The Mantis

I’m guessing the early stop is to let the players get a bit of lunch. Probably on the same bus as the fans.

That’s him. You helped though. It’s Sean Paliczka

I’m no that clever

Aye I would expect the red one to still be hanging up at FP. Mikey Bruce is the WW captain but the Gala guy’s name escapes me and I can’t find anything online.

Posted a bit about Ness v Utd in the random matches: Regrettably, my only game this season. Been up in February, April and August, and probably going up in October. I’ll either have to have a stern word with the Mrs, or get them to switch to winter fitba ️

The going rate is £3 for most of the grounds. Sometimes there’s somebody on the gate, like Point. Other times there’s a collection like Aths at Goathill last year.

I wonder which one Tam... This cheeky chappie manages to feature in both pics...

Last Monday. Lewis and Harris League. Ness FC 12 (twelve) Stornoway Utd 2. At Fivepenny. United fancied their chances apparently, since the Niseachs had been whipped 6-1 by Carloway 2 days before, but after this hounding they sit second bottom with a goal difference of -47. Always enjoy a trip to Ness although it's a bit of a trek from my digs in Uig. This was 6-1 at half time and I left before the end to get a few shots at the Butt of Lewis nearby, where all the tourists had gone and I had the place to myself. You can make out the lighthouse in the first pic.

10 years today, WW 4 Gala 2 on the first ever day of the LL. John Collins and Yogi Hughes showed up. Everybody wanted JCs autograph while Yogi stood around like a spare p***k. Then Wayno kept JC waiting as he had promised to do the MoM award.

I was on holiday there in 2001 and went to FCL v Young Boys at the old Allmend. First half I sat behind the goals, second half I went in beside the ultras. More beer flying about there than a gig at the Barrowlands.

Wallace Weir used to get called a cheatin bassa every week

There's steelwork up for a roof above the away terracing, or at least that was the situation last week. Won't come soon enough for you guys I fear.

If it says Bonnyrigg on the front then stay on till the stop outside the Calderwood right after it goes through the lights at the toll. If it says Polton Mill on the front, you either get off before the toll, or after it turns right at the toll. After the game walk through the lights to the first stop in the High St as both buses stop there, they’ll say East Craigs on the front. All the stops are on google maps anyway, but Edinburgh has a brilliant transport app as you’ll probably be going to Ainslie Park as well. I think it lets you buy e-tickets, but in any case you can just use contactless and it’ll cap your costs for the day however many buses you get on. I’m not a big fan of the Bonnyrigg boozers, except the Rose club, none of them have cask beer which I prefer, you can easy get off at the Laird and Dog in Lasswade where there’s always 2 guest ales, then hop on another 31 or 140/141 at about 2.30 and you’ll be up there in less than 10 mins.

Deary deary me Tam… went off on a mini rant about how teams should all play at the same time on the last day of the group, so nobody has an advantage. Nobody thought to mention that the groups have 5 teams.

Sunday 23/7/2023. Kirknewton 4 Burnside AFC (Broxburn) 4. A right good game between two LEAFA sides with a decent second half rammy. Pies back at the Village Hall were superb.

Dunbar utd 4 Newcastle Benfield 3 (ht 2-2). Decent PSF with Benfield scoring in the first minute and looking very strong but Dunny came back in and were helped early in the 2nd half when the Benfield skipper was given a straight red for an elbow. Some clownish defending on each side and a couple of terrific goals. Impressed with the new stand, far better than the usual dross that gets thrown up at wee clubs. Really, really excellent Scotch Pie. Got the train down and was very generously chauffeured back by @tamthebam. Lubricants by the Volunteer Arms and the Station Yard Micropub.

Aye that was their main theory Tam. They make a wee change from the Puffins.

Sgurr na Ciche from Loch Nevis Shiant Isles (iPhone pano)

Puffin & bonus shots, Isle of May July 7. Terns completely absent this season.

They were getting far better crowds than WW though who were charging the normal for the EOS. A bit of a funding gap for WW to make up this year.

I’m sure somebody provided data earlier that was obtained on site but you won’t be far off. The chairman told me a few years ago that the cost would be “astronomical“ but of course that was related to EOS levels of income so maybe it’s more realistic now. I took some match photos for him a few years back and told him I had levelled the pitch for him in Photoshop. He called me a cheeky c**t

Might just pitch up at that one Tam looks like a few changes since I was there with WW in the nineties. Don’t think they would win 8-0 nowadays…

Davidson too. Very little effort to stop the cross.

Were the midges getting to him or something? Gutted not to make it, a combination of pixellot, sunset, iPad made a shite viewing experience of what looked like a cracking cup tie. I see somebody mentioned you could switch to YouTube, wish I’d done that so I could have cast it to the tv (d’oh). I did try the YouTube link beforehand but it looked like something dodgy at the time. Nice to have respectful unbiased commentary whoever the guys were, well done and bonus points for topping up our squad with new signings Draper, Walsh and somebody called Richards or Ridgerds No game for us on Saturday so it’s a shame your game isn’t at NDP as I could stroll along there after a couple of pints.

Cheers @The Moonster, that worked…