Clyde - Broadwood Stadium

Clyde 0-0 Stenhousemuir

7^th March 1998

Clyde FC, once a force in Scottish Football – their name is engraved three times on the Scottish FA Cup – found themselves, in 1986, homeless having been evicted from their long-term base Shawfield Stadium in Glasgow.  Ground-sharing spells with Partick Thistle and Hamilton Academical followed, before the club found a place to call their own at Broadwood Stadium in the New Town of Cumbernauld, commencing season 1994/95.

This was (I think) my first trip to Broadwood, and what a dreadfully dispiriting one it was.  Back in 1998, the stadium featured that much loathed horseshoe (i.e. unfinished) design, boasting only three stands.  

As with any open stadium, not only does any atmosphere created inevitably leak out of the open end, but Broadwood offers the additional feature of somehow channelling an arctic wind straight off the picturesque Ochil Hills right into the marrow of the bones of those unfortunates sitting in the stands.

There are few things more down-heartening than watching a game both sitting and frozen, and the nonsense being served up on the field of play that afternoon just depressed me even further, as the home lot and their guests Stenhousemuir served up a desperately dull and unappetising scoreless draw.  

Neither side seemed able, or even inclined to retain possession for more than a minute, before aimlessly hoofing the ball in the direction of the opposition.  Quite what Warrior’s Adrian Sprott found to get so hot under the collar about during the encounter baffled me.  But get het-up he did, picking up one yellow card for lipping the ref, then a second for throwing a strop when the recipient of a hefty challenge.  

The main entrance to Broadwood Stadium (1998)

And in 2019

Panorama of Clyde's Broadwood Stadium, Cumbernauld (1998)

And in 2019

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Clyde 1-0 Albion Rovers

16th February 2018

This match, on paper at least, looked to be the banker-ist (is that a word?) of home wins.  Clyde, unbeaten since October and going great guns in a three-horse race at the top of League Two, facing a Rovers side boasting just one win all season.  In the event, The Bully Wee did take all three points, but they hardly sparkled in doing so.  That being said, I was aware they were without leading goalscorer David Goodwillie, who is presently out nursing a broken arm.

The home side took the lead through Mark LAMONT's low drive after 23 minutes, and it took three breathtaking first-half reaction stops from visiting 'keeper Peter Morrison, to keep the score down.  But thereafter the home lads toiled to make much headway against an Albion defence who really looked no great shakes.  Indeed, had Rovers' George Newell been a bit more clinical in front of goal, this really could have been a Bad Day at the Office for The Bully Wee. 

On this showing, unless Mr Goodwillie returns soon, it is difficult to see Clyde having the firepower to overhaul both Edinburgh City and Peterhead for that sole automatic promotion place.  As for Rovers, I can only predict an inevitable play-off date with the likes of East Kilbride or Cove Rangers to ascertain if the town of Coatbridge's lengthy dalliance with league football will continue beyond the summer. 

This was (if fading memory serves) only my fourth ever visit to Broadwood, and I was relieved to note the open end (which had generally acted as a conduit for Arctic air from Murmansk, or wherever, to be funnelled straight into the stands) had been closed off with the completion of a leisure centre.  That being said it was still bloody freezing in the ground.

The Broadwood Leisure Centre, completed in 2010, now fills in the gap behind the goal at the north end of the ground. 

Behind the West Stand - not in use this afternoon.

I wondered how long it had been, if ever, since this clock worked.

Smart new turstiles have been bolted onto the West Stand, 
by the egg-chasers who use Broadwood from time to time.

The equally uninspiring rear of the South Stand.

Broadwood Stadium - Clyde FC

The main entrance.

The Broadwood Leisure Centre houses a sort of metal meshwork cladding, which worked rather well I felt.

Broadwood West Stand.
This structure holds a special place in my heart; as one of the few times I have gone bonkers 
at a football match occurred here, when Stephen Docherty scored a stoppage-time equaliser 
for Bathgate Thistle against Pollok in the semi-finals of the 2007/8 Scottish Junior Cup.

Panorama of Broadwood Stadium, Clyde FC

Panorama of Broadwood Stadium, Clyde FC

I though Clyde hated thistle.

The South Stand is rarely used at Broadwood, but I am fairly sure I sat in it on one of my rare tripe to Broadwood.  
It was a League Cup (or maybe a Challenge Cup) tie between Clyde (or was it Airdrie?) and Dundee FC.  
I know Jim Duffy turned out for the visitors, as I can remember him almost chopping in half a youthful-looking opponent 
who had just come on as a sub.  
"Well Done, Duffy"  I heard a voice behind me say, "That's another young laddie's career over, ya prick".  
Or words to that effect.

What is with the foxes on the roof of the stand?  
I have seen models of owls used in an attempt to scare off pigeons, but foxes?  
Is it to scare rabbits off the artificial turf.  
Or perhaps some recognition of the services of former youth team coach Richard Fox?
  Any enlightenment welcomed.

Clyde v Albion Rovers - February 2019

It is hard to work out just what Clyde's Declan Fitzpatrick and 
Rovers' captain Bryan Wharton (No.4) are doing here.

Albion's on-loan from Motherwell 'keeper Peter Morrison made three fine stops in the first-half, 
but was barely tested after the break.

Clyde v Albion Rovers - February 2018

Rover's Spanish midfielder/forward Gerard Escuriola must occasionally wonder 
how he found his way from Villareal to Coatbridge.  
The Spaniard was an early replacement following an injury to Ben Reilly, but he struggled to make 
any impact upon proceedings.  
Which probably explains why he was turning out at Broadwood this afternoon, 
rather than at Estadio de la Cerámica

Clyde v Albion Rovers - February 2019

I did enjoy the contribution of Clyde's veteran John Rankin, 
who was involved in the best of what little Clyde did create.

Clyde v Albion Rovers - February 2019

17-year old Scott Banks, on loan from Dundee United, made his debut as a second-half sub.
Starting on the right, then moving to the left, I though he looked a lad of some promise. 

Clyde v Albion Rovers - February 2019

Full-time.

Full-time.

Full-time.

There was a bit of fun in the car-park at time-up as a number of folks got into shouting matches with the stewards
over their rather eccentric traffic management system, which seemed to entail randomly closing off exits.