcing of the fact (if it requires reinforcement) that we will only compete with the Big Lads if we succeed in keeping 11 players on the park.

 

Panorama of Carmuirs Park, Camelon.

Boroughmuir - Meggetland

16^th December 2006

Boroughmuir 37-48 Heriots RFC

As with all of the more successful rugby clubs in Edinburgh, Boroughmuir RFC trace their links back to a school – in this case, as the name suggests, Boroughmuir High School.  Where this instance differs from Heriots, Stewart’s Melville, George Watson’s and the like is that Boroughmuir is a state secondary school; very much a case of the Oiks mixing it with the Toffs.

Such dichotomy had long been reflected in the club’s facilities with Boroughmuir’s Meggetland, only a stone's throw from Watsonians' impressive home, oft described as a naught but a hut in a muddy windswept field.  Until recently, the rugby pitch actually formed only a small part of Meggetland itself, then a vast sprawling swathe of grasslands towards the south of the City, housing a multitude of rugby, hockey and football pitches.

A number of developers had cast avaricious eyes on the land over the years, but were kept at bay until Edinburgh Council were finally persuaded by Wimpey to sell off a sizeable portion of the area.  In return for the rights to build flats on their purchased land, Wimpey undertook to redevelop much of the remaining site into State of the Art public sporting facilities, as a well as erecting a new clubhouse and stand for Boroughmuir RFC.  The deal polarised local opinion considerably but the development went ahead, with the facilities being handed over late in 2006.

This particular match was one of the first played by the club at their new ground, and rather impressive the place looked I have to say.  The scoreline may suggest a highly competitive encounter, but in reality the Heriots’ Lads were just toying with their hosts.  They repeatedly built up a big lead, had a wee rest during which time Boroughmuir managed to get within 8 points or so, then just upped a few gears.  

It was entertaining in the same way witnessing a cat playing with a mouse may occasionally be. 

Welcome to Meggetland.



The rather futuristic looking new pavilion & stand in 2006

 

...and in 2022 (I have cheated a big bit here)

The view from the stand in 2006...

...and in 2022.  My, but those trees have flourished.

Heriots stretch their lead.........again (2006)

Same view in 2022 - more greenery profusion.

Panorama of Meggetland, Edinburgh (2006).

Panorama of Meggetland, Edinburgh (2022).

**********************************************************************************************

Boroughmuir 35-13 Berwick

17th September 2022

Boroughmuir v Berwick (Sept 2022)

Boroughmuir v Berwick (Sept 2022)

Boroughmuir v Berwick (Sept 2022)

Boroughmuir v Berwick (Sept 2022)

Boroughmuir v Berwick (Sept 2022)