East Stirlingshire - Firs Park

10^th April 1999

East Stirlingshire 3-3 Berwick Rangers

My only previous visit to Firs Park had been for a Scottish Cup tie betweeen East Stirlingshire and Cove Rangers in January 1994.  Hoping for a............I was going to use the phrase Giant-killing but, on reflection, I cannot imagine any company in which East Stirlingshire FC could be classed as giants.  Even the phase "Cup Shock" would overstate an away victory by some degrees.  

Let us just say, I was looking for a minor upset.  In the end, Shire swatted away the non-leaguers' challenge 4-1.  I recall a group of good-natured home fans setting up a chant of "We're Black, we're White.  We're absolutely shite.  We're The Shire, we're The Shire".  This showed a level of self effacing self-awareness rarely seen at football gounds, and it appealed to me, I have to say.

This second visit, some five years later, was Daughter’s first senior football match and I remember a police officer on duty upon seeing me struggling with the pram stating “Someone’s keen!”  I replied “Do you mean me or her?”, to which he just smiled.

Does Daughter look happy to be here?  I rather think not.

Same view in 2019.  (Daughter not pictured.)

A 3-3 draw may suggest an end-to-end tussle with both combatants committed to all-out attack.  In truth, entertaining though this was, it was actually a battle of attrition between two sides neither of whom could defend for toffee.  Three times the visitors took the lead, cutting through the Shire defence seemingly at will, and three times gave away equalisers with, at times, embarrassing generosity.

For the record the goalscorers were:

East Stirlingshire:-  Stevie LAIDLAW (6), Paul PATTERSON (25), Scott WALKER (85)

Berwick Rangers:-  Moray LEASK (2), Darren SMITH (8) (66) .

East Stirlingshire, of course, no longer play at Firs Park.  Since 2008, they club have groundshared with Stenhousemuir, although with the intention of developing a new ground back in their home town of Falkirk.

The only entrance to Firs Park was along
this narrow residential street.

Same view in 2019

Crumbling terracing, out of bounds.

Same view in 2019

 

View of East Stirlingshire's Firs Park, Falkirk showing both the modest stand
and the wall which abutted the pitch behind one of the goals.



Same view in 2019

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UPDATE:  At the end of season 2015/16 East Stirlingshire lost their Scottish Football League status, following a play-off against Edinburgh City.  Since then the club have participated in The Lowland League.  

In 2018, The Shire chose to end their groundshare arrangement with Stenhousemuir, and to move to The Falkirk Stadium (home of Falkirk FC).  Whether this move signals an end to the club's previously stated intention of moving into a new ground in the Little Kerse area of nearby Grangemeouth, or is merely a stopgap in that process, I am unsure.

In March 2019, I dropped into the site of Firs Park for a poke around, and to attempt to recreate (as far as I could) my 1999 pics.  

Here at the Firs Street entrance (which was in fact the only one) are the remnants
of the demolished turnstiles and toilet block. 

Looking across the former pitch from the entrance to where the stand once stood.

This pile of rubble is all that remains of the stand.

This, I am sure, was part of the club crest which sat atop the stand.

Concrete steps once used to access the stand now go nowhere.

I wonder what was once stored in here.

From atop the stand rubble looking across the former pitch.

A one-inch thick shard of glass.  What on earth could this have been?

The infamous wall which ran behind one of the goals is now extravagantly decorated.

Firs Park, Falkirk - March 2019

Remnants of the uncovered terracing on the opposite side of the ground from the stand.

What the fuck this is/was I have no idea.

And why there should be potatoes on the terracing, I am equally lost.

Looking towards the Firs Street entrance from what would have been the covered terrace.

Firs Park, Falkirk - March 2019

This just looks like a chunk of wall which had been visited by the graffiti artists before demolition.

Remains of an advertising board of some sort. 

From what was the North Terracing.

Buildbase are still active locally.

Firs Park, Falkirk - March 2019

Mother Nature does not take long to reclaim her own.