Merrymass derby tonight. Irvine Meadow v Irvine Vics

[Talbot supporter]

Always wondered what this game was like is there a big rivalry ? Also does teams field a strong side as they have a game next day ? Does the game attract a big crowd ?

[Ginaro]

16 minutes ago, Talbot supporter said:

Always wondered what this game was like is there a big rivalry ? Also does teams field a strong side as they have a game next day ? Does the game attract a big crowd ?

Don't know much about this fixture but it doesn't look like Vics have a game tomorrow and Meadow are playing Deveronside in the Junior Cup (probably mid-bottom WOS Conference level).

[theesel1994]

I see Irvine Meadow's Under 20s game against Maybole has been postponed tonight. I wonder if any of the U20s will be in the team for the Marymass game.

[Moomintroll]

'Mon the Vics.

[Shannon]

I see Irvine Meadow's Under 20s game against Maybole has been postponed tonight. I wonder if any of the U20s will be in the team for the Marymass game.

Yeah will be a decent number of our under 20s in the squad and a few of our 1st team players that need more game time or just back from injury so that playing tonight will hopefully help them get match fitness.

It's 100 years since the 1st ever Marymass Derby. Will be interesting to see how our under 20s perform against Vics who no matter their league position always give 110% for Marymass game and always competitive.

Some information on 1st Marymass game on 2nd article down here:
https://www.irvinemeadowfc.co.uk/meadow-history-page

Usually the crowd is around 600 - 900 so a pretty good crowd at our level.

[Talbot supporter]

Yeah will be a decent number of our under 20s in the squad and a few of our 1st team players that need more game time or just back from injury so that playing tonight will hopefully help them get match fitness.

It's 100 years since the 1st ever Marymass Derby. Will be interesting to see how our under 20s perform against Vics who no matter their league position always give 110% for Marymass game and always competitive.

Some information on 1st Marymass game on 2nd article down here:
https://www.irvinemeadowfc.co.uk/meadow-history-page

Usually the crowd is around 600 - 900 so a pretty good crowd at our level.

Wow that's a good crowd. Hopefully the weather stays ok for yous

[BigBo10]

I’ve always wondered why it’s called the Marymass derby anyone able to shed light on that?

[Moomintroll]

33 minutes ago, BigBo10 said:

I’ve always wondered why it’s called the Marymass derby anyone able to shed light on that?

It's a local festival we have to commemorate a visit to the Burgh of Irvine by Mary, Queen of Scots. Basically an excuse for a drunken weekend with a game of football, a parade, some horse races & the local mentalists climbing a greasy pole to win a big cooked ham.

I bloody miss it.

[HibeeJibee]

47 minutes ago, BigBo10 said:

I’ve always wondered why it’s called the Marymass derby anyone able to shed light on that?

Marymass: the mass of Mary. In the Roman Catholic calendar the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary - the day she died and ascended to heaven - is on August 15th (New Style). I would assume this was the old medieval fair day in Irvine which has become their modern civic week?

Evidently the game itself isn't always played on August 15th which could be any day of the week.

EDIT: I suppose historically it would also have fallen in preseason or more recently in the sectional league cup stage that used to open the old West Junior season?

Edited August 20, 2021 by HibeeJibee

[tamthebam]

39 minutes ago, BigBo10 said:

I’ve always wondered why it’s called the Marymass derby anyone able to shed light on that?

Marymass is on 15th August, a religious festival celebrating the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is a public holiday in quite a few European countries.

As Moomintroll says it seems to be the Irvine equivalent of the Borders towns' Riding of the Marches i.e. an excuse for a piss up. Although in this case a proper sport is involved rather than egg chasing.

I went to a game at Vics park a few years ago and it was a bit mental!

[HibeeJibee]

Btw I can't think of another example in Scotland.

If for sake of argument St Andrews United and St Andrews University played an equivalent game it would be August 1st being their Lammas Festival (from loaf mass: first fruits of the harvest).

That said I see the Lammas Festival in St Andrews is actually held at the start of the 2nd week in August (i.e. between August 8th and 14th depending how the weekdays fall)... Presumably they converted it into New Style which would have made it August 12th.

[VodkaTap]

31 minutes ago, Yogi said:

The game is played the night before marymass usually the 4th Friday after the first Monday in August the fair is the 4th Saturday after the first Monday in August

Marymass Saturday is always the 3rd Saturday after the first Monday in August so the game is always the Friday night before.

[Shannon]

Marymass: the mass of Mary. In the Roman Catholic calendar the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary - the day she died and ascended to heaven - is on August 15th (New Style). I would assume this was the old medieval fair day in Irvine which has become their modern civic week?

Evidently the game itself isn't always played on August 15th which could be any day of the week.

EDIT: I suppose historically it would also have fallen in preseason or more recently in the sectional league cup stage that used to open the old West Junior season?

The Marymass Derby. Add 1 win now for Meadow but wee section in the programme.



"There have been 94 Marymass matches so far. The first was played in 1921, and apart from a five year gap during the Second World War, there has been a game played on the Marymass Friday evening ever since until last season in 2020. There wasn’t much to chose between the teams before the war with Meadow winning ten and Vics seven with two draws. However since 1945 Meadow have dominated the fixture. In the following years Vics have only increased their total to 15 wins, but Meadow now stand on 74 victories, with 5 drawn games. Victoria’s longest winning run is 3 matches, between 1934 and 1936, although they were unbeaten in four as the 1933 game was a 1-1 draw. Meadow’s longest winning run is 15 games between 1979 and 1993. However they had a 20 game unbeaten run between 1955 and 1974, with only the 1969 game being a 1-1 draw.
Since 2006 Meadow and Victoria have contested the Irvine Herald Trophy. This replaced the John Martin Memorial Shield which was played for between 1982 and 2005. The Herald results are as follows:-

2006 Meadow 3 v 4 Victoria H.T. 2-3 Meadow scorers; Reid, Kerr (2 inc a pen). Vics scorers; Graham (2), McIlroy, Gibson
2007 Victoria 0 v 4 Meadow H.T. 0-3 Meadow scorers; Armstrong, McGinty, Turner (2)
2008 Meadow 1 v 0 Victoria H.T. 1-0 Meadow scorer; C Robertson
2009 Victoria 0 v 1 Meadow H.T. 0-1 Meadow scorer; Boyle
2010 Meadow 3 v 1 Victoria H.T. 1-1 Meadow scorers; Strain, Ryan, McGeown. Vics scorer; Baird
2011 Victoria 4 v 6 Meadow H.T. 4-1 Victoria scorers; McAvoy (2), McGregor, Colligan. Meadow scorers; Ryan, Miller, McGuinness, Barr, Turner, Eeles. This game is the highest aggregate score in the fixture's history to date.
2012 Meadow 3 v 1 Victoria H.T. 2-1 Meadow scorers; Eeles, Hughes, McClymont. Vics Scorer; G Russell
2013 Victoria 0 v 1 Meadow H.T. 0-0 Meadow scorer; Thomson (pen)
2014 Meadow 4 v 4 Victoria H.T. 1-2 Meadow scorers; Hall, Sawyers (2 inc a pen), Thomson. Vics Scorers; Adam (2 pens), Ablorh (2). Meadow won the trophy 3-2 on penalties. Meadow penalty scorers; Sawyers, McParland, McCann. Vics penalty scorers; Adam, Davidson
2015 Victoria 1 v 4 Meadow H.T. 1-0 Vics scorer; Ablorh. Meadow scorers; McPherson (2 inc a pen), Twaddle, G McCann
2016 Meadow 4 v 3 Victoria H.T. 1-2 Meadow scorers; Hannah, Begley, Vernon (2). Vics scorers; Adam (2 inc a pen), Craig
2017 Victoria 3 v 1 Meadow H.T. 2-0 Victoria scorers; Mears, Adam (2 inc a pen). Meadow scorer; Connolly
2018 Meadow 4 v 3 Irvine Victoria
Meadow scorers: Devlin, David MacKay, Begley & Graham Boyd
Victoria scorers: Roddy Patterson 3
2019 Victoria 1 v 4 Irvine Meadow
Victoria scorers: Ryan Morrow
Meadow scorers: McLaughlin, Slooves, McTernan & Pearson
The 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016 matches were also League Cup group games; the rest were stand alone Herald Cup ties."



Why it started:

"Up until 1921 both clubs had enjoyed free Marymass Saturdays to allow the people of the town head out to Irvine Moor for the races. However, in 1921 the Irvine rivals were given a league fixture for that weekend and the decision was taken to play it on the Friday evening. The decision turned out to be a great success, as The Irvine Herald reported, “Fortunately the night was ideal and there was a great crowd in Meadow Park as the teams took the field”.

The teams who took part on the first Marymass Derby were (in the 2-3-5 formation of the time):

Irvine Meadow XI: Syme; Paton and Wilson; Wylie, Bobbins and McDonald; Ness, Page, Scott, Ferguson and Leiper."

Irvine Victoria: McKenzie; Wilson and Dickson; Craig, Dunlop and Gibson; McLaughlan, Galloway, Knox, Livingston and Beaton.