atfccfc

Game two in Germany. And the train down to Aue Bad-Schlema via Dresden and Zwickau. for FC Erzgebirge Aue (or BSG Wismut Aue as the fans seem to prefer, their name during GDR times) V SC Freiburg II in 3.Liga. a very poor game which I felt was going to be 0-0 after 5 minutes. Both teams defences were on top from the start and they stifled the forwards very well from the start. The forward players didn't help themselves with poor crosses and taken too many touches when in good positions, though. The defending was very good though. Atmosphere was again good from the home fans on a very very cold day. The town of Aue and the Erzgebirgsstadion though is very picturesque in the winter weather amongst the hills. A beautiful part of the world. 0-0 6019 fans with 12 from Freiburg Ticket 19 Euros Programme 1.50 Euros. Nudeln mit Wurstgulash (pasta, cheese, sauce and sausage) 5 Euros. Brockwurst in Brochen 3.50 Euros.

In Germany this week. And to start of the weekend I attended a famous old name from the GDR past in BFC Dynamo who played host to ZFC Meuselwitz in the Regionalliga Nordost. BFC started the day of in upper mid table with the visitors in the lower half of the league table. Dynamo started of much the better team and should have taken the lead early on. But missed a few chances. On 20 minutes against the run of play the visitors took a surprise lead when a deep cross from the right was met with a header from the forward to put Meuselwitz ahead. The rest of an entertaining first half was shared between both teams. The second half seen the visitors sit in a bit and Dynamo dominated as they looked to get back into the game. But they missed chance after chance and I felt they could play all night and not score. That's until in the 82nd minute the visiting goalkeeper kindly dropped an easy catch from a corner into the path of a Dynamo player who gratefully scored. Dynamo smelt blood and continued to attack for a winner against a team who had yet to draw a game all season. And on 90 minutes another mistake in the box from a corner lead to a stramash and the winner eventually stabbed home. An excellent nights entertainment. Ticket 15 Euros on the gate. Programme (Stadionheft in German) 2 Euros. Crowd was 1390

A revisit to Pittodrie for Aberdeen V St Johnstone today. Planned this one in advance as the last four grounds I need for the 42 weren't available because teams were either away or the RMT Strike making trains unavailable for Annan and Elgin. Cove Rangers were initially away from home before the game was switched. But I'd already bought my ticket before I realised. Travelled by bus as it is easy to get back to Edinburgh. Aberdeen much the better team and had an early goal disallowed for an arm being offside. Saints seemed happy to sit in and frustrate Aberdeen. But the Dons kept plugging away and managed to grab the win with two late goals.

For me It just has to be a first team game. I like a Programme or a Team sheet if no programme is available as well (Inverness CT will be annoying when I get around to it, as apparently they don't produce either!) I wasn't particularly bothered about it being a game involving the club who's ground it actually is. But I did decide to go to a Queen's Park game at Hampden as I felt it felt only right. I've been to Hampden over 50 times but only one Spiders home game. Apart from that I'm not particularly fussy.

Just entered. A mixture of old people who are good at living a long time and are probably immortal! And younger ill people.

All the best Craig Gordon. Absolutely brilliant goalkeeper and legend with both Hearts and Celtic.

Hibernian 4 Livingston 0 today. I had this down as a score draw or narrow away win. But Hibs were very very good and Livingston surprisingly very very bad even with the red card. Best part of the day was David Marshall getting the sponsors Man of the Match award for doing absolutely nothing (AND I mean absolutely nothing!) for 85 minutes then saving two penalties before he resumed his deckchair to see out the final 4 minutes and injury time.

All the best Craig Gordon

It's more of an 8 page booklet, than a magazine. It would be just as easy in my opinion to make that a match programme for each match and charge 50p -£1 as it looks to be produced in house. Add in a bit about the opposition and still provide team sheets. A programme doesn't need to be a 60-100 magazine. 8-16 pages per game is all it needs to be.

Stair Park, Stranraer today for their clash with Stirling Albion. £15 to get in, no programme but plenty of team sheets and monthly newsletters handed out. Stirling started the brighter and took the lead on 15 minutes When Robert Thomson headed in at the back post. But Stranraer don't have the best home record in the division without reason, they thought back well and almost equalised within seconds of the first goal. Stirling didn't heed the warning and on 31 minutes good work down the left resulted in Dylan Forrest being left alone inside the penalty'area, 10 yards out to fire his shot high past Blair Currie for the equaliser. The game evened out a bit after that. Until a good move down the right left Grant Gallagher unmarked in the 6 yard box to give Stranraer a half time lead The second half started quietly with Stranraer being in control. Stirling tried hard to get back in the game. But a spectacular overhead kick on 61 minutes from Sean McIntosh put Stranraer in easy street. Stranraer were by far the better team and deserved the 3 points. Only Cove Rangers, Elgin City, Inverness CT and Annan to go.

Greenock Morton V Queen of the South. Scottish cup round 3. 4-1 to The Ton. 1614. Crowd 1614. £18 no programme but free team sheet. A real treat today. Finally managed to tick of Cappielow Park. A perfect day for football, cold, wet and windy and a cracking cup tie. A deflected shot by Robbie Muirhead put the home side ahead but QOS fought back to equalise on the half hour mark. Both teams had chances but it stood 1-1 at the break. Second half continued to be even end to end, but with 15 to go, Morton won a free tick on the right after Quitongo pulled a Ton player back. Man of the match Robbie Muirhead then hit a left footed shot over the wall and beat the keeper at the near post. Morton had took control, and then won a penalty with two minutes to go which Gillespie converted after Muirhead handed him the ball. Morton then scored a fourth in injury time to put a very comfortable score in what was a tighter game than 4-1 suggests.

My original plan was to head up to Aberdeen and tick off Balmoral stadium for Cove Rangers v Greenock Morton. But as all trains to Aberdeen from Edinburgh were cancelled, I headed over to Stirling for The Binos V East Fife. Which turned out to be a very entertaining afternoon. East Fife started well in the first 4 minutes before two quick goals for the home team put them in control. It was a bit harsh on The Fifers but they fought their way back into the match just before half time. The second half wasn't as free flowing but both teams had their chances. But it wasn't until deep in injury time when an East Fife corner broke for the home team who needed two bites at the cherry to get their third goal. An enjoyable afternoon. £15 for an adult and £2.50 for a programme with a free team sheet thrown in. I'll get to Cove another time

WOW! 2 and a half years on. I got through it. Caught COVID once at the start of this year and was off for 10 days. It didn't effect me it particularly bad. But Mrs atfccfc got a tougher bout of it. As soon as we could get to football again I went to as many games as possible last season and have gone on two holidays as soon as it was possible to easily do, without all the testing etc. Still ignore the news and pick and choose what stories I read about. It has definitely helped with my mental health. Life is ok to middling

Cove Rangers V Morton on 19th Morton V Queen of the South on 26th Maybe Stranraer on the 3rd if I can get the day off. To tick off Balmoral stadium and Cappielow. And watch a bit of the world cup.

Victoria Park, Dingwall for Ross County V St Mirren. 3-2 to the home team in a cracking see saw match. £28 ticket, no programme but if you ask nicely in the shop they will give you a team sheet. Also if you show your ticket to the bus driver in Inverness you get a return for £5. Not sure how much is it without. I had originally booked the train but with the strike (that was suspended yesterday) I booked the bus from Edinburgh. Good day out. Now for the return journey

Got that as well. Helps when planning for games to visit in Europe.

Thanks, I keep one for matches attended also as well as other sports. I'm a nerd

Superb work @Doingthe42 and @Buchan30. Glad I'm not the only one who keeps a Spreadsheet. I've added in previous and new stadium as well if I've visited both. Pink is yet to visit. And Queen's Park at Lesser Hampden will need to be added once they move in. I've sadly missed out on Broomfield, Boghead, Love Street and Annfield in my time

Superb. I've just 7 to go. Ross County, going 5th November V St Mirren. Inverness CT Elgin City Annan Athletic (was supposed to be this weekend, but I don't drive and there's a rail strike) Stranraer Morton Cove Rangers

A first visit to Balmoor for Peterhead V Alloa Athletic 0-2. Unsure of crowd 300/400?! £17 (£15 to stand) to sit, Programme (online, but I asked if it could be printed and I was charged £3. Greatly appreciated to club historian and programme editor for doing this. Thanks) Wasn't expecting much from struggling Blue Toon. But they battled well for the majority of the match and had a goal disallowed for offside in the first half. Alloa were always dangerous though and took the lead on 55 minutes Peterhead continued to try and get back in the match. But lost a second goal with four minutes to go to the delight of the 21 away supporters behind the goal. Good day out.

Yes. I make one trip a year. Twice this year as I'd missed so much football because of COVID. Denmark and Sweden. Been watching football abroad since 2010, though I've seen Celtic away in Europe many times before that in the 90s and early 2000s. The Czech one I did in September was one of my favourites. Lots of things came together perfectly for it. Multiple games in a day at several different levels, easy travel, cheap tickets, good food and beer, weather was perfect. Programmes at all of the matches bar one. I give myself a different challenge or theme each time. First it was one game on a trip at a big club, then two or three in one city over a weekend. I then got more confident and tried to broaden it by travelling around the country a bit more. Then I decided two game's in a day, followed by two games in two different countries in a day (done this twice, Germany-Belgium and Denmark-Sweden). The Czech one I had three in a day, twice! Kick off times are perfect for this. My next trip is in the planning stage. I would like to see a lot of the old GDR clubs and grounds. So hoping for match days to be kind. Erzgebirge Aue on a Friday or Monday night in January please fixture god's for travel purposes . So 3.Liga, Regionalliga Nordost and Oberliga rather than the top two divisions. Thinking further ahead (2024). Three games in three different countries in a day is possible. Switzerland with Basel, Germany with either Freiburg or Karlsruhe and France with Strasbourg. Though Luxembourg-Germany-France or Belgium is also an option for this.

Final game of my weekend in London. Kingstonian V Potters Bar Town in the Isthmain Premier League at Imperial fields, Mitcham. A good game won 3-1 by Potters Bar in front of 279 (though it looked more) £12 to get in and £2 for programme and Team Sheet. Potters bar took the lead before Kingstonian equalised on half time. Which was against the run of play. Potter Bar were far the better team. The second half was just as one sided. But the away team made no mistake. Kingstonian were reduced to 10 men at the end.

Headed down to London yesterday for a few games. I was going to go to Enfield Town V Corinthian Casuals last night. But it was torrential rain so stayed in Hotel. Today. I did a double header at Leyton Orient V Newport County. £18 ticket in advance. And £3.50 for a programme. Orient were unbeaten before today against struggling Newport. But the Welsh side turned the form book upside down and won 2-1 . 7402 turned up to see this. A very good game that could've gone either way. I then had a rush through the Olympic park to get to the London Stadium in time for the 5.30pm kick off between West Ham and Wolves. Ticket £45 and programme £4. A poor match apart from the two goals.

After my travels, it was back to domestic action today and the North Edinburgh Derby today Civil Service Strollers V Spartans. CSS took a two goal lead through Balatoni and Lawson before Henderson scored a spectacular overhead kick to cut the lead. It wasn't enough for Spartans as CSS ran out 2-1 winners.

Thanks for letting me know