LeedsPhil

Last match of the season Saturday (16th April) : BSC v Harmony Row. As at Friday bedtime the league and the SFA Ref appointments both say it's at Springburn Park synthetic, where BSC have played all season and which would be their last there before they move to Peterson Park next season. But Harmony Row have just tweeted at 10pm that it's at New Tinto ! So is that the truth, or is somebody at HR confused and thinks it's a Home game for them [HR play out of New Tinto]. From BSC's social media you wouldn't even know that they had a game, other than the auto-retweet of Harmony Row's. So where am I going? And I step out of the house at 6:20am for the train ! GRRRR !!

Any idea of venues? Talbot v Rob Roy is at Medda Peasy v Yoker is at Pollok Scottish Junior Cup Fixtures and Results (scottishjuniorfa.com)

Except it isn't ! Stirling University and Cumbernauld Colts both declare that it is (and always was) at the usual Forthbank. The SFA Referee Appointments page has left the venue blank. The LFL's site continues to spread fake news, still saying Falkirk Stadium, both in their tabulated fixture list and in their match-specific graphic. Hmmm...

Stilring University v Cumbernauld Colts, NW Group, Sunday 20th March 3pm is showing on the LFL site's fixture list as being at Falkirk Stadium rather than at usual home Stilring Albion's Forthbank

Another one from the Referee Appointments page. Saturday 19th March, Harmony Row are at Home. Home this season has been New Tinto Park - Sir Alex Ferguson Park not being good enough for the WoSFL. But Drumchapel United are playing out the season at New Tinto, and they've got a Home game too on Saturday 19th. At the moment, it looks like Harmony Row v St Peter's will be played at Sir Alex Ferguson Park. Unless there'll be a change of KO and two back-to-back matches at New Tinto, which has happened a few times. The WoSFL fixtures page also lists it as at the Sir Alex. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this would be the first time since joining the WoSFL that Harmony Row's men's first team will have played a match at the club's true home (?).

One-off ties at neutral venues, apparently, rather than the traditional Home & Away. Due Easter weekend (Saturday 16th April). Same weekend as the two SFs of the Big Scottish at Hampden.

Whitletts Vics on the move. Cooncil are selling Dam Park to the egg chasers, with Vics going to the 3G cage 300 yards from where Voluntary Park used to be (now under housing).

The SFA Referee Appointments page says that Finnart's last game (this Saturday, 12th March) v Harthill will be played at Greenfield Park - the home of Glasgow United (Shettleston Juniors to you & me). If true (the WoSFL fixtures still say at Springburn) that looks like it might be Finnart having left Springburn, for 'something better'. Finnart played one or two midweek fixtures at Greenfield Park at the start of the season, when the Springburn astro was already booked up.

Drumchapel United v Ardrossan Winton Rovers, Saturday 19th Feb, is already OFF due to "lack of a suitable venue", even before any snow issues. So are Drumchapel properly back at the Donald Dewar, or not? It was suitable for last Saturday, so why not there again this Saturday?...

other Killie Pie Cup ties switched/moved : Kello Rovers v Bonnyton Thistle switched to Bonnyton's plastic. Shotts Bon Accord v Ardeer Thistle switched to Ardeer. EK Thistle v Glenafton is moved from Showpark to EKFC's K Park plastic, with a later 3pm start.

No. The UEFA article specifies those who'll be represented by their National amateur side, the others (Scotland included) by a Region. In previous editions it has been the Central Scottish. Perhaps just by nomination by SAFA, rather than via any qualifying cup?...

In the draw made by UEFA today, Scotland's representative amateur region will face amateur regions from each of Russia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Israel. Matches to be played sometime between 15th August and 9th December 2022, in a host country to be decided (could be here). Only the group winner progresses, to a last-8 tournament, host country to be decided, to be held 'in principle' in the last 2 weeks of June 2023. So my question is : does anybody know the process / schedule of determining before next August which Scottish amateur region it is that will represent us? 2022/23 UEFA Regions' Cup qualifying draw: preliminary and intermediate round | UEFA Regions' Cup | UEFA.com

The preliminary round draw will be made on the glorious 12th (Thursday) - the SFA website's news article 'fixture dates confirmed' has been edited today to include that. Doesn't yet say what time / how to watch a stream.

Campeltown are doing one but will only continue with it if it's a success. Since the first chance I'll have to trek there isn't until match 3, those of you going to the first two please buy them a-plenty so that they haven't discontinued it before I arrive !

I bumped into one of the guys behind this at the game I was at last night. He was saying (as per "subject to confirmation" above) that it's not yet confirmed whether Bo'ness will be the Friday game. If not it will be the Sunday game.

For reference, last year's was in the evening on Sunday 21st June 2020.

No. A draw is made each season for which league will be home in the first leg. They never let us know when that is, the result of it just 'appears' earlier in the season. I've always thought it would be fairer to alternate it - one year have the HFL club home first, next season have the LFL club home first. But nope, it's drawn afresh each year. The best place to check for it each season is on the Lowland League's website. Go to the Fixtures & Results tab, then scroll down to the bottom for the "Important Dates In The Lowland League" bit. That has been saying for a while that this season it's the northerners playing the first leg at Home. On Kelty's website home page the Next Match feature says the first leg is at Kelty, but if you click on the same site's Results & Fixtures tab, they list the first game as at Brora, with the second one at Kelty.

That basic 3G cage by the new school/library is where Aviemore Thistle play, in the Strathspey & Badenoch Welfare summer league. A league which is down to just 4 member clubs nowadays.

So few games have been played up here in the Highland League that it'd be ludicrous to declare now on PPG. Max any team has played is 3 games. Some haven't played a league fixture at all yet. 5 teams are unbeaten, so on the same PPG, although Brora would top the list on g.d. And if the HFL were to restart to get a few more games in, that wouldn't be until 17th May.

And Brora Rangers v Hearts of course - https://brorarangers.cleeng.com/buy-now-brora-rangers-vs-heart-of-midlothian-23-march-2021/E650877397_GB It looks like Formartine United v Annan Athletic is the only one of tonight's fixtures involving the Highland League sides that is not being streamed live. BBC Radio Scotland will have live commentary from Brora.

17 April 2001, Deportivo La Coruna v Leeds United, Champions League Quarter-Final second leg. After a 3-0 win in the first leg, we clung on to 'only' lose 2-0 in Spain. Our bus back to the airport was bricked when driving along the motorway - quite disconcerting when it's at night so you didn't see it coming. I nearly lost my well-travelled flag that night too - hanging over the front of the away section, the home fans below tried to drag it down. Lost the SF (second leg again away, and in Spain) at Valencia, so they were too busy celebrating to bother bricking us.

Mr NCL stating yesterday that he's aiming to get the season finished (there aren't that many matchdays needed to achieve that), but only after any need for testing has been relaxed. He's assuming Nicola will indeed release us from the current complete lockdown & back to Tiers on her target date of Monday 26th April - quite likely, as a blatant bribe to voters just ahead of the 6th May election. So he's anticipating NCL restart from Saturday 1st May ...assuming Highland isn't put in too-high a Tier. https://www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk/sport/clubs-facing-wait-until-may-to-play-231347/

Watch that Real Kashmir documentary again. David Robertson came across very well as a strong leader able to get on with it in a challenging situation.

Shelley Kerr, for the publicity that would generate...

From the outside, the building containing the refreshments at Vale Of Leven (Alexandria - geographically near Loch Lomond, but culturally a million miles away) looks like a soviet bunker, but inside has amazing historic newspaper articles on the walls. If only half-time had been longer! Stand-alone pie hut at Rothie Rovers, which was the only one I ever came across in the Aberdeenshire Amateurs (apart from those who shared at higher teams' grounds). No surprise that they stepped up to the Juniors. Individual wooden pie hut at Cove Rangers, but new of course. Others I can think of that aren't just hatches in main buildings walls - Tweedmouth Rangers, East Kilbride. Neither are photogenic. Go-ahead club Darvel had a smart new refreshments building when I was there. 'Double-glazing showroom' refreshments room at Port Glasgow's new-build. And Kello Rovers' standalone bar made me smile - it's labelled The Rovers Return.