Le Tout P'ti FC

No random matches for me last week. I was away scouting new clubs for the West of Scotland League. When this lot play Campbeltown Pupils, I can assure you I will be there home and away.

Port Ellen distillery is coming along. Just think, in only 10-12 years from now there might finally be a Port Ellen on the market that I can buy without remortgaging. There is also a rum distillery directly behind it which has newly opened since my last visit. Not sure how the other two “under construction” distilleries are coming along but I’ll hazard a guess that the one out by Bowmore isn’t.

Back on Islay.

Newtongrange Star 2 Stoneyburn 0 HT. South Challenge Cup, third round. Game started in style. Two goals, two shots off the bar, missed penalty. All before I could finish my steak and haggis pie! Has calmed down a touch since but has been very entertaining. EDIT - finished 5-3 Newtongrange AET. Defences were well on top.

Irvine Meadow XI 0 Cumnock 1. West of Scotland Cup, 1st Round. Always a pleasure to see the team wearing blue shirts, white shorts, and black socks with red trim get gubbed.

Cumnock 2 Pollok 2. Premier League. If we put aside the fact that Cumnock is not particularly random for me at this stage, given I’ve now seen them four times in little more than a month (and I’m going back to see them at Irvine Meadow on Saturday), this was an absolute belter of a game. Cumnock took the lead twice, Pollok’s second equaliser was ridiculously good, making their goals against Annan look like tap-ins. He absolutely leathered the ball, pleasingly clipping off the crossbar on the way in. Just a sensationally good goal. There was a camera there, would like to see it again. Both teams had chances to win that game. Really enjoyable game. And reader, I did get my bobble hat tonight, the last one they had in stock too. Result!

Search the band name on twitter on the afternoon of the gig and somebody will invariably post the stage times. Usually the band and/or the venue will post them up. Rough timings for a typical gig might be something like support 7:30-8:00 and main act 8:30-9:45. Varies a little from gig to gig, day of the week etc, but 10pm is usually a pretty good estimate of the curfew for the larger venues. Make sure you nip into the Laurieston Bar for a pre gig pint of Jarl! Enjoy the show.

Just received the worst news that Mimi Parker has passed away from ovarian cancer. I was at Low’s show at the Tramway in 2019, and it will rank as the high watermark for a gig memory in the 25 years I’ve been going to see gigs. A spellbinding night. May she rest in peace. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jan/30/low-review-tramway-glasgow

3-0 Elgin HT. Bongo look totally bereft of any confidence. Compounded by a howler of a goalie error for the second goal.

Did you get an onion pie? Made my night that did. Regretting not buying a bobble hat, they were very smart.

Cumnock 4 Dalry Thistle 0. West of Scotland Cup, Preliminary Round. After a drive through 1950s Lanarkshire, this was a comfortable win for Cumnock. Dalry didn't give up and had some nice moments in the second half. Highlight of the game was Cumnock winning a penalty at 4-0. Player was offside but ref played on. Keeper hacked the attacker down, was sent off, and the outfield player who went into goal saved the penalty. Love seeing an outfield player in goals!

I've only just noticed there's no floodlights. There used to be floodlights at Lesser?

Thank you, Daniel Gray. You have now taught me that Bovril was invented in Roslin. Now home in my mind of Dollie the Sheep, the Knights Templar and the Da Vinci code at Rosslyn Chapel, David Gray 90' +2, Brian from my school and bloody bovril. Without John Lawson Johnston and his inventive ways with beefy juice, this very website would bear a different name. This is footballing history right here near the Roslin Post Office. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/oct/20/snack-bars-galore-the-wonder-of-football-food#Echobox=1666262647

Stirling deserving of their win this afternoon. Stirling's goals coming either side of Bonnyrigg scoring (with their only shot on goal, after a well worked move). Crowd around me were doing their nut at Bonnyrigg constantly losing possession with balls lumped forward, when they seemed to have much more success when playing the ball to feet. Felt at times like Stirling could have pulled away, but Bonnyrigg did well to stay in the game. The next two games - Elgin (5th in table) at NDP, away to Forfar (8th) - look very significant indeed. Forthbank remains a cracking ground. Ageing quite well, accessible easily, friendly staff, good food. Plenty to like about it.

Accounts are not overdue yet. The club have applied to extended their accounts filing deadline to 31 December 2022, doubtless using the widely available three month Covid filing extension still offered upon application by Companies House. Very widely adopted by businesses, so I wouldn't call this underhand or a filing delay, as such, albeit not particularly best practice either.