Heriot's - Goldenacre

21^st October 2006

Heriots 13-6 Ayr

Working in north Edinburgh, I had long been aware of the presence of two hulking grandstands, viewable from the road and within walking distance of each other.  I knew they were not football grounds so guessed they belonged to two of Edinburgh’s rugby clubs.  

It was not until 2006 that I chose to investigate, and duly discovered them to be situated at Heriots’ Goldenacre and Stewart’s Melville’s Inverleith.

Goldenacre rugby ground nestles in the corner of the playing fields of George Heriot’s School, and boasts a huge stand, with hard standing most of the way round the pitch.  The stand has perhaps seen better days, but is an imposing beast nonetheless.

This match represented another disappointing visit to the capital for an emerging Ayr side, who would win their first ever Scottish Championship two years later.  The visitors’ frustration boiled over into violence in the closing seconds of the match, resulting in an impressive free-for-all amongst a dozen or so players.  

Even more impressive was the way the ref chose to stop the rammy by the simple expedient of blowing for full-time, at which point the two warring factions immediately stopped exchanging blows, shook hands and lined up to clap each other off the park.  Quite surreal.    

Oddly, the club were already advertising the next home game,
even before the current one was finished.



Terracing in front of the stand.



One of those funny scrum things rugby players do.



Quite where the ball is gone I am unsure, but this was an Ayr drop-goal attempt.



The stand at Heriot's Goldenacre, Edinburgh.