Crow

Kippen 1-2 Balfron Rovers @ Kippen Sports Field . Forth & Endrick League. 7.30pm. The visitors came from a goal down to take a lead that was preserved with a last minute penalty save . Both sides reduced to 10 men at 1-1. The rain did well to keep the away. Crowd 50.

Civil Service Strollers 1-2 Falkirk (1-0 HT) @ Christie Gillies Park . Pre-season Friendly. 7.45pm. Lowland League Strollers competed well against their League One opponents and led for the best part of an hour before conceding twice in the last 10 minutes. Crowd 415.

Or maybe not.

1 game in a whole season count yourself lucky you don’t follow a side who’s on the telly every week .

As I’ve told you and now shown you ... statistically that is most likely. Have a nice Christmas when it comes .

https://www.andrews-sykes.com/blog/best-and-worst-weather-days-in-the-uk/

I’m no weatherman ... but it’s been scientifically proven that the period around the shortest day (21 December) is when the weather in the UK is most likely to be at its worst.

Cuts down travel time over Christmas and when the weather is at its worst.

Tam Cowan declaring himself out the running.

Really sad to see Lothian go. Hutchie Vale can push on with trying to tell everyone they invented the game.

Coverage starts 5 minutes before kick-off, quick intro with a bit of Rocky music and over to Brian Moore and Jimmy Greaves. The good old days of TV coverage.

Fully expect a more defensive midfield option (Lavia currently looking most likely) to follow. Would think another centre back coming in too with either Gomez or Matip moving on but wouldn’t know with Jurgen.

East Kilbride 1-1 Queen of the South (1-1 HT) @ K-Park . 3pm. A first pre-season friendly for both with Queens ahead after only 3 minutes before the impressive EK deservedly levelled from the spot. The visitors with 11 half time changes . Brilliant crowd of just under 600.

Good seat ... I must have been sitting near you .

Dunfermline Athletic 0-3 FC St Pauli (0-1 HT) @ East End Park . 7pm. Less than 3 days since the final whistle finally blew at Hampden on Tuesday night I got the 2023-24 season underway with this interesting match up . The Pars did well to compete with their Bundesliga 2 opponents in an entertaining pre-season friendly. Crowd 7255.

Killearn 1-5 Drymen United (1-2 HT) @ Queen Elizabeth Playing Field . Forth & Endrick League . 7.30pm. The visitors (6th) go a goal down early on but once level they prove far too strong for Killearn (2nd) and pick up 3 big points on the road to push up the table. Glorious night for it and for once midgies nowhere to be seen. Crowd 92.

Coldstream Seniors 1-10 Wooler (0-6 HT) @ The Stanks yesterday. Berwick Charities Cup Group F. 2pm. Wooler secure top spot in the group and a place in the Quarter Finals with an emphatic win. They were 5-0 up after only 20 minutes. What a venue and a great day for it . Crowd 161.

Carlton v Watsonian @ Grange Loan . Masterton T20 Trophy . The home side in first and scored 164/7. The visitors got off to a good start in reply but could only manage 138/8 including a brilliant catch for the 8th wicket. Crowd 45.

Bo’ness Athletic 4-0 Dunipace (1-0 HT) @ Meggetland Stadium . EOS League Cup Final . 2pm. With 5 Premier Division scalps taken between them it was 3rd Division v 1st Division. Dunipace saw a 1st half penalty saved at 0-0 before Bo’ness went on to deservedly win. Crowd 533.

Celtic 3-1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle (HT 1-0) @ Hampden Park . Scottish Cup Final. 5.30pm. Caley give it their best shot but as expected Champions Celtic prove too strong. They pulled it back to 2-1 with 5 minutes left but an injury time 3rd sealed it. Crowd 47,247.

Partick Thistle 2-0 Ross County (2-0 HT) @ Firhill Stadium . cinch Premiership Play-off 1st Leg. The home side ahead on 9 mins and County down to 10 men just after. Thistle with a 2nd on 45 mins but County somehow keep it to 2-0 when it could have been 5/6. Crowd 7299.

Dunipace 3-2 Linlithgow Rose (1-2 HT) @ Newtown Park, Bo’ness . EOS League Cup SF. 7.30pm. The Pace come from behind to shock the EOS Champions and reach Sunday’s final with Bo’ness Athletic. Rose finish with 9 men after 2 late reds . Crowd 587.

Southampton 4-4 Liverpool (2-2 HT) @ St Mary’s Stadium . Premier League. 4.30pm. Crazy stuff . Liverpool 2-0 up early on. Saints pull back level at the break before taking a 4-2 lead only for the visitors to come back but they somehow didn’t force a winner. Crowd 31,129.

Craigroyston 3-2 Hawick Royal Albert (2-1 HT) @ St Marks Park . The home side got the win they needed but Ormiston won big away to Lochgelly and Craigie will join Hawick in Division 3 next season*. The visitors missed a late penalty to snatch an unlikely point. Crowd 71. *Not any more with Edinburgh United deducted another 3 points and drop below them.